Developed in 1877 by David A. Lyle, an Army Lieutenant, as a line-throwing short-barreled cannon designed to fire a projectile attached to a rope to a boat or victim in distress near the shore.

Projectiles for the gun were made of cast iron with a wrought iron eye bolt screwed into the base as an attachment point for the waterproofed braided linen line that had been carefully flaked in a special pattern in a flaking box to allow it to pay out freely. 

The messenger line fired to the distress site was then tied to a heavier line that was supported on land by an A frame crotch pole high enough to clear the surf so that a person could be transported to shore by a pulley on the line attached to a Breeches buoy. 

The Lyle Gun could shoot the projectile about 700 yards, although in actual rescues the practical range was much less. 

A Wells Light is a large kerosene fueled blow torch used for outdoor night work particularly before the use of electrical lighting because it was easily portable, simple to operate and provided high visibility with its large flame. Wells Lights were made in several sizes from 800 candlepower to 2000 candlepower. They also had another engineering use as a heating device. 

Gold cartridge box for Lyle gun with handles from underwater wreck.

Navy Ship’s Binnacle on permanent loan from U.S. Navy, World War II.

Port running light from underwater wreck from the John Steele collection.

U.S. Shipping Board Clock made by the Chelsea Clock Company of Boston, early 20th century for use on commercial vessels.

The Chicago Maritime Museum is home to the only known artifact from President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s yacht, the Half Moon.

The compass was made by the Baker Compass Company, established in 1873. The plate on the box housing the rotating compass reads, "Compass from/ President Franklin D. Roosevelt's yacht/ Half Moon/ AKA GAVIOTA on which the/ Chicago Corinthian Yacht Club was founded/ She was sunk in a gale in Chicago Harbor in 1944/ This was the only item salvaged from the wreck/ by owner Christian Lyngby M.D./ Presented to Chicago Maritime Society/ by William R. Rossberger."