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Sunday, February 4, 2018

Italian cruiser Urania - Wikipedia
src: upload.wikimedia.org

The steamboat Urania was a vessel that operated on Lake Washington in the first part of the 20th century. Built of wood, the vessel burned and sank in 1914. In 2002, the wreck was found and photographed by divers.


Video Urania (steamboat)



Construction

Urania was built in 1907 on Lake Washington, for Captain John Anderson, to join his fleet of steamboats on Lake Washington, operating under the name of the Anderson Steamboat Company. She was 85 feet (26 m) long. "Urania" was the Greek name for the muse of astronomy and astrology Captain Anderson named his vessels after classical gods, starting with Xanthus and Cyrene. Urania was similar to but slightly smaller than another Anderson vessel, Fortuna, built in 1906. Captains Wells Green and C.R. Hall were two of Urania's masters.


Maps Urania (steamboat)



Partial conversion to auto transport

In 1913, Urania was reconstructed to allow four automobiles to be carried sideways across her foredeck. The reconstruction required removal of a portion of her upper deck.


Steamboat Times - Levee Scenes
src: steamboattimes.com


Loss by fire

On February 12, 1914, Urania burned near Houghton, and became a total loss. Her steam engine was salvaged and she was scuttled in the lake west of the Houghton shipyard in about 150 feet of water. A leading authority states that Urania was transferred to Puget Sound in 1917; if so, this cannot be the same Urania as the vessel described in the SCRET report, as the webpage shows the burned Urania before scuttling.


Fortuna (steamboat) - Wikipedia
src: upload.wikimedia.org


Discovery of wreck

In 2002, divers of the Submerged Cultural Resources Exploration Team ("SCRET") found the wreck of Urania, noting that she lies upright on the bottom, her hull substantially intact, but her upper works completely destroyed of course by the fire.


50m classic motor yacht conversion Olivier van Meer Design
src: www.oliviervanmeer.com


See also

  • Steamboats of Lake Washington
  • Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet
  • Fortuna (steamboat), a similar vessel

Idaho (sidewheeler) - Wikipedia
src: upload.wikimedia.org


Notes


36' Daysailer Olivier van Meer Design
src: www.oliviervanmeer.com


External links

  • Submerged Cultural Resources Exploration Team page describing dives to wrecks of Urania, Elfin, and Acme, including period photos of vessels and photos of sunken wrecks
  • 47.661777°N 122.226707°W / 47.661777; -122.226707

Source of article : Wikipedia