HMCo #210p Niagara III

"[1901-04-01] Mon 1: Howard Gould here and ordered st[eame]r of Scout class (#210) [Niagara III].
[1901-04-26] Fri 26: NE gale [&] cloudy. Turned over #210, st[eame]r [Niagara III]. ...
[1901-07-08] Mon 8: Fine [with] light N & SW [wind]. ... Launched Tramp #210 [sic, i.e. #211p] ... [Note that the Bristol Phoenix of July 12, 1901, p2 reported the launch date as July 9, 1901.]
[1901-07-16] Tue 16: Had trial of Niagara III [#210p]. Strong SSW wind. Speed 20.5 miles [per hour].
[1901-07-19] Fri 19: ... Niagara III [#210p] left for Port Jefferson." (Source: Herreshoff, Nathanael G. Diary, 1901. Manuscript (excerpts). Diary access courtesy of Halsey C. Herreshoff.)

"July 14, 1901
Niagara III #210 Contract trial.
On 10 statute mile course from about S end of Hog Is[land] to about middle of Rose Is. & return. Very nearly completely furnished. 4 on board. Cross Creek Lehigh [coal] using jet in stack for draft. Tide 1/2 spring ebb. Wind SSW, 17 miles with some chop in tideway.
[Followed by tabulated trial run data with mean speeds being 20.13mph and 20.51mph]
Everything working very well, vac[uum] poor & thrust bearing a little warm. Boiler pressure about 238[lbs], safety valve blowing at 247[lbs] down to 242." (Source: Herreshoff, N. G. Handwritten note in Trials Booklet '1898 - 1909' under date of July 14, 1901. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum.)

"This same year Captain Nat designed a quite remarkable small steam yacht for August Belmont to act as a tender to the 'Mineola.' She was named 'Scout,' and eventually the Herreshoff Company built seven [sic, i.e. 9] of these fast steamers which were generally referred to as the Scout Class. They were all built on the same molds and had the same power plants but varied in length some fourteen feet, and, as I recall it, varied in speed from about twenty to twenty-one and a half miles per hour.
These were extremely smooth running yachts that were fine sea boats and economical in fuel consumption. Some of them lasted quite a long time and they were the forerunners in construction and general arrangement of many gasoline launches built by several builders." (Source: Herreshoff, L. Francis. The Wizard of Bristol. The Life and Achievements of Nathanael Greene Herreshoff, together with An Account of Some of the Yachts he Designed. New York, 1953, p. 218, 220.)

"The big steam yacht Niagara, with her owner, Howard Gould, and his wife and a party of guests on board, dropped anchor in the harbor Sunday [March 30, 1901] afternoon. The yacht remained here until yesterday afternoon, and yesterday morning Mr Gould, with Captain Graham of the Niagara and the first mate and chief engineer, accompanied by Mrs. Gould and several other ladies, came ashore in a naptha launch and visited the Herreshoff shops. Mr Gould left an order for the construction of a steam yacht similar to the Stroller [#209p], lately launched. The new yacht will he 80 feet long and will have a speed of 20knots an hour. Mr Gould and the officers of the Niagara looked over the plans of the new yacht and selected the engine, while Mrs Gould chose the upholstery and cabin fittings. The yacht will be luxuriously fitted up, andi will be ready for delivery early in the summer. It will be named Katharine [sic, i.e. Niagara], for Mrs Gould, who was Miss Katharine Clemmons, a well known actress. After the business of ordering the yacht had been completed, the party was shown through the shops and had a look at the new cup defender [#551s Constitution], which will probably be launched about May 1st." (Source: Anon. "Howard Gould Orders Yacht at Herreshoffs." Bristol Phoenix, April 2, 1901, p. 3.)

"At Bristol the Herreshoffs are building two 80-foot launches, which will have a speed of over twenty knots an hour, one [#211p Tramp] for W. O. Gay, of Boston, the owner of the Herreshoff 70-footer Athene [#520s], and the other [#210p Niagara III] for Howard Gould, owner of the Niagara. A third of the same class, called the Stroller [#209p], has been built for a Detroit yachtsman, and has been forwarded to its anchorages on the lakes via the Erie Canal." (Source: Anon. "Craft And Those Who Sail Them." New York Tribune, May 26, 1901, p. 9.)

"Niagara III, steamer 210, of [blank].
Built at [blank] [sic, i.e. Bristol at HMCo].
18.75 tons; 75.7 ft. x 10.7 ft. x 5.3 ft. [Register length x breadth x depth.]
One deck, no mast, plain head, overhanging stern.
Surveyed and measured, June 8, 1901." (Source: U.S. Customs Department, Bristol, R.I. Custom House Record Book, 1870s to 1904 (Collection of the Herreshoff Marine Museum), s.v. Niagara.)

"[License issued to vessel under 20 tons. Pos. 193:]
Niagara III, steam yacht, of Bristol.
Built at Bristol, 1901.
18.75 tons; 75.7 ft. x 10.7 ft. x 5.3 ft. [Register length x breadth x depth.]
No specifications shown.
Lic[ensed] ([as] yacht) June 21, 1901. Owner: Herreshoff Manufacturing Company of Bristol. Master: N. G. Herreshoff.
Surrendered [license] Sept. 18, 1901 at New York. ([Record at:] C[ustom] H[ouse, Providence])." (Source: Survey of Federal Archives, Work Projects Administration. Ships Documents of Rhode Island. Bristol. Ship Registers and Enrollments of the Port of Bristol - Warren Rhode Island, 1941, s.v. Niagara.)

"The 80-foot steamer, built for Howard Gould of New York, was launched Tuesday [July 9, 1901] afternoon from Herreshoffs' north shop. The name of the new steamer is Niagara II [#210p], and she is similar to the Tramp [#211p] launched the previous day from the same shop for W O. Gay of Boston. Tuesday the workmen began to set up the frames for another 80-footer steamer [#212p Dawn II] in the north shop, ordered by a New York yachtsman this week. [Note that NGH in his diary reports the launch to have been on July 8, 1901.]" (Source: Anon. "News and Notes of Local Interest." Bristol Phoenix, July 12, 1901, p. 2.)

"... The desire among wealthy yachtsmen for high-speed steam craft developed about 1900. The Vamoose [#168p] was the pioneer in 1891, and held sway for several years, till the Yankee Doodle appeared in the field. The Javelin [#164p] followed and then the Now Then [#142p]. Each exceeded the speed of its predecessor slightly, the Now Then achieving the unheard-of record of twenty-one miles an hour.
How the mighty fall in yachting can be illustrated no better than by the fate of this quartet. The Javelin and Yankee Doodle have disappeared. Where the Javelin is none but the most dyed-in-the wool enthusiast can say. The Yankee Doodle blew up in the Raritan Canal. The Now Then is still in commission, owned by E. F. Luckenbach of this city, while the Vamoose is in the service of W. Lewisohn. Neither, if they were to be seen making twenty-odd miles on the Hudson, would attract more than a passing glance from the men among whom they once were the observed of all observers.
With the appearance of three Hereshoff flyers in 1900 they were all lost sight of. The first of the trio was the Niagara III, [#210p], built for Howard Gould. It achieved twenty-two miles in trials during its first year. The Scout [#203p], owned by August Belmont, followed, and finally the Mirage [#207p], built for Cornelius Vanderbilt. The three never met in an actual scheduled race, and their relative merit was a much-mooted question among yachtsmen. Many an impromptu brush they had, however, first one and then the other showing ahead. It was generally accepted, finally, that the Niagara III was the fastest of the lot, though followers of the other two would likely dispute it to-day.
The Vixen followed and achieved twenty-three miles in 1902, after several attempts to produce a boat that could excel the Niagara III's record had failed the previous year. There was the Sovereign II., built for M. C. D. Borden, which made twenty miles at best; T. H. Newberry's Dawn [#212p], which made about the same speed, and E. D. Randolph's Scud, which exceeded twenty-one. ... [Note, that the article confuses the sequence in which these high-speed yachts were built.]" (Source: Anon. "Gen. Ives Owns the World's Fastest Steam Yacht." New York Times, June 18, 1905, p. SM6.)

"The fast Herreshoff launch Chicota [sic], formerly Niagara III, has been chartered for the season by Edwin Gould." (Source: Anon. "Yacht Sales and Charters." New York Times, June 20, 1906, p. 5.)

"No. 1095 --- For Sale --- Herreshoff Express type steam yacht, 81x10 1/2x3 1/2 ft. draught. Launched 1901; triple-expansion engine; new water-tube boiler, 1910; can run 100 miles on one ton of coal. Electric lights; steers from bridge deck; crew's quarters forward. Dining saloon in forward trunk cabin, arranged with two transoms, china and linen lockers, table, etc.; galley next aft. There is another cabin aft, with toilet room adjoining. Cockpit aft with awning over same. In Spring of 1910 yacht received a thorough overhauling, including new boiler, new plumbing, new galley equipment, etc. Is now in good condition subject to inspection. This is a very popular type of small steam yacht, attractive in appearance, economical to operate, and good sea-boat. Speed up to 18 knots per hour. Seen near New York City. Price reasonable. Well found. Gielow & Orr, 52 Broadway, New York City. [Note: Niagara III is not expressively identified in this advertisement, but the accompanying photo is identical with a photo on which Chichota, ex-Niagara III was identified.]" (Source: Rudder, March 1913, p. 175.)

"The present yachting season has proven very active and there is still a great demand for yachts, both straight power and auxiliaries as shown by the following list of sales and charters recently made through the office of R. M. Haddock. Naval Architect & Yacht Broker of New York City.
... 81-ft. Herreshoff express steam yacht Chichota sold for W. Herbert Adams of New York to W. S. Rhoades also of New York to be used on the St. Lawrence River." (Source: Anon. "Yacht Transfers." Rudder, July 1922, p. 44.)

"Chichota (SP 65)
Yacht: Built in 1901 as Niagara III by the Herreshoff Manufacturing Co., Bristol, RI; Renamed Chichota; Acquired by the Navy 1 May 1917; Commissioned Chichota (SP 65), 12 May 1918; Decommissioned 21 December 1918 and returned to her owner, Edwin Gould of New York City. Fate unknown.
Specifications: Displacement 27 t.; Length 81'; Beam unknown; Draft unknown; Speed unknown; Complement unknown; Armament unknown." (Source: http://www.navsource.org/archives/12/170065.htm, retrieved March 17, 2007.)

"Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
Chichota
Former name retained.
Chichota (No. 65), a yacht free-leased to the Navy, was placed in commission on 5 June 1917 and assigned to the 3d Naval District where she performed net patrol duty. She was transferred for a brief time to the Chesapeake Bay area, returning to New York early in 1918. Chichota was decommissioned on 21 December 1918 and returned to her owner." (Source: http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/c8/chichota.htm, retrieved March 17, 2007.)

"[Item Description:] Four handwritten (in ink) pages with tabulated data listing 'Shop No', 'Name', '[Tons] Gross' and '[Tons] Net' for a total of 100 HMCo-built boats and classes. Tonnage data is usually precise to two digits behind the decimal. Random comparisons suggest source of tonnage data to be official Custom House data. Boats mentioned are: #664s, #663s, #625s, #665s, #634s, #658s, #657s, #646s, #641s, #617s, #626s Class, #624s, #621s, #616s, #619s, #590s, #591s, #586s, #592 Class, #618s, #605s, #578s, #560s Class, #580s, #553s, #551s, #552s, #546s, #541s, #545s, #538s, #534s, #533s, #532s, #529s, #534s, #530s, #531s, #435s, #437s, #452s, #499s, #429s, #426s, #424s, #481s, #422s, #417s, #414s, #451s, #215p, #213p, #222p, #235p, #230p, #229p, #236p, #224p, #244p, #247p, #249p, #231p, #232p, #228p, #252p, #250p, #251p, #248p, #168p, #164p, #118p, #142p, #174p, #173p, #194p, #189p, #193p, #183p, #178p, #179p, #181p, #182p, #175p, #163p, #148p, #149p, #172p, #155p, #170p, #186p, #188p, #206p, #207p, #205p, #208p, #209p, #210p, #211p, #212p, #216p. Undated (the latest boat listed, WINSOME, was launched in 1907)." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (?) (creator). Handwritten List. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE06_00220. Folder [no #]. No date (1907 or later).)
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"[Item Transcription:] Handwritten (mostly in pencil but also in ink) trials booklet titled '1898 - 1909'. Relevant contents:
§12: #210p NIAGARA III Contract Trial Run best mean speed 20.51mph (1901-07-14)." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Trials Booklet. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE09_00060. Folder [no #]. 1898-09 to 1911-04.)
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Note: This list of archival documents contains in an unedited form any and all which mention #210p Niagara III even if just in a cursory way. Permission to digitize, transcribe and display is gratefully acknowledged.

• Niagara III (HMCo-made index card)
• Chichota ex-Niagara III (HMCo-made index card)
• Chichota ex-Niagara III (MIT Museum-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.

Name: Niagara
Type: Steam
Length: 81'
Owner: Gould, Howard

Source: Herreshoff Manufacturing Company. "A Partial List of Herreshoff Clients." In: Herreshoff Manufacturing Company. Herreshoff Yachts. Bristol, Rhode Island, ca. 1931.

• Niagara III
• Chichota Chicota ex-Niagara III
• Note: The L. Francis Herreshoff index cards comprise a set of some 1200 cards about vessels built by HMCo, with dimensions and / or ownership information. Apparently compiled in the early 1930s, for later HMCo-built boats like the Fishers Island 23s or the Northeast Harbor 30s are not included. Added to in later decades, apparently by L. F. Herreshoff as well as his long-time secretary Muriel Vaughn and others. Also 46 cards of L. F. Herreshoff-designed vessels. The original set of index cards is held by the Herreshoff Marine Museum and permission to display is gratefully acknowledged.

Name: Niagara III
Type: 81' power
Owner: Howard Gould
Year: 1901
Row No.: 477

Source: Herreshoff, L. Francis. "Partial List of Herreshoff-Built Boats." In: Herreshoff, L. Francis. Capt. Nat Herreshoff. The Wizard of Bristol. New York, 1953, p. 325-343.

Year: 1901
E/P/S: P
No.: 210
Name: Niagara
OA: 81"
LW: 72"

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.

"Steam engine rating 285hp from undated (1903 or later) diagram by N. G. Herreshoff titled 'Marine Engine. Weights and Prices' in the Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. March 24, 2019.)

"Marine Engine of Open Type. 6 1/4 & 10 & 16 x 9, 610[rpm], 285[hp]. [Note:] 2100lbs [in pencil]." (Source: Herreshoff, N. G. Handwritten List of HMCo-Made Steam Engines. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum, MRDED1_00220. Undated, between 1903 and 1918.)

"Built in 109 days (contract to delivered; equivalent to 495 lbs displacement/day)." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. January 16, 2024.)

"Displacement 27 [long or short?] t." (Source: http://www.navsource.org/archives/12/170065.htm, last visit March 17, 2007.)

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