10 June 2005 Iris, Jackson Harbor
(June 11, 2005)
After a long week of hard work on the Iris site, today the team moved to Washington Harbor to examine the steamer Louisiana and compare steamer construction techniques with those of sailing vessels. Built in 1877, the Louisiana dragged anchor and ran aground during a fierce November gale in 1913, and then caught fire and burned. The crew made it safely ashore, but the Louisiana was abandoned, and much of her still remains. Following a morning dive on the 267-foot steamer, the crew packed up and began heading home.
Team members get ready to dive the
LouisianaBob Jaeck explores the
LouisianaPaul examines iron cross bracing
One of the Iris project goals was to determine whether or not the Iris was indeed a scow schooner; historical documents list the Iris as both a scow and a traditional schooner. The Iris’ construction appears to be that of a traditional schooner and not a scow schooner. The Iris features single athwartships frames and longitudinal outer hull planking with a soft chine (a smooth radius at the turn of the bilge) rather than the scow’s hard chine (a sharp, 90° angle at the turn of the bilge). The stem post features a rabbet to accommodate longitudinal outer hull planks at a sharp angle, and outer hull planks at the hull curve into a fine entry rather than the flat bow of scows. Visible frames also exhibit a slight deadrise (the angle from the keel to the turn of the bilge), contrary to scow’s flat bottoms. The Iris’ official enrollments listed the vessel as a traditional schooner in early documents, and as a scow schooner in later years. The Iris’ hull is not that of typical Great Lakes scow schooners. Further research should examine whether vernacular usage of the term “scow” may refer to more than a box-like hull construction.
The Maritime Preservation and Archaeology Program would like to thank all those who volunteered and put in long hours on the Iris project. Without the dedication of volunteers like yourselves, the program would be unable to function as it has, nor continue to bring Wisconsin’s rich maritime history everyone, both divers and non-divers alike.
Back: Jon Van Harpen, Paul Bentley, Christa Loustalot, Tom Milbrath, Russ Lietz, Keith Meverden, Tamara Thomsen, Bob Jaeck. Front: Paul Lothary, Kimm Stablefeldt, Ethan Brodsky
WHS photos by Tamara Thomsen
