A Non-Profit Foundation Dedicated
to Preserving Our Maritime Heritage
Founded by Clive Cussler
A Non-Profit Foundation Dedicated
to Preserving Our Maritime Heritage
Founded by Clive Cussler
Roaring 20’s Boat ‘Liberty the Second’ Salvaged and Seaworthy
When Bill Houghton and Brian Simpson salvaged a speedboat of 1920s vintage from Lake Conneaut, Crawford, County, Pennsylania, they had no idea of the impact it would have on thousands of people in the Keystone State. Many Pennsylvanians rallied around the restoration of Liberty the Second, one of the fastest boats of the roaring 20s. More than 15,000 people gathered at Lake Conneaut in the summer of 1987 to see its rebirth. Today, they come to the Conneaut Lake Area Historical Society Museum, Conneaut, Pa., to see the refurbished time capsule that was power boating’s entry into the modern age of hydroplanes.
Liberty the Second
“When we asked for permits from the Pennsylvania Historical Commission,” Houghton said, “state officials turned us down at first saying it was impossible to get the boat out from beneath tons of mud. But we proved them wrong, using a portable dredge to suck the mud out and then slipping straps under the boat to raise it to the surface. It took eight days working in 43 feet of dark water.”
Liberty the Second
The divers and Linesville Volunteer Fire Department personnel were greeted by cheers from hundreds of spectators who had gathered on the beach. The mahogany hull was in excellent condition–preserved in the mud and cold water–and the large white letters: Liberty the Second, painted on the side of the boat, could easily be distinguished. Smaller letters printed in gold read: H.N.S. for Harry N. Snavely, the wealthy owner and driver of the highly ranked speedboat.
Liberty the Second
The engine was an experimental design developed by the boat’s namesake, Liberty Engines of Pittsburg. The 450-hp, V-8 injection model was built in WWI as a replacement in Jenny trainer airplanes, but test flights proved the engine to be too heavy and powerful for aircraft. There were only 15 original engines built. Only two others exist today, one at Smithsonian Institute and the other at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Divers found the boat’s engine devoid of rust after more than six decades underwater. When the spark plugs were removed, some still had air compression in them.
After two years of restoration, the boat was launched in 1987 and circled the lake at 70 MPH. When it originally sank, the boat’s rudder—set in the bow rather than the stern–caught a small wake and the 20-foot-long flat-bottomed craft flipped, throwing Snavely and his mechanic clear. Fortunately, both escaped unharmed.
Liberty the Second
When it’s not in parades or on display at the annual Antique Wooden Classic Boat Show, the boat remains in the Conneaut Lake Area Historical Society Museum. Curator George Rutherford says, “She’s always the queen of the show.”
For further information go to conneautlakehistory.com
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Awsome Professor, I saw a video of the boat on YouTube just the other day. Truly a great story.
Many thanks Ethan! I did not see that on U-tube, but I’m glad the boat is still getting publicity. It was quite a discovery and the restoration was outstanding. Thanks again, Best regards, Ellsworth
Dear Mr. Boyd,
You never cease to amaze me with your excellent articles, your knowledge of wrecks, far and wide, your skill at speaking, and your association with the greats of the diving world! Keep those articles coming!
Thank you so much. I appreciate yur kind words. If you get a chance go to Google and put in Ellsworth Boyd speech. It is the talk, about shipwrecks, that I gave at the Clive Cussler Collectors Society convention banquet on October 6.
Thank you the article. I remember as a child standing on the hill of the gone Oakland beach hotel watching it pulled from the lake.
Very glad to see the boat is still receiving praise. My personal
Foundation provided some of the funding back in the 1980’s helped make the project successful. My thanks and admiration to those volunteers and the vision of Bill and Brian.
This was a huge community effort back in the day to raise this boat from the bottom of Conneaut Lake. We hope that the city will include this historic watercraft in their ongoing revitalization and downtown community and tourism development planning.
We remember and give thanks to vision and financial support of Bill Houghton, Brian Simpson, Joseph Michael Gyulay and especially Attorney Bill Gregg.
Jonathan: Thanks for your comment. The salvage and restoration was an amazing accomplishment and many history lovers had a hand in it. Suggestion: Don’t wait to see if the revitalization committee or council deems it necessary to honor Liberty the Second. Lobby for it! Keep their feet to the fire! Don”t let up. And let me know if it gets included. Good luck. Ellsworth Boyd
I first found this article by accident on u-tube and shared it with my Uncle. Harry N Snavely had two sons my father Harry R Snavely and Perry D Snavely. I’m planning to visit next year to see next year.
Many thanks to all who contributed to the restoration process.
Harry: It’s good to hear from you. Your father would have been proud. The divers accomplished what many people said was impossible. They salvaged the boat from the mud, working in very dark water. It wasn’t easy, but the final product is well worth it. Every time I see the finished product, I am amazed.
Hey; suggest you add a link to this page for the museum web site. I will visit museum this summer when I meet friends at the Lake.
I remember when that custom boat trailer was bought by Gyulay for the museum. It was stored for awhile at his building on route 18. Howard Flickinger & Son Contractors renovated that place for the museum at a cost of $150k but the Conneaut Lake Trustees would not issue the necessary occupancy permits that summer. The building was on four acres; plus a lot attached to Lauderdale Estates. The property later was sold to someone for a residence. Slow to action and typical of the officials back in the day.
I moved to Pittsburgh in the 1990’s.
Thanks for your suggestion. I will follow it as soon as I complete a book about shipwrecks that I am presently working on. I’m afraid lots of officers such as the Conneacut Lake Trustees still exist today. The bureaucracy seldom loses.
Thanks Mr. Boyd; despite the many delays since 1985…. progress on Liberty by the men and women of Conneaut Lake should be appreciated by all and very proud.
Bill Houghton and Attorney Bill Gregg made it happen. Bruce Flickinger remodeled the building on Rt18. Howard Flickinger and Joseph Gyulay designed the boat trailer on the back of a napkin at the old Sherwood Restaurant. Gyulay gave Howard $1k cash as down-payment right at the bar with the rest of the money -about $6k coming from his Allegheny Occupational Foundation. Gyulay wanted to promote tourism in Crawford County and create jobs for people. The Liberty was a big deal for Gyulay with high hopes to attract further community investment in and around the Lake. Souza Realty was involved with Gyulay on that as well.
Anyway, Joseph Gyulay eventually sold his business ad farming interests in Crawford County and retired somewhere in Florida. He might be a good source history and reference research. Don’t forget the Crawford County Historical group in Meadville as well.
Jake: Many thanks for all the detailed information. And I shall take your tips given at the end of your comment. Yes, I truly believe that the men and women of Conneaut Lake made great progress and should be appreciated by all interested in Liberty The Second. This is one of the best preservation projects I’ve ever seen. And the story behind it is quite fascinating. You all have a “one of a kind” and you should be quite proud of it. Best regards, Ellsworth
Are there any museum updates or news about the Liberty speed boat in this post covid-19 world?
The previous post wss in year 2022; two years ago.
Dear Friends; Maritime legend publisher Ellsworth Boyd has passed away. My condolences to his family. He was a great promoter of Liberty speedboat and for tourism around Conneaut Lake, Pennsylvania. Here is link to his memorial obituary: https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.dema.org/resource/resmgr/documents/EllsworthBoyd.pdf