Paddlewheel Steamer – MINNE HA – HA Lake George, New York,
U.S.A. (Put into service – July 30, 1969)
Length: 102′, Beam: 28′, Draft: 3′, 285 Gr. Tons
HULL AND SUPERSTRUCTURE: Lake George Steamboat Co. Inc. Welded
steel construction, fireproof
STERN WHEEL ENGINE: Semple Engine Co. 8′ x 48′ 2
p.s.i. saturated steam atmosphere exhaust 2 slide valves each
cylinder Stephenson reverse adjustable cutoff
BOILER: International Boiler Works 200 p.s.i. operating pressure
oil fired 6000 lbs. saturated steam per hour
PADDLEWHEEL Semple Engine Co. 12′ diameter 11′ long –
5′ diam. shaft
AUXILIARIES: Generator 25 kva, 110/220 v., 3 phase driven by 40
horsepower Troy steam engine Capstan 15 horsepower Soule steam
engine 2 Worthington duplex steam pumps operate interchangeably for
feed water, bilge and fire. Simple feed water heater and oil
separators
A Cretors sidewalk model steam-operated popcorn and peanut
wagon. It is completely restored and looks and runs like factory
new. There are only a very few of these old original popcorn wagons
still in existence.
I am 56 years of age and when I was a little boy in a small
northern Texas town, there was an old man who made his living
operating a popcorn wagon just like this one. I will never forget
the little clown cranking the peanut glass tumbler. The old man
told me that the little clown cranked the whole machine, steam
engine, peanut tumbler and popper.
‘100 years old and still in perfect working order.’ Case
engine No. 25 built by the J. I. Case Company of Racine, Wisconsin,
sometime around the year 1870. This engine was used originally to
pump water for the town, now city, of Angola, Indiana. Angola is
the county seat of Stueben County, located in the extreme northeast
corner of Indiana. Old Case No. 25 was furnished to the Old Time
Thresher Show by the Brindle Bros. well known Allis-Chalmers
dealers of La Otto, Indiana. This engine can be seen in action at
the 1970 Old Time Thresher Show. Photo by Ernest Hoffer.
100 year old Sycamore Log This section of a sycamore log, at
least one hundred years old, was given to the Old Time Thresher
Show by the Yaney sawmill near Ft. Wayne, Indiana. The size of it
can be compared to the wagon frame and to the nearby
spectators.
The ‘Monster’ to the left of the log, symbolizes the
Beast of Busco, supposedly seen in one of the nearby lakes and
created a lot of publicity. This ‘Monster’ was furnished to
the Old Time Thresher Show by the American Legion 157 of
Churubus-co, Indiana. Photo by Ernest Hoffer.
