Alaskan (sidewheeler)
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | Alaskan |
| Owner | Oregon Railway and Navigation Company |
| Route | Columbia River, Puget Sound |
| Builder | Delaware River Iron Ship Building and Engine Works |
| Cost | $350,000 |
| Launched | August 8, 1883 |
| Completed | 1883 |
| In service | April 6, 1884 |
| Fate | Foundered May 12, 1889 |
| Notes | iron hull, built in Chester, Pennsylvania |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Inland steamship |
| Tonnage | 1718 |
| Length | 276 ft (84 m) |
| Beam | 39.6 ft (12.1 m) |
| Depth | 14.5 ft (4.4 m) depth of hold |
| Decks | three (freight, passenger, hurricane) |
| Installed power | Coal-fired boiler, single-cylinder walking beam engine |
| Propulsion | sidewheels |
| Sail plan | schooner (auxiliary) |
| Notes | Near sistership to Olympian |
The steamship Alaskan operated from 1884 to 1889 on the Columbia River and Puget Sound. Alaskan and her near-sistership Olympian were known as "Henry Villard's White Elephants." There were a number of vessels named Alaska and Alaskan, this large side-wheel steamboat should not be confused with them.