May 20, 1893 – The Christopher Columbus in Chicago a week after departing Duluth/Superior for service in the World’s Columbian Exposition (also called the Chicago World’s Fair). The Columbus met a small gale running down Lake Michigan, and Alexander McDougall extolled the virtues of his ship’s qualities in the face of the weather. The Chicago and other regional newspapers praised the qualities of the ship having been given a tour. One reporter going so far as to state that “to not ride aboard the Columbus is to miss one of the star attractions of the whole affair.” McDougall also basked in the limelight giving dozens of interviews.
It’s interesting to note that while the papers gave little blurbs to introduce McDougall, the tone of the articles reflect his notoriety. Of the dozens of articles I’ve been through surrounding the Fair, none either pokes fun at the Columbus or McDougall, instead speaking of him as a leading figure. Leaving aside the often hilarious 1890s hyperbole, it offers a view into how he was viewed regionally. As a further point, this is the era of true “yellow journalism” and when public figures were despised, few papers minced words about it.
McDougall's Whaleback 