Steering Gear

This is the Mather's 1925 version of "power steering". This steering engine is steam powered and is original to the vessel when she was built. When many of the steam powered auxilary equipment was removed from the Mather in 1954 Cleveland-Cliffs chose to retain the steam powered steering engine as well as the steam powered aft anchor windlass. In service the steam powered steering engine had proved to be very reliable.

A child could steer the Mather with the steering engine operating. In addition to the pilot house, the Mather's rudder could be controlled from the emergency wheel in the steering flat (the yellow wheel in the above photo) or from the emergency wheel on the Boat Deck. If the steering engine were to fail the emergency wheel on the boat deck would have to be used - it would take four men to turn the rudder without the power assist provided by the steering engine.

The Mather's steering engine can still be operated, but on compressed air rather than steam.