Urania (steamboat)

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

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 long. [http://www.scret.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24&Itemid=0 Report on discovery of wreck of Urania by Submerged Cultural Resources Exploration Team] (accessed 2008-2-14)] [Newell, Gordon R., "Ships of the Inland Sea", at 215, Binford and Mort, Portland, OR (2nd Ed. 1960) states that "Urania" was only 58 feet long. This must be a transposition of numbers. All photos of "Urania" show a vessel that is easily 85 feet 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. [Newell, "Ships of the Inland Sea", at 220.]

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.

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 [Newell, Gordon R., ed., "H.W. McCurdy Marine History of the Pacific Northwest", at 292, Superior Publishing, Seattle, WA1966] ; 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.

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.

ee also

*Steamboats of Lake Washington
*Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet
*"Fortuna" (steamboat) -- similar vessel

Notes

External links

Historic images of "Urania" from on-line collection of the University of Washington

* [http://content.lib.washington.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/warner&CISOPTR=170&CISOBOX=1&REC=17 Urania, probably on Lake Washington]

Websites

* [http://www.scret.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24&Itemid=0 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]