Duwamish (fireboat)
Fireboat
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Duwamish is a retired fireboat in the United States.[2] She is the second oldest vessel designed to fight fires in the US, after Edward M. Cotter, in Buffalo, New York.[3]
 Duwamish fireboat at the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, Seattle | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Duwamish |
| Builder | Richmond Beach Shipbuilding Co. |
| Launched | 1909 |
| Out of service | 1985 |
| Status | Museum ship |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 322 tons (gross) |
| Length | 120 ft (37 m) |
| Beam | 28 ft (8.5 m) |
| Depth | 9.6 ft (2.9 m) |
| Installed power | Compound marine steam engines |
| Speed | 10.5 knots (19.4 km/h; 12.1 mph) |
Duwamish (fireboat) | |
 Originally the Seattle fireboat Duwamish was built with a ram bow. | |
  | |
| Coordinates | 47°37′41″N 122°20′11″W |
| Built | 1909 |
| Architect | Richmond Beach Shipbuilding Co. |
| NRHP reference No. | 89001448 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | June 30, 1989[1] |
| Designated NHL | June 30, 1989[2] |
Career
Duwamish was built in 1909 for the Seattle Fire Department in Richmond Beach, Washington, just north of Seattle.[4] She was powered by "double vertical (compound) marine steam engines" capable of driving her at 10.5 knots (19.4 km/h; 12.1 mph).[3] She was equipped with three American LaFrance steam piston pumps rated at a capacity of 3,000 US gallons per minute (0.189 m3/s) each. She was originally designed to ram and sink burning wooden vessels, as a last resort, and was equipped with a ram bow for doing so.
On July 30, 1914, Duwamish was involved in fighting the fire on the Grand Trunk Pacific dock. In the 1930s, as a cost-saving measure, the Seattle City Council directed that Duwamish be used as a tug to push the city's garbage scow.[5]
After an upgrade in 1949, the pumps delivered a total of 22,800 US gallons per minute (1.438 m3/s).[6][7] This capacity was only exceeded in 2003 by the Los Angeles Fire Department's Warner Lawrence, which delivers 38,000 US gallons per minute (2.397 m3/s).[8]
Duwamish is 120 feet (36.6 m) long with a 28-foot (8.5 m) beam and a 9.6-foot (2.9 m) draft.[4] Her registered gross tonnage is 322 short tons (292 t).
Current status
Retired in 1985, Duwamish was purchased by the Puget Sound Fireboat Foundation.[9][10] She is permanently moored at the Historic Ships Wharf near the Museum of History & Industry at South Lake Union Park in Seattle.[11] Visitors may board the vessel when volunteer staff is available.[10]
Duwamish was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1989.[2][12]
She is a city landmark.[citation needed]
See also
- Historic preservation
- Duwamish Native American tribe
- Duwamish River
- Sea Scouting (Boy Scouts of America)
