owes
much to the innovative R.J. Hackett, the first Great Lakes
vessel designed specifically to haul dry bulk cargoes of
ore
and grain below decks in a weathertight
hold
.
Built in 1869, the 210-foot Hackett featured multiple large
oak
keelsons
and
new techniques of iron cross-bracing. These reinforcements
made possible a large, uninterrupted hold that could be
accessed
with bulk unloading equipment. The Hackett's evenly-spaced
hatches
, designed to match the ore chutes of docks at Marquette,
Michigan, allowed quick loading and unloading of an unprecedented
1,200 tons of ore.
 |
|
| The R.J. Hackett, the
first bulk carrier on the Great Lakes, sometime between
1892-1905 |
|
continued
|
