Steamship Bellingham

Steamship Bellingham drawing by artist James Williamson.

Artist James Williamson, ASMA
Signature Member of the American Society of Marine... more

by James Williamson

Original - Sold

Price

$450

Dimensions

15.000 x 11.000 inches

Title

Steamship Bellingham

Artist

James Williamson

Medium

Drawing

Description

Steamship Bellingham drawing by artist James Williamson.

Artist James Williamson, ASMA
Signature Member of the American Society of Marine Artists

History of the Steamship Bellingham
General Miles was a steamship constructed in 1882 which served in various coastal areas of the states of Oregon and Washington, as well as British Columbia and the territory of Alaska. It was apparently named after US General Nelson A. Miles.
Originally a sailing schooner built in 1879, the General Miles was extensively reconstructed in 1890 and renamed Willapa. In 1903 the name was changed again to Bellingham. After a conversion to diesel power in 1922, the vessel was renamed Norco. The vessel is notable for, among other things, for having been first a sailing vessel from 1879 to 1882, a steamship from 1882 to 1918, a sailing barge from 1919 to 1922, and a motor vessel (diesel-powered) from 1922 to 1950.
Puget Sound service as Steamship Bellingham
On return to Puget Sound, Bellingham was placed on the Seattle Bellingham route, which included through service by local steamer from Bellingham to Blaine and Point Roberts. Running against Bellingham were the Utopia and the old sidewheeler George E. Starr, both owned by the Puget Sound Navigation Company.

Destruction of Steamship Bellingham at Seattle's Seafair
From 1941 to 1946 the vessel was owned by Ketchikan Cold Storage, and then was purchased by Otis Shively. The vessel then was presented to the Puget Sound Maritime Historical Society to be used in the annual Seafair celebration in Seattle, to be burned in a public ceremony in the summer of 1950 as Neptune's barge. The vessel was loaded up with fireworks and other inflammable materials and towed into Elliott Bay by the tug Goliath and set on fire. Although the vessel burned for hours, it proved difficult to sink. Only when the fireboat Duwamish filled up the vessel with water at high-pressure did the hull finally go under the water during night, off Alki Point.

Uploaded

April 21st, 2014