The steamer’s iron ore capacity exceeded 3,000 tons. Like Davidson’s other huge steamers, she generally towed a large wooden schooner barge. (Examples of schooner barges include the Pretoria,  Noquebay, and the Bullhead Point wrecks.)  

Under the ownership of Boston Coal Dock and Wharf, the Appomattox towed the 324-foot schooner barge Santiago, also built by Davidson. Working in tandem, the two vessels could carry up to 8,000 tons of iron ore, significantly more than the larger and more expensive steel bulk carriers of the period. The cost of building a Davidson steamer and consort in the late 1890s was perhaps 50 to 70 percent that of constructing a steel vessel with a comparable cargo capacity.

Large oak timbers make up the floor keelsons at the port bow.

However, a steamer and schooner barge consort had one significant drawback. Safely maneuvering two large vessels connected by a single line could be challenging—sometimes impossible. For example, in early August 1905, the Appomattox-Santiago team was involved in a serious accident on the narrow St. Clair River, between Lake Huron and Lake Erie. Traveling in light fog, the Santiago veered off course and smashed into the schooner barge Fontana. The Fontana immediately sank, taking the life of one of her crew.