摘要: |
In the July 17 column regarding the Str. Transporter, mention was made of J. Mack Gamble's Annual Review column that had appeared in the December 31, 1938, issue of The Waterways Journal. Gamble had lamented the demise of the big Transporter as having been the "end of an era." He had also mentioned a new vessel that was launched in 1938, the "streamlined and air-conditioned" J.H. Duffy, further calling it a "modern trend" in towboat construction. The Duffy was as futuristic as most rivermen could imagine at that time. The 1930s, while still the midst of the Great Depression, were an innovative time for river transportation. Great strides had been made in diesel power and tunnel-stern, prop-driven towboats. St. Louis Shipbuilding & Steel Company had been building smaller diesel prop towboats since 1933 under the leadership of Herman Pott. The J.H. Duffy would prove to be the first of many uniquely designed boats built by that firm. |