FDNY Fireboat Fleet

[daysleeper47]

All of the following pictures and text were taken from the FDNY Marine 6 webpage. It can be found at http://www.fdnymarine6.com . It is a great site with tons of information about the former Marine companies of the New York City Fire Department. Unfortunetly, it doesn't have all that much to offer on the current companies, but maybe they can work on that!

[daysleeper47]

Every major harbor has one or more fireboats to protect the docks and ships where ground-based fire vehicles cannot go.

Originally (late 1800's) these boats were made from old, converted tugboats. Within a few decades they had proved their worth and specially-designed fireboats began to be built.

Certainly the most famous fireboat of all time is the FIRE FIGHTER of New York City, which began service in 1938 and still answers the call.

FIRE FIGHTER was designed by William Francis Gibbs, who also designed the ocean liners AMERICA and UNITED STATES.

Four 5000 GPM De Laval two-stage centrifugal pumps provide a total pumping capacity of 20,000 gallons per minute at 150 PSI. They can also be connected in series to provide 10,000 GPM at 300 PSI.

W. F. Gibbs also designed a land-based fire truck -- the most powerful ever built -- called the Super Pumper, which served NYC from 1965 to 1982. It was built by Mack Trucks, and could feed 35 hoselines at once.

[daysleeper47]

The 'John J. Harvey' is perhaps the most famous fire boat in history, aside from maybe its FDNY sister 'Firefighter'. There are so many articles and bits of infomation on this fine boat. Use this thread as a place to post on this Hudson River queen.

[daysleeper47]

http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/fireboat.htm

Historic Fireboat Aids In New York City Response and Recovery at World Trade Center

The John J. Harvey, a large fireboat listed in the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places, aided in relief and evacuation efforts at the World Trade Center on Tuesday, September 11th. Upon learning of the disaster at the World Trade Center, friends and crew of the historic fireboat met at John J. Harvey and made the decision to take her south from Pier 63 to help at the World Trade Center. Normally afloat at Pier 63, North River, at the west end of 23rd Street in Manhattan, the John J. Harvey joined in a group of tug boats and ferries to help in evacuation efforts. The John J. Harvey transported some 150 people from the sea wall near the Battery north to Pier 40. En route, the New York City Fire Department radioed a request that the John J. Harvey drop off her passengers as quickly as possible and tie up adjacent to the World Trade Center site to provide pumping capacity, as hydrants were not working. The fireboat joined New York Fire Department boats on the sea wall in North River, the closest proximity possible to World Trade Center 2, to provide the only water available at the site. Fire hoses wielded from the fireboat Wednesday provided the only area at the site that was not covered by choking dust. This area later became the main supply center for the emergency crews. The John J. Harvey worked non-stop at the site until Friday night, September 14, after hydrants had been restored. Countless friends and supporters made Harvey their base for volunteering in the emergency, working on shore on clean-up, rescue work and organization.
 
The John J. Harvey will turn 70 this October. Supporters of the fireboat expressed pride that the ship was saved, thus allowing her to work for New York City during the crisis. The fireboat was built in 1931 at the Todd Shipbuilding and Dry-Dock Corporation in Brooklyn, NY and updated in 1957. She played a large role in protecting the New York Harbor in the 1930s and into World War II when the port was used as a staging area for convoys supplying troops, munitions and petroleum to Europe. As a fireboat, John J. Harvey was instrumental in extinguishing fires that took place along the water, including the 1932 five alarm fire that destroyed Cunard’s Pier 54 and a fire aboard the former French liner, Normandie, that eventually capsized the vessel at her dock. The Harvey also became famous for her water displays in which she welcomed prominent ships to New York. In 1959, all of New York City’s fireboats were redesignated as marine companies. Since the 1960s New York Harbor has changed dramatically and fireboats have been made smaller in order to deal with small pleasure craft, rather than the grand ocean liners of the past. In 1994, John J. Harvey was retired from service and auctioned to her current owners. She has since been restored. The steel boat measures 130 feet length overall, and weighs 268 gross tons and was entered in the National Register of Historic Places on June 15, 2000.

[daysleeper47]

These are the only boats I could find photos for. If anyone has any other details, please post them.

William F. Havemeyer (1875-1901)
Length-106' Beam-22' Draft-10'
Built by Wood Dialogue ' Co.
Capacity 3000 GPM. Wood hull, steam coal fired, single screw. Put in service as Engine 43 on May 12th 1875. Disposed of Oct. 4, 1901.

[daysleeper47]

Zophar Mills (1882-1934)
Length-120' Beam-25' Draft-12'
Built by Pusey ' Jones Willington in 1882
Cost of $57,200. Capacity 6000 GPM. Steel hull, steam coal fired. Disposed of Sept. 4 1934

[daysleeper47]

Seth Low (1885-1917)
Length-99' Beam-24' Draft-9'
Built for the Brooklyn F.D. by Trundy ' Murphy South Brooklyn 1885. Capacity 3500 GPM. Wood hull, copper covered to water line. Steam coal fired, twin screw. Sold Aug. 20, 1917

[daysleeper47]

New Yorker (1890-1931)
Length-125' Beam-26' Draft-12'
Built by Julius Jonson 1890. Cost of $98,250.
Capacity 13,000 GPM. Steel hull, coal fired, single screw. Put in service as Engine 57. Out of service Dec. 17, 1931

[daysleeper47]

David A. Boody (1892-1914)
Length-105' Beam-23' Draft-7'
Built by Palmer ' Son 1892 for the Brooklyn F.D.
Capacity 6500 GPM. Wood hull, steam coal fired single screw. Put in service as Engine 32. Retired from service Dec. 17, 1914

[daysleeper47]

William L. Strong (1898-1948)
Length-100' Beam-24' Draft-12'
Built by J H Dialogue ' Sons, Camden, 1898.
Capacity 6500 GPM. Steel hull, coal fired single screw. Stationed at Grand Street and the East River as Engine 66. Removed from service May. 1948

[daysleeper47]

Abram Hewitt (1903-1958)
Length-117' Beam-25' Draft-9.5'
Built be New York Shipbuilding, Camden, 1903. Cost of $83,750. Capacity 7000 GPM. Steel hull, steam coal fired. Put in service as Engine 77 Oct. 25 1903. Disposed of in 1958.

[daysleeper47]

James Duane (1908-1959)
Length-132' Beam-28' Draft-10'
Built by T S Marvel, Newburgh N.Y. 1908. Cost of $118,925. Capacity 9000 GPM. steel Hull, coal fired. (Converted to oil 1927) Single screw. Put in service as Engine 85-35th street and the North River. Retired 1959.

[daysleeper47]

Thomas Willett (1908-1959)
Length-132' Beam-28' Draft-10'
Built by T S Marvel, Newburgh N.Y. 1908. Cost of $118,925. Capacity 9000 GPM. Identical to the James Duane. Put in service as Engine 86. Retired 1959

[daysleeper47]

Cornelius W. Lawrence (1908-1955)
Length-104' Beam-23' Draft-9'
Built by T S Marvel, Newburgh N.Y. 1908. Capacity 7000 Gpm. Coal fired, single screw. Built low to fit under bridges in the Harlem River. Stationed at 132 street and the Harlem River.

[daysleeper47]

William J. Gaynor (1914-1961)
Length-118' Beam-25' Draft-13.5'
Built by New Jersey Drydock, Elizabethport N.J. 1914. Capacity 7000 GPM. Steam coal fired switched to oil in 1937. Put in service as Engine 223, 38th street and New York Bay. Sold in 1961