Canal Motor Ships D1

I believe this is an eastbound ILI 102 near Brewerton, just a few minutes from venturing out onto Oneida Lake.

I’m wondering what segregated cargo might be stored on deck in wooden and steel barrels.

If that’s Brewerton, this looks a lot like Three Rivers, with the stream off to the right being the Oswego River and its seven locks descending onto Lake Ontario at Oswego.

Note the boater between ILI 102 and the bank? Also, note the cleared field off along the port side of ILI 102, suggesting that grass and hay was still an important fuel for the draft animals still used in agriculture of the time.

Not heard of ILI 102?  She’s the next completed hull sister of ILI 101, aka Day-Peckinpaugh. ILI 102 was launched a month later than her numerical predecessor, one of five vessels built as purpose-built Barge Canalmax cargo carriers.  Later she operated as Andrew M. Barnes.  New York archival photos show her trapped in the ice in 1936, but scant details exist on her service but she was scrapped by Hughes Brothers of New York in March 1950.

More of the ILI sisters forthcoming.  Here‘s another reference greatlakes.bgsu.edu to peruse.

All photos used with permission of the Canal Society of New York.