HMCo #108p Thetis [Greely Relief Expedition]

"28ft Long. 7ft 6in Beam. 3ft 3in Depth. 2ft 9in Draft. 9in center to center frames. 3 1/2in x 7in engine forward of boiler. D sq[uare] boiler. 3510lbs gross weight without coal." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. Handwritten Note in Casting Record Books Vessel Castings Book 4, s.v. Steamer 108. MIT Museum, Hart Nautical Collections, Haffenreffer-Herreshoff Collection Item HH.6.120. No date (1878 to 1887).)

"The Herreshoff Manufacturing Co.'s Works, which have recently been running only eight hours per day, commenced working full time on Monday last. Four launches are to be built at this establishment --- two [#108p Thetis and #109p Cub] for the Greeley relief expedition, and one each for the U. S. Coast Survey and the Navy." (Source: Anon. "Local Affairs." Bristol Phoenix, February 23, 1884, p. 2.)

"... In the large building in which is built the hulls of yachts we found a steam yacht [apparently #114p Whale boat for U.S.C.S. Patterson], built for the government for use in Alaska. A peculiarity of this craft consisted of two runners, iron shod, one on each side of the keel, about two feet distant therefrom, to convert the craft into a sort of sledge when occasion warranted. A small shaft projected beyond the bow, armed with a circular serrated contrivance connected with the engine, grappling the smooth ice fields and furnishing means for rapid locomotion. The firm built two [#108p Thetis and #109p Cub] for the Greely expedition. ..." (Source: Anon. "A Famous Yacht Builder. What John B. Herreshoff Has Done and Is Doing." Boston Globe, July 13, 1884, p. 14.)

"Each ship was furnished with a Herreshoff steam cutter, ... The steam cutters were of the Herreshoff type, built as whale-boats, and were of excellent service, especially as sea-boats, for which their form and lightness peculiarly fitted them; but the type of engine with the exterior condenser was hardly simple enough for the exceptionally hard service and unavoidable neglect to which the boats are subjected in the Arctic. The safety-valve was a weak spot in the machinery, and unless closely watched, was apt to lose its tempering with the sudden increase of steam pressure in the coil-boiler. The Bear's steam cutter, christened by somebody the 'Cub,' which was so prominently connected with the rescue, was partly disabled at the time, and it is doubtful if she would have been of any service but for the indefatigable industry and resource of Chief-Engineer Lowe, who kept her running in spite of all the difficulties that arose at this critical moment. [Followed by a detailed description of the Cub's rescue voyage in the latter part of the book.]" (Source: Schley, W. S. and J. R. Soley. The Rescue Of Greely. New York, 1885, p. 130-131.)

"... The Herreshoff steam cutters [#108p Thetis and #109p Cub] supplied to the Thetis and Bear proved most excellent boats in a sea-way. For the uses of the general cruisers of the Navy they are very desirable additions, but for service in the Arctic, which is exceptionally severe and where the exigencies of hard usage and neglect are rather the rule, I must say the Herreshoff type did not meet my expectation. Simpler design of engine and boiler seems needed in that region, or at least a type which occasional neglect would injure to less extent than the Herreshoff. In both these cutters the coils burst; the spring safety-valves failed to work at a critical moment and nearly involved the loss of both cutters; the exterior condenser was unsuited and vulnerable when hauled on to the ice. On the other hand, their advantages over the ordinary launch used in the service were: the rapidity with which steam could be got up, their economy in the use of coal and water, and their speed. The White steam cutter of the Alert was an exceedingly handy boat. She was neither so fast nor so good a seaboat as the Herreshoff cutter. The engine is simple and easily kept in working condition. ..." (Source: Schley, Winfield Scott. Report of Winfield S. Schley, Commander, U.S. Navy, Commanding Greely Relief Expedition of 1884. Washington, 1887, p. 67.)

"AT THE HERRESHOFFS'. Nearly Thirty Miles an Hour Expected from Mr. Munro's Latest. Bristol, R. I., May 31 [1888]. --- ... In the shop are the 27-foot unarmed yacht, with compound engines and built of mahogany; also the steam whale boat, unnamed, but mate to the Cub and Thetis, which were sent to the Arctic regions in search of Greely. ..." (Source: Anon. "At the Herreshoffs." Boston Globe, June 1, 1888, p. 4.)

"[Item Description:] Casting Book # 4, steamers #40p, #54p, #57p, #63p, #67p, #70p, #79p, #89p, #92p, #99p, #100p, #101p, #102p, #103p, #104p, #105p, #106p, #107p, #108p, #109p, #110p, #111p, #112p, #113p, #114p, #115p, #116p, #117p, #118p, #119p, #120p, #121p, #122p, #123p, #124p, #125p, #126p, #127p, #128p, #129p, #130p, #131p, #132p, #133p, #134p, #135p, #136p, #137p, #138p, #139p, #140p, #141p, #142p, #143p, #144p, #145p, #146p, #147p [castings by hull number; front page shows summary size and engine and boiler data for steamers 99 thru 146 as well as repair data for steamers #40p, #54p, #57p, #63p, #67p, #70p, #79p, #89p, #92p, #118p, and #128p]. Undated, vessels mentioned were built between 1878 and 1887. Dates mentioned for repairs range from 1885 to 1887. Note considerable informational overlap with Casting Book # 1, which as in this book also contains data for #99p through #116p, although it appears (!) that Book # 4 lists more patterns per boat than Book # 1. Likewise, considerable overlap with Casting Books # 2 and # 3 which also contain data for boats that are also listed in book # 4. It may well be that information in Book # 4 was copied from books # 1, # 2 and 3." (Source: MIT Museum, Hart Nautical Collections, Haffenreffer-Herreshoff Collection Item HH.6.120-07. Castings Book 4. Box HAFH.6.4B, Folder Casting Record Books Vessel Castings Book 4. No date (1878 to 1887).)
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"N/A"

"[Item Description:] Casting Book # 1, steamers #99p, #100p, #101p, #102p, #103p, #104p, #105p, #106p, #107p, #108p, #109p, #110p, #111p, #112p, #113p, #114p, #115p, #116p [castings by hull number]. Undated, vessels mentioned were built between 1883 and 1884. Note considerable informational overlap with Casting Book # 4, which also contains data for all of the boats mentioned in this book, although it appears (!) that Book # 4 lists more patterns per boat than Book # 1. Likewise, considerable overlap with sometimes identical information with Casting Book # 2." (Source: MIT Museum, Hart Nautical Collections, Haffenreffer-Herreshoff Collection Item HH.6.120-09. Castings Book 1. Box HAFH.6.4B, Folder Casting Record Books Vessel Castings Book 1. No date (1883 to 1884).)
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"[Item Transcription:] Handwritten (in ink and pencil) experiments and trials booklet titled 'Herreshoff Mfg. Co. Experiments 1883 to 1884'. Relevant contents:
§19: #108p THETIS [GREELY RELIEF EXPEDITION] Trial Run (1884-03-24 & 1884-03-25)
§22: #108p THETIS [GREELY RELIEF EXPEDITION] Trial Run (1884-04-05)." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Trials Booklet. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE07_03950. Folder [no #]. 1883-03 to 1884-04.)
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"[Item Transcription:] [Handwritten (in ink) memorandum:] DOLPHIN's Launches [#106p and ?]
Hull Length 28ft. Beam 6ft 9in x 3ft 8in depth.
Engines 4 1/4 & 7 x 7 weight 403lbs.
Boilers 34in sq[uare] x 28in height, weight 1269lbs (weight of boiler with every thing excepting stack & water).
Tank & water copper 5ft long, 3ft wide, 7in deep, about 30gals, weight water & tank = 3801[lbs?].
Coal 3/4 tons. 1680[lbs].
Sundries. Total Weight, no coal, of launch 5500lbs. Shaft, with couplings, 157lbs. Rudder & stock 57lbs. Propeller 51lbs.
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Whale Boats [#108p THETIS and #109p CUB]
Hull Length 28ft 2in x Beam 7ft 9in x 3ft 2in Depth.
Engine 3 1/2in x 7in. Approximated weight 175lbs.
Boiler 30in sq[uare] x 2ft 2in height (990lbs complete).
Tank & water. Copper 2ft 6in length x 2ft 7in wide x 46in deep, about 24gal[?], 229[?]lbs.
Coal 1 ton 2260[lbs].
Sundries.
Propeller 24, shaft 105lbs with couplings & c.
Weight of W[hale] Boat #108 & 109 with all mach[inery] and tools, rudder & side canvas 3230lbs (sail & anchors &c. 280lbs [=] 3510lbs. No coal included.
[On verso:] Added Whale Boat. Maximum speed 8 1/2 miles per hour. Consumption at 6 1/2 miles 25lbs per hours. Comodations for 25 persons.
Copy given to Mr. Bush Apr[il] 16, [18]84.
C.H.K. [with other (possibly unrelated) difficult to read penciled text in a different hand]." (Source: C.H.K. (creator). Memorandum. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE07_01940. Folder [no #]. 1884-04-16.)
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Note: This list of archival documents contains in an unedited form any and all which mention #108p Thetis [Greely Relief Expedition] even if just in a cursory way. Permission to digitize, transcribe and display is gratefully acknowledged.

• Whale boat for Greely relief (HMCo-made index card)
• Note: The vessel index cards comprise two sets of a total of some 3200 cards about vessels built by HMCo, with dimensions and information regarding drawings, later or former vessel names, and owners. They were compiled from HMCo's early days until 1920 and added to in later decades, apparently by Hart Nautical curator William A. Baker and his successors. While HMCo seems to have used only one set of index cards, all sorted by name and, where no name was available, by number, later users at MIT apparently divided them into two sets of cards, one sorted by vessel name, the other by vessel number and greatly expanded the number of cards. Original HMCo cards are usually lined and almost always punched with a hole at bottom center while later cards usually have no hole, are unlined, and often carry substantially less information. All cards are held by the Francis Russell Hart Nautical Collections of the MIT Museum in Cambridge, Mass.

Year: 1884
E/P/S: P
No.: 108
OA: 28'

Source: Vermilya, Peter and Maynard Bray. "Transcription of the HMCo. Construction Record." Unpublished database, ca. 2000.

Note: The transcription of the HMCo Construction Record by Peter Vermilya and Maynard Bray was performed independently (and earlier) than that by Claas van der Linde. A comparison of the two transcriptions can be particularly useful in those many cases where the handwriting in the Construction Record is difficult to decipher.

"... Str. #108 - 28Ft. long. 3 1/2x7 Eng[ine]. D Sq[uare] [Boiler]. ... " (Source: Anon. [Herreshoff Manufacturing Company. (N. G. Herreshoff?)] No Title. [Handwritten Notes on Outer Cover of Notebook.] No date [ca. late 1880s.] Notebook in the Haffenreffer-Herreshoff Collection, The Francis Russel Hart Nautical Collections, M.I.T. Museum, Cambridge, Mass., obj. no. HH.6.120.)

"A whale boat for the Greely relief expedition ship U.S.S. Thetis." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. November 4, 2009.)

"St[eame]r 108. W[ei]g[h]t of hull & machinery, tools, rudder, 1 bu coal, tank partly full 3430lbs. W[ei]g[h]t of brass, rigging, sails, oars, anchor cable, thwarts, tents, boat hooks, parts, stantions & c. 290[lbs]." (Source: Herreshoff, N. G. Handwritten note in Experiments Booklet 1883 to 1884 under date of April 5, 1884. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum.)

"Weight of W[hale] Boat #108 & 109 with all mach[inery] and tools, rudder & side canvas 3230lbs (sail & anchors &c. 280lbs [=] 3510lbs. No coal included." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. Handwritten (in ink) memorandum dated April 16, 1884 in the Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum.)

Note: Research notes contain information about a vessel that is often random and unedited but has been deemed useful for future research.