On this day March 25, 1905, the Detroit River welcomed two 10,000 ton steel freighters. This was unusual as the shipyards planned the event together. This partial article from the Marine Review of March 30, 1905, tells the story the best in 1905 language.
Photo at top of page: AMASA STONE
JAMES E. DAVIDSON
“Probably the interchange of courtesies among the ship yards in Detroit on Saturday last was quite as important in its moral effect as were the launches themselves in the physical contribution of two great ships to the active fleet of the lakes – that is to say there was better feeling, better understanding and more real appreciation of each other’s worth after the launches than before them. This is what the interjection of social intercourse into business life frequently does and it certainly did it at Detroit.
“The AMASA STONE, launched at the Wyandotte yard of the American Ship Building Co. and the JAMES E. DAVIDSON, launched at the Ecorse yard of the Great Lakes Engineering Works are the largest of the 200 ships that have been launched on the Detroit river. The AMASA STONE, building for Pickands, Mather & Co., of Cleveland, was launched at noon and the JAMES E. DAVIDSON, building for Mr. G. A. Tomlinson of Duluth, was launched at three o’clock. This was a part of the program whereby the courtesies of one yard might be extended to the other and it worked out very well indeed. Both launches were in every way successful, there being no mishap of any kind whatever and the ships taking the water on an even keel, to the usual noisy accompaniment of every steam whistle along the water front. The AMASA STONE was christened by Mrs. Jay C. McLauchlan, the wife of the Detroit representative of Pickands, Mather & Co., and the launching party consisted of Mr. James C. Wallace, Mr. Robert Wallace, Mr. Robert Logan, Mr. Harry Coulby, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur M. Parker, Mr. and Mrs. Henry B. Lewis, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. McLauchlin, Mr. Jay C. McLauchlan, Mr. George H. Barbour, Mrs. N. G. Williams, Miss Eloise Williams, Mr. and Mrs. Edward H. Parker, Capt. Joseph Kidd, and Capt. J. J. H. Brown of Buffalo.
“Mr. Charles B. Calder, general superintendent of the Detroit Ship Building Co., superintended the launch of the AMASA STONE. The STONE is the largest steamer ever constructed at Detroit, being 545 ft. overall, 525 ft. keel, 55 ft. beam and 31 ft, deep. She will have triple-expansion engines with cylinders 23 1/2, 38 and 63 in. diameters by 42 in. stroke, supplied with steam from two Scotch boilers, 14 ft. 6 in. by 11 ft. 6 in., equipped with Ellis & Eaves’ draft and allowed a working pressure of 180 lbs. per sq in. The STONE will be commanded by Capt. George B. Mallory and her chief engineer will be Alonzo Arnold.
“The launching party then went by trolley to the plant of the Great Lakes Engineering Works, luncheon, being served on the car. Prior to the launch of the DAVIDSON, Mr. James C. Wallace, president of the American Ship Building Co., and Mr. Robert Logan, general manager, were given an opportunity to inspect the plant, it being their first visit to it and they both expressed themselves as surprised at its size and completeness. Meanwhile the DAVIDSON launching party had been taken to the Great Lakes Engineering Works on the steamer PLEASURE. Promptly at three o’clock the steamer JAMES E. DAVIDSON was put overboard and was christened by Mrs. James E. Davidson. This vessel is named for her husband and so desirous was she of making the christening effective that she smashed the bottle with such vigor as not only to christen the launch well but to drench the immediate spectators with the effervescent fluid. On the launching stand besides the guests from the launch of the AMASA STONE were Mr. and Mrs. G. A. Tomlinson, Mr. and Mrs. James E. Davidson, Mr. A. C. Pessano, Mr. John R. Russel, Mr. and Mrs. C. J. Bosfield, Mr. and Mrs. W. L. Clements, Mr. J. C. Weadock, Mr. Frinkinstadt and Mr. F. J. Buckley, all of Bay City; Mr. Wm. Livingstone, Mr. Wm. E. Quinby, Hon. Don M. Dickinson, Mr. Walter H. McGean, Mr. George Russel, Mr. George L. Craig, Mr. Frank Hoover, Mr. Wm. A. Prime, Miss Florence Livingstone, Miss Bessie Avery and Mr. Harry Duffield.
“The DAVIDSON is 524 ft. over all, 504 ft. keel, 54 ft. beam and 30 ft. molded depth. She will have quadruple-expansion engines with cylinders 18, 27, 40 and 62 in. in diameters by 42 in. stroke, supplied with steam from two Niclausse water-tube boilers, 13 ft. by 9 ft., fitted with induced draft and allowed a working pressure of 250 lbs. The launch of the Davidson was under the direction of Mr. John A. Ubsdell, Jr., general superintendent of the Ecorse plant. Capt. F. A. Fick will be master of the DAVIDSON and Mr. Frank Schwartz will be her chief engineer.
“At the conclusion of the launch the party returned to Detroit on the steamer PLEASURE and were tendered a dinner at the Detroit Club as the guests of Mr. Antonio C. Pessano, president and general manager of the Great Lakes Engineering Works. The dinner was one of the most spirited and enjoyable affairs in the history of lake launches. Acting as toastmaster Mr. Pessano first introduced Mr. Wm. Livingstone, president of the Lake Carriers’ association as the preceptor of Mr. Tomlinson, Detroit being the scene of Mr. Tomlinson’s early struggles and Mr. Livingstone being the first man to recognize his merit. Mr. Livingstone was especially happy in his remarks and traced the development of the vessel interests of the lakes showing the great advances that have been made during his life. He related that in his younger days he had built a 3,000-ton steamer which everyone had declared to be too large for the lakes and it was sagely predicted by all his friends that he would have to repent for his folly. Mr. Livingstone said that if he should now be presented with a fleet of such boats on condition that he should operate them he would decline to accept the gift. He ventured the opinion that within five years the great lakes would see the 20,000-ton steamer and based his prediction upon the fact that the government is steadily deepening the channels of the lakes and that the harbor facilities are gradually being made adequate to accommodate the great type of steamer. He paid a fine tribute to Mr. Tomlinson as one of the successful young men of the lakes, saying that his success was due to hard work and his faculty of sticking to it. …”
That was quite a historic day for shipbuilding. Both the DAVIDSON and the STONE had careers that lasted 60 years.
AMASA STONE
JAMES E. DAVIDSON
The DAVIDSON was built for Tomlinson’s Inter Ocean Steamship Company and spent her entire career in fleet of Tomlinson. She was laid up after the 1962 season and sold to Marine Salvage Ltd the next year who resold her to Italian ship breakers. On September 19, 1963, she cleared Port Colborne in tow for Genoa.
The STONE was built for Pickands Mather’s Mesabi Steamship Company. Around 1912-13 she sailed for their Interlake Steamship fleet but spent her entire career with Pickands Mather. In fall of 1964 she was sold to Marine Salvage of Port Colborne but avoided the scrapyard when in May 1965 she was bought by Medusa Portland Cement. The STONE and the CHARLES S. HEBARD were used to form the base of a new pier at Charlevoix, Michigan.
Suzette Lopez
Photo Credit: Great Lakes Marine Collection of the Milwaukee Public Library and Wisconsin Marine Historical Society.
