I recently received this image and note. Maybe someone can identify this moment [many years ago] in an evolutionary process.
“I was born on Staten Island and have had this untitled, undated, and uncredited photo for years. I believe it’s taken from the water on the Arthur Kill of an unconverted Moran steam tug. wondering if you might be able to shed some light on who she might be. At first I thought it might be the Ned Moran, but it seems Ned lost her stack rather than wheel house?
If you have any thoughts or leads to her name/history I would be very appreciative.”
In response to my suggestion that the letter might be a D, he wrote “My thoughts on it being a M stack marker was based on the top and bottom serifs but you are correct that these could also be a D. But on the right side of stack the mid section of the letter seems to be unattached or detached rather than a continuous piece of steel connected to the foreground part of the letter.” Since then, I’m convinced it’s indeed an M.
Some of the photos I’ve taken in this location can be found here. The documentary Gary Kane and I filmed there nine years ago now is referred to in this post.
Many thanks to Chris for sending along this question and photo, which I’ll call unidentified of a vessel that’s unsalvageable.
tugster: a waterblog 
10 comments
Comments feed for this article
July 28, 2020 at 4:49 pm
Jim Murray
Hi, I enjoy a challenge to identify a boat at Witte’s. I do not think that is the NED MORAN. I still kick myself for not marking more boats when I could identify them. Now in the photo of the SEWELLS POINT, the other boat, with the life boast is the NEW BEDFORD. Ahead or behind the SEWELLS POINT was the JAMESTOWN, another ferry. I think there were 10 double end ferry’s in the yard. WALTER MESECK was there in the yard, I think there must have been two with the same name. A wooden one at Witte’s and a steel one that the deckhouse ended up in a museum in Virginia? ________________________________
July 29, 2020 at 7:51 am
tugster
Thx, Jim. Good to hear from you. Your map also shows a Margaret A. Moran was in the yard. Two tugs (1919 and 1920) carried that name, but the more likely of the two was scrapped in 1950. Could it still have been there in the scrapping queue? http://www.tugboatinformation.com/tug.cfm?id=773
July 29, 2020 at 11:03 am
Jim Murray
I quickly looked through some photos, could this be the MARGARET A MORAN that is/was in the yard. Also could the NED MORAN be the boat where the two tall masts make an X on the right side of the photo? Near the big “A” frame? Get back to me. Jim Murray ________________________________
July 29, 2020 at 11:14 am
tugster
It’s possible, Jim. If the X marks Ned Moran, then where your map (which I still have a copy of) shows Margaret A. is currently empty surface. Since we don’t know the date of this photo, things certainly look different there today.
July 31, 2020 at 3:37 pm
tugster
transcribing Christian Dauer’s comment: “I think Jim’s comment of the Ned Moran being visible near the “X” on the right side of mystery photo is spot on. I have compared my photo with those of Shaun O’ Doyle’s amazing images (from 1987). His views of the Ned looking East include a very tilted stack from another boat and some sort of tank or boiler with faceted sides in the background. Both of these show up in the background of my photo. There is also an A shaped ??winch frame ?? With very similar bracing that appears in the mystery tug photo far right and to the west of Shaun’s Ned portraits.
But as it being the Margaret A. Moran, his photos show her to the west of the Ned with a large Port Authority ferry adjacent to the west. So I don’t think mine is the Margaret.
My best guess is that she lies 2-3 resting spaces to the east of the Ned possibly next to ( just to the west of) the fire boat Abram S. Hewitt.
I just have no idea what her name is/was.”
July 31, 2020 at 8:55 pm
James A Murray
OK, I have since changed my mind on the mystery boat being the MARGARET A MORAN. Location is not right. However I feel that the NED MORAN is the boat under the :”X”. Spent last evening digging out photos of Witte’s yard. Found my photo that I numbered many of the boats but not the page with the matching names on it, typical for me!
The Fireboat ABRAM S HEWITT is next to two NYNH&H “Transfer” tugs to her port side, on the stbd side of HEWITT is a former Navy tug, one of the few boats that is stern to the shore in the yard. That is the boat with the unusual walkway on the front where a fire monitor was mounted. I just found these replys by accident, I am not great with the computer. Hope I can get this reply to post
July 31, 2020 at 9:25 pm
James A Murray
My reply dissapeared? That mystery boat is not the MARGARET A MORAN. Location is wrong. I do think the NED is under the “X”. ABRAM S HEWITT is next to two NYNH&H Transfer tugs and an ex Navy tug that is stern to the shore.
August 1, 2020 at 6:25 am
JEFF SCHURR
I think she is the SUSAN A MORAN #218970 built at Green Bay in 1919 as SALEM. Became EUGENE F MORAN in 1921 and SUSAN A MORAN in 1946. ”sold to Wittes in 1955”.
Tanker on her port side is TRANSOIL and forward of her is that barge with the boilers on deck. NED MORAN in the distance fits my theory. Looks like the pilothouse has pancaked in the photo while funnel is still intact. Must be a fairly old photo ….no traces of her in more recent shots. …just a waterline hulk on Jim Murrays map. Jeff S
August 1, 2020 at 6:40 am
Anonymous
Thx, Jeff
August 2, 2020 at 1:58 pm
tugster
reposting this comment from Christian:
“Thank you Will, Jim, and Jeff,
If I’m understanding this correctly the mystery tug is the unlabeled boat #25 of Jim’s map (SUSAN A MORAN #218970) built 1919.
She lies to the east and behind the MARION OLSEN (#126826) #23 on Jim’s map built 1892 as the C.N. KIMPLAND, bought by Moran in 1916 and renamed SUSAN A. MORAN, in 1922 the NATALIE, then DIAMOND S., in 1939 the MARION OLSEN.
There is another SUSAN A. MORAN #253361(1942-2004) whereabouts unknown.
If this is the case, I find it comforting that 2 out of the 3 SUSAN A. MORANS found their final resting spots beside each other on Staten Island at Wittes.
Thank you all for your knowledge, expertise and help with ID-ing the now little less mysterious photo.”