It’s been a century since the Steamship William G. Mather launched on May 23, 1925. To celebrate, the Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland is launching a centennial exhibit, exactly 100 years later, about “the ship that built Cleveland.”
“Steam and Steel: Propelling the Future of the Great Lakes” lets visitors experience what it was like to fuel, steer and unload the freighter. It also shows off the ship’s technical and engineering innovations.
“Think about the technology of getting around on the Great Lakes,” said William Katzman, vice president of exhibits at the Great Lakes Science Center. “You started with just compasses and then you ended up with magnetically-protected compasses. Then radar was implemented in the Mather. These are wonderful innovations for avoiding ship collisions."
One display lets visitors experience stoking a manual, coal-fed boiler versus an automatic boiler system. Another tests your ear.
"Steam whistles allowed for communication between boats," he said. "You could say, 'Hey, there's an emergency.' Or, 'Hey, I am the William G. Mather.' Or, 'Hey, I'm turning right so you don't crash into me.' You will be able to find the sounds and match the code words based upon them. "
Huletts are another major part of the exhibit. The massive crane-like structures were invented by Clevelander George Hulett to efficiently unload iron ore.
“One of the reasons that the Mather was invented was to take advantage of the Hulett technology,” Katzman said. “We've got a scale model that you can operate and see it go over into the train yard.”
The display is surrounded by a miniature train that visitors can ride around the exhibit, seeing descriptions of other Great Lakes freighters such as the Edmund Fitzgerald and the Western Reserve.
The Mather was retired in 1980. It’s now a floating museum, docked behind the science center. The ship’s brass-and-oak fittings recall the era when the ship was one of the largest on the lakes. At noon on Saturday, visitors can sign a giant birthday card for the 618-foot freighter. It’s open for tours on weekends until June 3, when it moves to a daily schedule (except Mondays).
"Think about the amount of time it was on the water. ... 100 years old and still floating," Katzman said. "I hope that I can float when I'm 100 years old."
“Steam and Steel: Propelling the Future of the Great Lakes” runs through Sept. 1.
