Altona (sternwheeler)

Altona and Elwood at foot of Trade Street in Salem, Oregon, 1893.
History
Name:	Altona
Owner:	Oregon City Transportation Company
Route:	Columbia River, Willamette River, Alaska waters
Launched:	1890, at Portland, Oregon.
Identification:	US # 106729 (original); 107453 (following reconstruction).
Notes:	Reconstructed at Portland, Oregon in 1899. Served on Willamette River to Corvallis, Oregon until 1907, then transferred to Alaska.
General characteristics
Class and type:	riverine steamboat, passenger/freighter
Tonnage:	201 gross/190 registered as built; 329 gross/ 242 as reconstructed
Length:	120 ft (36.58 m) as built; 123 ft (37.49 m) as reconstructed.
Beam:	21 ft (6.40 m) as built; 29.7 ft (9.05 m) as reconstructed.
Draft:	5.2 ft (1.58 m) as built; 4.8 ft (1.46 m) as reconstructed.
Installed power:	Twin single-cylinder horizontally mounted steam engines, 12" bore by 48" stroke, 9.6 nominal horsepower.
Propulsion:	sternwheeler

The steamship Altona operated from 1890 to 1907 on the Willamette River in the U.S. state of Oregon. In 1907, she was transferred to Alaska.

Altona was built in 1890, at Portland, Oregon. She was a sternwheeler driven by twin-single single cylinder horizontally mounted steam engines. She was built for the Graham steamboat line, formally called the Oregon City Transportation Company, but also known as the “Yellow Stack Line”. All the steamers of the line had names that ended in -ona: Latona, Ramona, Altona, Leona, Pomona, Oregona, and Grahamona.

Altona ran the Willamette River as far as Corvallis, Oregon. In 1899 the vessel was rebuilt at Portland by David Stephenson and enlarged from 201 to 329 tons and from 120 ft (36.58 m) to 123 ft (37.49 m) On December 23, 1902, Altona was involved in a collision with the steamer Modoc, which occurred as follows according to the report of the Steamboat Inspection Service:

December 23.—At 7.30 a. m., about 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Portland, Willamette River, Oregon, during a heavy fog, the steamers Modoc and Altona collided, breaking both cylinder timbers on the port side, also fantail, wheelhouse, and wheel of the steamer Altona. No damage to steamer Modoc. No loss of lite or damage to cargo. Estimated damage to steamer Altona. $500.

In November 1901, Altona ran three times weekly from Portland to McMinnville, Oregon. On January 6, 1902, the Oregon City Transportation Company, also known as the “Yellow Stack Line” advertised regular service, on the Altona from Portland to McMinnville.Altona was scheduled to depart from Portland to McMinnville at 7:00 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, from the company’s dock at the foot of Taylor Street in Portland.

On January 8, 1902, the water in the Yamhill River had risen too high to permit navigation through the recently completed Yamhill River lock and dam near Lafayette, Oregon. The sternwheel steamer Altona which had just resumed the run from Portland to McMinnville after a hiatus of about three weeks, was forced to proceed no further than Dayton on the Yamhill River.