Vulcan (barge)

The Vulcan, launched in 1819, was the first all iron-hulled vessel (boat) to be built.[1] It was designed as a horse-drawn passenger barge for use on the Scottish canals.

History

In 1816, the Forth and Clyde Canal Company, which had earlier successfully adapted new technology to shipbuilding with the Charlotte Dundas, authorised the development of an all-iron ship, and they quickly settled upon building a canal barge. In 1818, Thomas Wilson (1781–1873), was hired as the shipwright. The barge was to be 20 metres (66.5 ft.) long and narrow enough for the canal. The design called for iron sectionals to be riveted together with covering plates. Two blacksmiths were hired to construct the parts.

Replica of Vulcan

The plating had to be hammered out of puddled iron as no iron rolling mills existed at the time. The iron was supplied by the Monklands Steel Company.

The Vulcan was built outside Glasgow, in Faskine, Airdrie, on the bank of the Monkland Canal.

The Vulcan was launched in May 1819 and carried passengers between Edinburgh and Glasgow. Later it was converted to a cargo handler and was sold for scrap in 1873. In 1988, a replica of the Vulcan was constructed in Glasgow,[2] and now resides at the Summerlee Heritage Park.[3]

Notes
  1. The iron canal boat named Trial and built by John Wilkinson was launched in 1787. (1 December 1886) "The Inventor of the Iron Ship" Marine engineer and naval architect Volume 8, pp. 304-305, page 305, but the Trial was not all iron-hulled. Clarke, Joseph Finbar (1997) Building ships on the north east coast: a labour of love, risk and pain Bewick Press, Whitley Bay, England, page 61, ISBN 978-1-898880-04-2
  2. Walker, Fred. M. (April 1997) "A Rationale for Replica Ships" Third International Conference on the Technical Aspects of the Preservation of Historic Vessels, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, San Francisco, California
  3. "Monklands Online - Story of Calderbank"

Sources
  • Dear, I. C. B. and Kemp, Peter (eds.) (2006) "Vulcan" The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea (2nd ed.) Oxford University Press, Oxford, England, ISBN 978-0-19-920568-4
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See also
  • Aaron Manby, first steamship made of iron, maiden voyage May 1821.
  • Charlotte Dundas, first commercial steam propelled vessel, maiden voyage 1802.

The first iron boat was built in 1787, by Mr. John Wilkinson, of Broseley, in Shropshire. This boat or vessel was 70' long, 6' 8½" wide, drew between 8" and 9" water, and carried 32 tons of goods; was built at Willey, in Shropshire, and used on the Severn. It is most probable that she was a canal barge; but whatever she may have been, there can be but little doubt that she was the first iron vessel.

  • Charles F.T. Young: The Fouling and Corrosion of Iron Ships: Their Causes and Means of Prevention, with Mode of Application to the Existing Iron-Clads.

The London Drawing Association, London, 1867. pp 36–49.

  • Gentleman’s Magazine, May 1787.

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