John Purroy Mitchel was a New York City Fire Department fireboat.[1][2] She was named after former mayor of New York City John Purroy Mitchel. Grace Drennan, niece of Fire Commissioner Thomas J. Drennan, played a ceremonial role in the boat's launch on July 24, 1921. Her launch was also attended by current mayor John Francis Hylan.
| History | |
|---|---|
 New York City Fire Department | |
| Name | John Purroy Mitchel |
| Owner | New York City |
| Operator | New York City Fire Department |
| Builder | Standard Shipbuilding Corporation |
| Cost | $200,000 |
| In service | 1921 |
| Out of service | 1962 or later. |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | fireboat |
John Purroy Mitchel was the city's first fireboat powered by fuel-oil, not coal.[2] She was 132 feet (40 m) long, and her pumps could throw 9,000 gallons per minute, at pressure of 300 pounds per square inch. One of her water cannons was mounted on top of a 26 feet (7.9 m) tower.
Standard Shipbuilding Corporation of Shooter's Island built John Purroy Mitchel. She was budgeted at $220,000 but was completed under budget at $200,000.[1][2]
On October 5, 1926, the crew of the ocean liner Byron discovered a fire in one of her cargo holds. John Purroy Mitchel assisted William J. Gaynor, which was the first fireboat on scene. The two fireboats pumped water into the burning hold, and Byron reached the quarantine station under her own power.[3]
At 02:00 hrs on July 5, 1927, a fire was discovered among cotton bales in the number 6 cargo hold of RMS Ebro as she approached New York. She docked in the North River just before 10:00 hrs, disambarked her passengers, and then John Purroy Mitchel and Thomas Willett fought the fire. It was extinguished by 14:00 hrs.[4]
The boat was still in service in 1962, when the John H. Glenn Jr. joined the fleet.[5]
References
edit- ^ a b "New Fireboat to Cost $220,000". The New York Times. 1921-03-30. p. 8. Retrieved 2017-03-24 – via Times Machine.
- ^ a b c
"Fireboat Named With Wine; The John Purroy Mitchel Is First Oil Burner in City's Fleet". The New York Times. 1921-07-24. p. 21. Retrieved 2017-03-24 – via Times Machine.
The new city fireboat, the John Purroy Mitchel, named in honor of the late Mayor, was launched yesterday at the plant of the Standard Shipbuilding Corporation on Shooters Island.
- ^ "Fire-swept liner lands 697 safely". The New York Times. 1926-10-06. pp. 1, 4. Retrieved 2022-06-12 – via Times Machine.
- ^ "Conceals ship fire from passengers". The New York Times. 1927-07-06. p. 11. Retrieved 2024-03-05 – via Times Machine.
- ^
"City's Latest Fireboat: The John H. Glenn Jr". The New York Times. 1962-03-10. p. 15. Retrieved 2020-06-01 – via Times Machine.
There are eight fireboat's in the city's fleet and the Mayor's office customarily gives a short biography or explanation for the name chosen. The boats in service are: Senator Robert F. Wagner; Alfred E. Smith; John Purroy Mitchel; H. Sylvia Wilks; The Fire Fighter; and three craft named after Fire Department heroes-- Harry Archer, John J. Harvey and John D. McKean.