The Propeller Indiana’s “Philadelphia Wheel”

Description:

Indiana's propeller was manufactured by Spang & Co. of Pittsburgh, PA, as stamped on one of the blades. This firm, a large iron manufacturing company centered in Pittsburgh, PA, was founded in 1828 and was one of the earliest and largest manufacturers of iron products in the United States.

The hub of the propeller is cast iron; the blades are rolled iron. One of the intact blades is chipped and dented, suggesting a collision. Another blade is missing outside the yellow line, which marks where a large section broke loose, probably from hitting an object in the water. This piece struck the Indiana's sternpost, literally “shivered her timbers,” and started the leak that sank the ship. The blade broke off completely when the ship struck the lakebed and was found at the wreck site, buried in the sand under the stern post. It is reproduced here in fiberglass.

The closest design is by Richard Loper of Philadelphia, who registered three propeller-related patents in 1844 and 1845 and licensed his ideas to shipbuilders Reany, Neafie & Co., also of Philadelphia. Contemporary accounts state that Loper’s design was the most popular in the Great Lakes region, and some Lakes propeller manufacturers even advertised his design as the “Philadelphia Wheel.”

Date Made: 1848

Possible Patentee: Loper, RichardMaker: Spang & Company

Subject: EngineeringBuilding & ArchitectureRelated Event: Expansion and Reform

Subject:

See more items in: Work and Industry: Maritime, Cultures & Communities, Work, Energy & Power, Industry & Manufacturing, Transportation, On the Water exhibit

Exhibition: On the Water

Exhibition Location: National Museum of American History

Related Web Publication: http://americanhistory.si.edu/onthewater

Related Publication: On the Water online exhibition

Credit Line: Gift of Michigan Department of State, Michigan History Division (through Bruce J. Andrews)

Data Source: National Museum of American History

Id Number: 1979.1030.05Catalog Number: 1979.1030.05Accession Number: 1979.1030

Object Name: propeller

Physical Description: iron (overall material)cast iron (hub material)rolled iron (blades material)Measurements: overall: 4 in x 1 in x 115 3/4 in; x 10.16 cm x 2.54 cm x 294.005 cm

Guid: http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a9-5f3b-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Record Id: nmah_1095620

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