I was shocked when I did the math . . . this is a photo taken from the Second Street Bridge 84 years ago! Some details notwithstanding, this seems simultaneously an almost contemporary photo and yet never have I seen such congestion, such a line-up of commercial vessels waiting to get into lock E-2 and upward, and in April! We’re rushing toward mid-April at the moment, and the canal . . . lock E-2 won’t even open for more than a month!

According to MMUS, Ralph E. Matton is a 1919 product of a shipyard in Sharptown MD, 81′ x 20′. More on this Ralph E. Matton can be found in the comments here. A later Ralph E. Matton was built at Matton Shipyard in 1957. Sharptown is on the Nanticoke River, near the Delaware line. Three crew ready the unit to move toward the lock.

Thos. R. Coyne is a 1904 product of a shipyard in the once-thriving marine industry at Athens NY. Two crew on the boat are clearly curious about the photographer, or just posing. The barge begins with Lawrence J. but I can’t make out the rest of the name. The folks on the bulkhead, are they spectators, colleagues, prospective employees?

Beyond the Coyne boat, I see a unit; on the tug I see the number 23 to the right, but not what precedes the “23”. Beyond that is a motorship and two other tug/barge units, one of which appears to be steam powered. Yet another is on the far side of the Hudson.

Certainly this was a busy day in April, maybe opening day of the season. According to this article, petroleum transport on the Barge Canal became more common than grain transport. Little would these folks have known that by the end of the year, the US would be engaged in a world war.

Anyone have more info about this photo?