History #
The steamer Alaska was built in 1878 at Detroit, Michigan by John P. Clark. It was constructed as a sidewheel steamer with a wooden hull and had three decks. The dimensions of the Alaska were 165.2 feet in length, 29 feet in beam, and 10.6 feet in depth. It had a gross tonnage of 510.93 tons and a net tonnage of 360.98 tons.
The Alaska was initially powered by a low-pressure, single-cylinder engine with a cylinder size of 48 inches by 108 inches. This engine was previously used in the steamer John Sherman. The propulsion system consisted of sidewheels.
During its history, the Alaska had several owners and underwent various changes. In 1882, it was owned by Detroit, and in 1885, it came under the ownership of J.P. Clark in Detroit. In 1889, the upper works of the Alaska were badly burned at the Michigan Central Dock in Detroit, resulting in significant damage.
In 1890, the Alaska was transformed into a tow barge for the lumber trade by Dunford & Alverson shipyard in Port Huron. It was then sold to J.E. Pott Salt & Lumber Co. in Detroit, with a gross tonnage of 318 tons.
In 1895, the Alaska was rebuilt as a steambarge with dimensions of 165.2 feet in length, 29 feet in beam, and 10.6 feet in depth. It had a gross tonnage of 339 tons. The high-pressure engine from the tug Jim Pullar, with a size of 16 inches by 20 inches, was installed in the rebuilt vessel.
In 1905, the Alaska was sold to Canadian owners Pulling & Williscraft, based in Windsor, Ontario. It’s engines went into the steambarge FRANK E. KIRBY (also known as DOVER) under Canadian registration number 117174.
The final disposition of the Alaska occurred on December 24, 1910, in Tobermory, Ontario, on Lake Huron. While sheltering from a storm, the Alaska caught fire due to an overheated boiler and burned completely, resulting in its loss.
