On this day May 14, 1904, the steel steamer MARTIN MULLEN was launched at Cleveland by the American Ship Building Company. The MULLEN was built for Charles L. Hutchinson of the Hutchinson Fleet (Pioneer Steamship Co.) and christened by Miss Mary Mullen, sister of the well-known coal and vessel man for whom the boat was named. Her estimated cost was $270,000 and she measured 416 feet in length, 50 feet in beam and 28 feet in depth. She could carry 6,700 tons of freight.
MARTIN MULLEN
That October the MULLEN arrived at Buffalo with 6,500 tons of iron ore. As a new boat she took advantage of the “modern unloading machines.” Below is an explanation of how modernized machines saved time and man power from the Buffalo Enquirer of October 27, 1904.
“The advantages of modern unloading machines, working in modern built boats was well illustrated yesterday at the Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburg docks on Ganson Street. Work that caused comment was done by the huge Hulett clam-shell ore unloading machine unloading the propeller MARTIN MULLEN of the Hawgood fleet. The boat brought 6,500 tons of iron ore to this port. She is a modern boat in all respects, with hatches, with twelve-foot centers and continuous and with no pillars in the hold.
“The machine takes out between eleven and thirteen tons of ore every time it goes into the hold. And the machine will take out over 95 per cent of the ore cargo.
”There were several delays yesterday but the big machine took out 100 carloads of ore, representing about 3,500 tons of ore. The machine was directed by S. J. Russel, master mechanic, and the speed test was made under the direction of A. Harley, superintendent of the docks. The test showed what the machine is capable of doing in a modern boat.
“One of the features of the test was the amount saved in labor by the big automatic ore unloader. Only six men were working with the big machine. Another machine which works on the docks took out only forty carloads of ore and required thirty-two men. If the six men on the big machine had been paid by the ton as the others are they would have received over $700.”
MARTIN MULLEN dated 1934
The MULLEN sailed for the Pioneer Steamship Co. for most of her career. In 1947 she was sold Canadian to Paterson, renamed SCOTIADOC and used mainly in the grain and coal trades.
SCOTIADOC
On June 20, 1953, the SCOTIADOC collided with the BURLINGTON in dense fog off Isle Royale, Mich. and sunk. The SCOTIADOC’s 29 crewmen abandoned ship and were rescued by the BURLINGTON. One crew member was reported missing and presumed drowned. At the time, the SCOTIADOC had a cargo of 253,000 bushels of wheat, valued at more than $500,000.
Suzette Lopez
PHOTO CREDIT: Great Lakes Marine Collection of the Milwaukee Public Library and Wisconsin Marine Historical Society.
