David Scannell (fireboat)

Last updated

The David Scannel in 1912 Postcard showing San Francisco fireboat David Scannel, 1912 (cropped).jpg
The David Scannel in 1912

The David Scannell was a steam-powered fireboat built for and operated by the San Francisco Fire Department. [1] [2] The city had no fireboats at the time of the disastrous 1906 San Francisco earthquake, so United States Navy fireboats had to travel there to help fight the extensive fires in the aftermath of the earthquake.

San Francisco built a second ship to the same design, the Dennis T. Sullivan , which was launched later in 1909. [1] [2] Both vessels were retired in 1954.

The vessel is named after David S. Scannell, San Francisco's first Fire Chief when, in 1871, it transitioned from volunteers to paid staff. [3] [4] [5]

specifications [2]
Cost$139,809
Length120 feet (37 m)
Beam26 feet (7.9 m)
Draft12 feet (3.7 m)
Displacement272 tons

References

  1. 1 2 "NEW FIREBOAT TO BE LAUNCHED SATURDAY". Vol. 105, no. 171. San Francisco Call. 1909-05-20. Retrieved 2014-10-13. The launching of the first completed fireboat -- the David Scannell, was fixed for next Saturday afternoon at 4 o'clock from the Risdon Iron works.
  2. 1 2 3 "David Scannell". Guardians of the City. Archived from the original on 2014-10-09. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
  3. ↑ "Sheriff David Scannell Versus the Vigilantes" . Retrieved 2014-10-13.
  4. ↑ "David Scannell, San Francisco Sheriff 1855 - 1856". Guardians of the City . Retrieved 2014-10-13. He went on to become the Chief Engineer of the San Francisco Fire Department, and was appointed Chief in 1871 when the Fire Department went from a volunteer organization to a professional one. He died March 31, 1893 at the age of 73, much beloved by the citizens of the City.
  5. ↑ "THE CHIEF IS DEAD: David Scannell, Soldier, Fireman, Is at Rest". Vol. 73, no. 121. San Francisco Call. 1893-03-31. Retrieved 2014-10-13. For many months Chief Scannell's health bad failed rapidly, but with that indomitable iron will for which he was noted he struggled on with his dangerous duty in being the first at, all fires and the leader in their extinction.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.