Henry B. Smith chadburn

[Ken Niemi]

Cabinboy1, I don't know when they added the locking handle to some makes of Chadburns, but your typical one in 1913 looked like the one in the attached photo.

[Jared]

The Engine room Chadburn on the Hydrus was in a 12 o'clock position pointing to nothing while the Chadburn on the bridge reads STAND BY. I wonder why the two are different.

[cabinboy1]

Most engine telegraph handles have a spring loaded locking latch for the handle to prevent uncalled for movement.

[Guest]

I wouldn't assume that was the last position prior to sinking. The stress on the boat while sinking could have jerked & pulled the cables into an artifical position, along with anything falling on the handle.

Good point! It also appears in the pictures that several of the metal poles were bent back. Was this possibly from wave action or the force of the water going past as the ship plunged to the bottom? It looks to the unprofessional eye that their angle suggests a nose dive into the bottom. Has there been any release of a artist's rendering of the wreck?

[Pete in Holland MI]

I wouldn't assume that was the last position prior to sinking. The stress on the boat while sinking could have jerked & pulled the cables into an artifical position, along with anything falling on the handle.

[Guest]

Thanks. That's what I thought, but wanted to confirm my suspicions.

[Guest]

Looks like full ahead.

[Guest]

Does anyone know what position the chadburn of the Henry B. Smith was in following its discovery in 2013. I see it in the pictures posted on the internet but would like to know if its in the full ahead or full astern position.