Fortuna (steamboat)

The steamboat "Fortuna" was a vessel that operated on Lake Washington in the first part of the 20th Century.

Construction

"Fortuna" was built in 1904 at a shipyard on the west side of Lake Washington two blocks south of Leschi Park. She was 106.9 feet in length overall, and rated at 81 tons. "Fortuna" was built for Captain John Anderson to join his fleet of steamboats on Lake Washington, operating under the name of the Anderson Steamboat Company. Anderson at that point may have been operating in partnership with the Seattle Street Railway. "Fortuna" had compound engines that had been built at Seattle Machine Works. . [Newell, Gordon R., ed., "H.W. McCurdy Marine History of the Pacific Northwest", at 119, Superior Publishing, Seattle, WA 1966]

Fortuna was the Roman name for the goddess of fortune. Captain Anderson named his vessels after classical gods, starting with "Xanthus" and "Cyrene".

"Fortuna" was known for her distinctive chime whistle, which had been personally prepared by Captain Anderson, filing away at the whistle’s pipe until the sound suited him. Later the whistle was transferred to another Anderson boat, the Sightseer, which became one of the last steamboats of the Mosquito Fleet to operate on Puget Sound.

Conversion to Ferry

Publicly-owned ferries (owned by King County on Lake Washington ran Captain Anderson out of the steamboat business by about the time of the First World War, so he sold his interest in the Anderson Steamboat Company. Later, Captain Anderson operated "Fortuna" and other former vessels of his as a lessee of King County.

In 1919, "Fortuna" was reconstructed into a ferry at Captain Anderson’s shipyard at Houghton. Unlike most purpose-built ferries, "Fortuna" remained a single-ender. Automobiles however could drive right through the once-beautiful steamer. The procedure was for "Fortuna" to dock bow-on at Roanoke, on Mercer Island, have autos drive on, then back out and head for the Seattle ferry dock at Leschi. On reaching Leschi, to unload the autos, Fortuna had to be turned and backed into the dock. This took great skill by her captain and engineer. [Kline, M.S., and Bayless, G.A., "Ferryboats–A Legend on Puget Sound", at 147-153, Bayless Books, Seattle, WA 1983]

Final disposition

In 1928 King County sold "Fortuna" to the King Shipbuilding Company of Seattle. The leading source states that she lasted until 1938, but is silent as to her later career or ultimate disposition (probably scrapping). [McCurdy, at 119 and 388]

ee also

*Steamboats of Lake Washington
*Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet
*"Urania" (similar but slightly smaller vessel built 1907)

Notes

External links

Historic photographs of "Fortuna" from the on-line collection of the University of Washington

* [http://content.lib.washington.edu/cgi-bin/viewer.exe?CISOROOT=/transportation&CISOPTR=345&CISORESTMP=&CISOVIEWTMP= steamer "Fortuna" at Fortuna dock on Mercer Island]
* [http://content.lib.washington.edu/cgi-bin/viewer.exe?CISOROOT=/transportation&CISOPTR=320&CISORESTMP=&CISOVIEWTMP= "Fortuna" underway on Lake Washington]
* [http://content.lib.washington.edu/cgi-bin/viewer.exe?CISOROOT=/transportation&CISOPTR=315&CISORESTMP=&CISOVIEWTMP= "Fortuna" at dock, possibly Kirkland]
* [http://content.lib.washington.edu/cdm-desmo/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/imlsmaritime&CISOPTR=135&CISOBOX=1&REC=3 "Fortuna" underway]
* [http://content.lib.washington.edu/cdm-desmo/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/imlsmaritime&CISOPTR=193&CISOBOX=1&REC=4 "Fortuna" almost unrecognizable as an auto ferry]