William H. Latham (icebreaker)
The William H. Latham is a 77 ton icebreaker owned and operated by the New York Power Authority on the Niagara River.[1][2] Her mission is to keep the Power Authority's inlet ports clear of ice. She was built in 1987. She is powered by a 625 horsepower engine. She is staffed by a crew of three. During emergencies two crews have worked twelve-hour shifts to keep the vessel at work twenty-four hours a day.
The vessel's design and construction was overseen by Randy D. Crissman.[3] She is named after William H. Latham a senior engineer with the Power Authority who died earlier that year.[4]
Ontario Hydro operates a similiar vessel, the Niagara Queen, to clear the inlet ports for hydroelectric power generators on the Canadian side.[5] The Latham is assisted by a second vessel, a modified tugboat, known only as Breaker.
References
- ↑ Dan Miner. POWER AUTHORITY: Storm puts NYPA on ice, Niagara Gazette, 2008-02-14. Retrieved on 2009-02-17. mirror
- ↑ Niagara Power Project. New York Power Authority. Retrieved on 2009-02-11. mirror
- ↑ Michael Saltzman. Power Authority Appoints Regional Manager for Western New York, Niagara Project, New York Power Authority, 2002-12-15. Retrieved on 2009-02-11. mirror
- ↑ William Latham, 83; Guided Niagara Project, New York Times, 1987-01-19. Retrieved on 2009-02-17. mirror
- ↑ D. McMillan. Design, construction, and operation of Niagara River icebreakers, Marine Technology, 1995, pp. 101-108. Retrieved on 2009-02-17. mirror