B. T. McCanna
The name of the subject of this brief review is well known to all marine engineers in connection with the McCanna Cylinder Lubricator, which has come into such common use since its introduction in 1890. This useful device was invented by our subject, B. T. McCanna, and his brother, J. F. McCanna, who were employed in engine works together at the time, and it is manufactured by Hills-McCanna Company of Chicago.
B. T. McCanna was born November 18, 1867, at Waukegan, Ill., a son of John M. McCanna, a native of England, who at the age of four years came to America, and from 1852 until recently made his home in Illinois; he now resides in Spokane, Wash. While living in Waukegan he owned a flaxmill, and in it our subject secured his first lessons of the machinist's trade. At the age of nineteen years B. T. McCanna began the marine life to which he has since devoted the greater part of his time. His first season he spent on the Thomas Simpson as fireman, and he then went on the George Dunbar and served one year on her in the same position. In the following years he served on the Ira H. Owen, Marina and Maritana as second engineer on each, and then went on the Maruba in 1893 as chief, which position he held five years, or up to the close of the season of 1898. He is now (1899) filling a similar position on the Maricopa.
Mr. McCanna is married and resides at No. 25 Gross Terrace, Chicago. Socially, he is a member of the M. E. B. A. No. 4, of Chicago.
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Volume I
This version of Volume II is based, with permission, on the work of the great volunteers at the Marine Captains Biographies site. To them goes the credit for reorganizing the content into some coherent order. The biographies in the original volume are in essentially random order.
Some of the transcription work was also done by Brendon Baillod, who maintains an excellent guide to Great Lakes Shipwreck Research.
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