| Ship | Hull | Built | GRT | Length | Beam | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potomac | 181 | 1880 | 1415 | 314′ | 40′ | Side wheel steamer. 3,200 horsepower single cylinder reciprocating steam engine. Broken up in 1950, hull used as barge. |
Potomac was formerly the S.S. Albany of the Hudson River Day Line, but was purchased at auction in 1934 by B. B. Wills who owned and operated the Potomac River Line out of Washington, D.C. Note the distinctive profile with three stacks athwartship and the walking beam. Most of the “newer” steamboats did not use the walking beam system to drive the paddlewheels.
Potomac was built in 1880 by Harlan & Hollingsworth Corp. of Wilmington, DE. In 1892 she underwent an extensive rebuild. She was lengthened by 30 feet and the second deck extended to the bow. Smaller paddlewheels with a feathering mechanism were fitted and the “old style” paddle boxes were removed, giving her a more streamlined appearance. She was originally coal fired, but was converted to oil by Wills following his purchase. The vessel was propelled by a single vertical beam engine of 3,200 IHP powered by three W&A Fletcher Co. Scotch boilers working at 55 PSI. Potomac was in service as an excursion steamer until 1948, and was cut down to her iron hull in 1950 and converted to a pulpwood barge for the Chesapeake Corporation of West Point, VA.
Although Potomac is long gone, her walking beam can be seen at the Mariners Museum in Newport News, VA. There are reports that her paddle wheel and engine are also there in storage.
