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Maritime 11 istorv Making the transition from lighterage to towage, with the acquisition of his first tug R.W. Burke in 1876, marked a significant milestone for the company in that it was the company's first propeller driven vessel. (See story on page 31). The 75-ft. (22.8-m), 150-hp tug was named after the man who financed its construction in Philadelphia three years earlier. Tugs at this point still proved too much of an extravagance for most ship- pers for the routine transfer of freight around the harbor, as slower, yet much cheaper, sail powered vessels were still popular. Towboats, called "luggers," were deployed for towage, and some tugs hauled long tows of barges along the Hudson. The McAllisters pose in their office at Broad Street, from which they moved in 1914. L to R: John E. McAllister, Daniel McAllister (seated at desk); James P. McAllister (with mustache); William McAllister (with hands behind back); James McAllister (with beard); Margaret McAllister and Catherine McAllister. The company also moved into the business of moving oil about the harbor, as A.J. McAllister Sr. once recounted: "My father had converted a number of his sail lighters into bulk oil carriers by putting bulkheads in them and caulking the bulkheads and the ceiling in the sail- lighter, so that a tank was thereby formed for carrying oil in bulk. They carried perhaps thirty tons of oil. And they sailed it from Bayonne, to Brook- lyn, Manhattan, wherever. This small fleet became quite a factor in the mov- ing of oil in the harbor." It seems though, that the company seemingly missed the boat on another major deal, which would have indeed drastically changed the direction of the family company, as A.J. McAllister once again recounted: "Reportedly John D. Rockefeller came to my grandfather because he was in the process of forming the major Standard Oil Company, or had dreams of doing it, and offered my grandfather a substantial piece of the company if he The Great Escape McAllister grabbed headlines in 1912 when the great Houdini performed the "Great Packing Case Escape" after being shoved overboard from the side of the tugboat J.P. McAllister. Captain Jim made the magician sign a release. So Many STCW Regulations, So Little Time! RTM STAR Center is the maritime industry's STCW '95 Training Center of Excellence. Over the last four years we have trained more mariners in more courses for STCW compliance than anyone. When it comes to your train- ing, our job is to solve STCW problems. If you have questions about STCW, our maritime profes- sionals have the answers. Whether it's Bridge Team Management, GMDSS, Radar/ARPA, Basic Safety Training, Fast Rescue Boat or any other STCW course, you can be assured it's offered at the right price. We'll even customize a course for you. ' I'"' Train at our centers in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Toledo, Ohio or at your location. Call (800) 445- 4522 for STCW course information. iso woi m 7 tBMitM QWIJTV CERTIFIED 0RUNISITK>N jccnamnoi BOWES =STAR Center. SIMULATION, TRAINING, ASSESSMENT * RESEARCH Ft. Lauderdale: 2 West Dixie Highway, Dania Beach, FL 33004 • 1-800-445-4522 • Fax: 1-800-431-8815 • E-mail: email@star-center.com Toledo: One Maritime Plaza, Toledo, OH 43604 • 1-800-221-9395 • Fax: (419) 255-8833 • E-mail: rtmstar@aol.com Visit our website: www.star-center.com RTM STAR Center admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin or sex. Circle 266 on Reader Service Card or visit www.maritimereporterinfo.com Orkot® Marine Bearings A unique synthetic composition and the incorporation of solid lubricants, ensures Orkot®Marine Bearings operate with an exceptionally low co-efficient of friction in seawater, grease, oil and even in dry-running conditions. •High load tolerance - for applications including crane mast bearings and cylinder rod-end bearings. •Water lubricated - for rudder and propeller shaft bearings. • Low friction - suited to hatch cover pads and fl^H stabilizer bearings. Orkot® Marine Bearings are offered as custom-engineered components (to 0 2.2m) and as semi-finished tubes and plates with stocks worldwide. Available in three material grades to perfectly match application requirements. Classification society approvals. 24 hour service (United States) TLM MARINE TXM MARINE SLM MARINE TI Specialty Polymer Products, Inc. For immediate contact, call the Orkot information center: North/South America Tel: +1(541) 688-5529 Fax: +1(541) 688-2079 Europe/Middle & Far East Tel:+44(0)1709 376044 Fax:+44(0) 1709 374819 24 hr service (United States): 1-800-546-7568 Circle 262 on Reader Service Card or visit www.maritimereporterinfo.com 28 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News
