“It shall be your duty to protect the city in times of danger and distress”
“the craft slid into the bay like an eel”
“it floated with the grace of a swan”
“Exclamations of delight and admiration were heard from all sides”
On this day, November 11, 1896, the wooden fireboat AUGUST F. JANSSEN was launched. She was built by Rieboldt & Wolter at Sturgeon Bay, Wis., for the city of Milwaukee. Measuring 100.5 feet in length, 24.7 feet in beam and 10.2 feet in depth, she cost nearly $33,000 and was placed in service on May 15, 1897.
AUGUST F. JANSSEN/No. 23 with the 6th Street bridge behind her in Milwaukee
Photo at top of page: At her dock on the west side of north end of 6th Street Bridge about 1910
The name was adopted at the Common Council meeting of September 14, 1896 “… Resolved, That the new fireboat now being constructed for the city of Milwaukee be and is hereby named the “August F. Janssen” in honor of our late and beloved assistant chief, Mr. August F. Janssen, who lost his life while faithfully performing his duties at the fire of the Davidson theater in this city on April 9, 1894.”
The Milwaukee Sentinel of October 25, 1896, gave a full description of the boat. Here are a few highlights of that article:
“… The material of which the boat is built is Wisconsin white oak and the stock was of such a superior quality that not even a single graving piece was found necessary. This is all covered with steel sheathing. She is strengthened longitudinally by a steel arch eight inches wide and five eights of an inch thick, which is mortised in the frames and forms a semi-circle on either side from stem to stern; also four shelf arches which are still plates fourteen inches wide by three-fourths of an inch thick. The outside arches are covered by the planking. Athwart ships she is strengthened, besides the heavy deck beams, with three double T iron beams over the boiler and two channel iron pieces. This makes her of very powerful build and extra stiff. She will have what is known as a spoon shaped bow, this pattern being especially adapted for breaking ice.
“… Rieboldt, Wolter & Co., the builders, will receive $11,970 for their work. This firm also built the fire boats Cataract and James Foley. The Charles F. Elmes Engineering works, Chicago, received $15,000 for engine, pumps, steam steering gear, etc., and the Milwaukee Boiler works receives $5,000 for furnishing the boiler. … “
The launching was attended by a large delegation from Milwaukee which arrived by train for the event and was covered by the Milwaukee Sentinel, the article appearing on the 12th.
“LAUNCH OF THE JANSSEN.
“Sturgeon Bay, Wis., Nov. 11 – Milwaukee’s fine fire tug, August F. Janssen, was launched at the shipyard of Riebolt Wolter & Co. today with all the ceremony and interest incident to such an occasion. The train, which arrived at 11 o’clock, had on board a delegation of Milwaukee citizens, who were met at the depot by Mayor George Nelson and John Conrad, designer of the boat.
“The following is a list of the visitors: Chief Foley, Commissioners of Public Works Muenzberg and Brockman, Assemblyman Woller, Ald. Geo. E. Hill, Con. Corcoran, Thomas F. Ramsey Patrick H. Connelly, O. T. Renning, Henry J. Kuntz L. C. Caufy, Ernest H. Doerfner, Peter A. Stamm, Dietrich Thiele, Herman Buth, Robert L. Rudolph, Peter Pawinski, Elias Stollenwerk, A. J. Andrzejewski, S. Hanizeski, George Thuering, S. J. Schmidt, Mathias Berg, George Glassner, superintendent of fire alarm; Charles F. Elmes of the Elmes Engineering works who furnished the machinery; Charles Nimmer and G. W. Steneve.
“Busses were in waiting and the visitors were driven directly to the shipyard where the fire tug with colors flying mad a handsome appearance. After looking over the craft the aldermen were lined on her starboard side and a photograph taken. While this was going on ship carpenters were completing the preparations for the sendoff. Before the props were removed from the tug’s sides, all the aldermen, with the exception of Kuntz and Thuering, scrambled to terra firma. Charles Elmes and Designer Conrad also remained on the tug for the launching.
“Nine townspeople also remained on board, making in all a total of just thirteen, a lucky omen in marine circles. At precisely 12 o’clock noon the rope was cut and Ald. Rudolph cracked a bottle of “Milwaukee’s best” on her bow with the words “In the name of the city of Milwaukee I christen thee August F. Janssen. It shall be your duty to protect the city in times of danger and distress.” With the last words the fine tug was moving down the ways amid the noise of the whistles of several tugs and all the mills. Without a hitch the craft slid into the bay like an eel, her stern sinking deep into the water, driving a mass of foam and waves before it. Then it floated with the grace of a swan, amid the cheers of hundreds. Exclamations of delight and admiration were heard from all sides on the gracefulness of the tug’s lines and its fine appearance in the water. It was the verdict of all that the city of Milwaukee has a fire tug it can feel proud of. After the launch the aldermen were served with refreshments by the drydock people after which they had an hour or more in which to look about the city. They all returned home on the afternoon train.
“The Janssen will be towed to Milwaukee with in a day or two by one of the local tugs.”
The JANSSEN was originally docked at the Cherry Street Bridge but was later moved to the Menominee River Dock. Her name was changed in 1901 to MFD No. 23. At that time, all named fireboats were changed to numbers. This was noted in James Heinz’s story on our blog https://wmhs.org/boats-that-kept-milwaukee-safe-chapter-3/ the reason, politics, as stated below:
Beertown Blazes explains: “A name for the new fireboat had sparked controversy [as] various officials touted their favorites. There was already one boat named for a German, one named for an Irishman, and it was time to call a halt before either faction became outnumbered. Foley settled the matter by wiping out all the fireboat names, including his own. The Foley became MFD 17, the Janssen became MFD 23 and the new steel boat was christened MFD 15, and the Cataract was retired.”
at a fire
at a fire on October 13, 1903
In 1922 the TORRENT was ordered to replace the aging No. 23. That December her major parts were removed to be spare parts for No. 17, her engines were scrapped, and everything of value was stripped from her. She was towed out off of Milwaukee in Lake Michigan in 1923 and set ablaze and sunk in deep water.
In 2005 she was discovered by divers sitting upright in 72 feet of water.
The story of all Milwaukee’s fireboats is very interesting. It will be told by Jim Heinz on Monday, November 17th, at Milwaukee’s Central Library at 11:30 am in the first floor Community Room. Hope you can join us. It is FREE.
Suzette Lopez
PHOTO CREDIT: Great Lakes Marine Collection of the Milwaukee Public Library and Wisconsin Marine Historical Society.
