Evening Express reporters photographed workers from the engineering firm Boyce and Rutledge standing aboard the tugboat Pejepscot on March 2, 1927, as a new diesel engine was lifted into place. After removing every detachable part, including the flywheel, the 360 horsepower motor still weighed 30 tons.

The newspaper described the operation as a "thrilling engineering feat." Using specialized factory apparatus, the crew secured hoisting gear to the engine. As it swung toward the vessel, the boom, which measured more than a foot thick, bent like a bow.

Crowds of people watched the feat from rooftops and other vantage points near the docks.