The visit of the cruise ship Columbus was a huge success, attracting thousands of Northlanders to the waterfront during its brief stay in the Twin Ports in October. For some of those, the visit of the Columbus recalled the days when passenger steamers arrived regularly in the Twin Ports

Several lines of cruise vessels had Duluth in their itinerary, including the Anchor Line's triplets, the Tionesta, Juniata and Octorara; Northern Navigation Company's Huronic, Hamonic and Noronic; Georgian Bay Lines' North American and South American; and many others.

For luxury and elegance, however, there were no rivals for the Northern Steamship Company's stately twins, the North Land and North West.

The Northern boats were built at Cleveland in 1894 for James J. Hill's Great Northern Railroad and operated by his wholly-owned subsidiary, the Northern Steamship Company. They were known from the beginning as Jim Hill's White Elephants because of their extravagance. Everything about them was top-of-the-line, from contemporary ocean-style design to great speed, the finest foods and all the creature comforts money could buy.

North Land and North West had twin screws, two huge quadruple-expansion steam engines of 3,500 horsepower each and no fewer than 28 modern Belleville boilers. The engines' low-pressure cylinder chests alone weighed 13 tons apiece. They made a consistent 23 miles per hour in spite of the protests of other vessel masters and shoreline property owners and they stayed on schedule.

The Harbor Line

We're No. 1

You Will Know Beans

LSW Needs Warehouse

Hello Columbus

Around the Port

First Call

Changing of the Guard

Port Gallery

Seaway Specials

Nautical Quilt

Taconite Record

No Vacancy

From Japan

Biotechnology and Agriculture

Cruise Ship Evokes Past

Back Cover

The ships were outfitted with teak decks, oil paintings, Italian marble sinks, deep Brussels carpets, the most exquisite Cuban mahogany woodwork,and rich carvings throughout.

The North West, one of Jim Hill's elegant white elephants, included a smoking lounge on the upper deck with a rococco interior.

The steamship company's motto was "In All the World No Trip like This," and from all appearances the service indeed was special, with calls at Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit, Mackinac Island, the Sault Locks, Portage Ship Canal and of course, at Duluth. The two sisters arrived at Duluth every Friday and Monday at 5 p.m. and departed on Saturday and Tuesday afternoons at 1:45. The five-day round-trip fare (in 1895) was $42.50 for first-class passengers and $12.50 for second-class. Second-class passengers paid 35 cents for their meals.

Jim Hill's white elephants reportedly never did make any money, but they created a sensation wherever they went, and they went for almost 20 years. No one who ever saw them would ever forget the elegant pair.

The North West was gutted by fire during winter layup at Buffalo in 1911, and later rebuilt for a second career as a freighter and a wrecking steamer. The North Land continued in service until she was withdrawn and dismantled at Montreal, in 1921.

Although it has now been more than 20 years since we've had passenger service in the Lakes and 75 years since the Northern twins called here, it is not entirely possible to look at the sleek, new Columbus without becoming contemplative.

Maybe some day we will reflect on the arrival of the Columbus with the same nostalgic tug at our hearts. Regardless, we certainly greet the news of her return in 1998 with shared enthusiasm.

Pat Labadie is Director of the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center in Duluth.