uwamish was launched in 1909 for service in Seattle's fire department. Designed by Eugene McAllaster, she was unique-McAllaster fitted h er w ith many more water monirors (or fixed water nozzles) than was rypical. They provided a ro tal capaciry of 9,000 gallons per minute at 200 psi. The fireboat was also built with a ramming bow ro enable firefighters ro ram and sink a vessel at the pier if a blaze could no t be extinguished quickly. D uwamish's riveted-steel hull measured 120 ft. long with a beam of 28 ft. In one of her first trials in 19 11 , the boat was called o ut ro douse a fire at the Eyers Srorage and Distributing Company. A crowd of spectarors gathered ro watch the fire, and when D uwamish rnrned on her forward monitor, the stream passed over the crowd and hit a series of power lines that instantly started ro arc and spark- not an impressive start for a vessel that ultimately served the ciry so well over the decades ro fo llow. N evertheless, Duwamish was not ro suffer from a bad repuration fo r lo ng. In 19 14, fire broke out at the Grand Trunk Pacific Dock- the larges t wooden dock on the west coas t, which supported a lumber warehouse, office spaces, and a large clock rower. The entire pier burs t into flames and D uwamish To the as ronishment of her crew, when they turned on the huge placed herself berween the Grand Trunk and the Coleman Dock ro forward moniror at 10,000 gallons per minute, they saw the water the south, where radiant heat had caused the roof of the Coleman ro stream evaporate before it ever reached the flames. D uwamish aimed ignite as well. D uwamish found herself figh ting flames on both sides, ro prevent the fire from spreading ro other areas of the waterfrontbut rogether with the US revenue cutter Unalga, the rwo boats were it was six hours before the fire was contained. Paint on the hull able ro save the Coleman pier. blistered and the firefighters' rubber boots melted. For rwenry-five In World War I, Duwamish served as a harbor patrol vessel. hours D uwamish and her crew fought this fire until only charred Throughout the 1930s, D uwamish provided protection for Elliott embers remained. Bay and extinguished innumerable blazThis was not the last of the great fi res es. By the time the Second World War Duwamish in 1909, p ump ing water fo r of Seattle that D uwamish would fight. broke out, D uwamish had aged, and her the first time Thro ugh our D uwamish's long hisrory, role as primary fireboat for downtown her greatest enemy had been the thouSeattle had been filled by a newer vessands of creosote-covered pilings that sel. 1 h e war brought new opportunities, dotted the waterfront. Eventually, her however, and she once again became a wear and a changing ciry rendered D uharbor patrol vessel with the US Coast wamish obsolete. With the rise in recreG uard. At the end of the war, many peoational boating, the ciry needed a boat pie argued that the vessel was at the end that was suitable ro both fire fighting of her serviceable life. Seattle Fire Chief c o u RTEs Y o ' sE.A:m• Mus•uM 01• 11 1STORY AN D I N D USTRY and marine rescue, something tlle D uWilliam Fitzgerald saw the advantages to havi ng such a large boat wamish could never accomplish with a rop speed of only fo urteen and argued that it wo uld be cheaper to rebuild her. H er hull was still kn ots. In 1984 D uwamish was replaced and the old boat was tied in excellent shape and new pumps and engines would make her a up at the government locks in Shilshole. Many found it hard simply very powerful roo l. In 1949, she was refitted wim a clipper bow and ro scrap the venerable lady, and various plans were put forward to three new Cooper-Bessemer 900hp supercharged diesels. Her stacks purchase and resrore her, In 1994 she was purchased by a small we re replaced by a single funnel , and her rwo new pumps each rated group of dedicated enthusias ts who saw her as an excellent platat 11 ,400 gallons per minute. This mad e the Duwamish the most fo rm fo r bui lding civic pride, teaching local hisrory, and as a center powerful municipal fireboat in the wo rld in terms of pumping capac- fo r yo uth development. Since 1997 she has participated in public iry. What emerged from the slips was practically a new boat- faster, events, greeting large crowds with her impressive water displays. The more maneuverable, and able ro blas t twenry-four streams of water wo rk of resrorin g this old heroine goes on, so that she can remain a with her various monirors and hose couplings. She once again be- symbol of Seattle well into the 2 1st century. .t came Seattle's premier fireboat. Duwamish is current/,y berthed at the south end of Lake Union In 1958 , the worst fire in Seattle's hisro ry since the blaze of in downtown Seattle. 7he city plans on building a maritime park on 1889 erup ted at the Seattle Cedar M ill, w here millions of board fee t this site within the next five years and hopes to include Duwamish. A of lumber were srored. D uwamish roared o ut of her slip, sirens wail- National H istoric Landmark, the vessel is owned by the Puget Sound ing. W hen she reached Shilshole Bay, the fl am es were already reach- Fireboat Foundation. Web site: www.fireboatDuwamish.org; e-mail: ing thousands of feet into the air and sending engulfed planks aloft. info@FireboatD uwamish.org.
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