George S. Wolf

A young marine engineer who has distinguished himself in the field of mechanical invention is George S. Wolf, of Cleveland, a son of the late Capt. Alfred Wolf and his wife Caroline (Rentchler) Wolf. He was born in West Dover, Ohio, near Cleveland, January 24, 1868, and his sailing experience began when he was fourteen years of age. He spent two seasons on board of the steamer Smith Moore, and part of another on the steamer James Pickands. Then he took a fancy to join the United States Navy as means of gaining useful experience and seeing something of the world.

On the cruisers Saratoga, Jamestown and Minnesota he cruised entirely around the world, his position on board being that of an apprentice. He also spent a period on board the Boston in the West Indies, after which he left the service, with an honorable discharge and continuous service certificate, having been connected with it over three years, and being then twenty-one years of age. He received his first papers as engineer after returning to the lakes. In 1890 he shipped as oiler on the steamer James Pickands, the following season becoming master of the scow Modock. After leaving the Modock he purchased an interest in a fish tug. In 1894 he retired from active sailing, and has since devoted himself to mechanical engineering, doing machine shop work and setting up machinery. Mr. Wolf is the inventor of two high speed and compound marine engines for which are claimed many points of merit. One set of valves does duty for both the high and the low pressure cylinders, thus effecting great economy, and also increasing the operating facilities and accessibility, and tending to produce high speed, smoothness of running, durability and strength. These engines are lighter and more compact than the usual forms; they have balanced valves, and rotation parts, and have from twenty to eighty per cent, less port clearance to waste steam than other engines. Mr. Wolf has had a long experience in machine shop practice, and is prepared to build and furnish these engines complete. He is also the inventor of a balance slide valve which removes the pressure from the back of the valve. Another invention is an automatic siphon to be placed in the hull of vessels. It starts automatically as soon as any water appears in the bilge and stops working when all the water is out.

On January 31, 1894, Mr. Wolf was married to Miss Ida I. Sharp, of Cheshire, Mich. They have two children: Aletha Marina and Norman Adelbert.

Return to Home Port

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.