The James Duane and her sister ship the Thomas Willett were wooden hulled steam-powered vessels.[1][2][3][4] They could proceed at 14 knots (16 mph). Their pumps could discharge 9,000 gallons per minute. One of their water cannons was mounted on a tower.
^ ab"Two fireboats launched: Commissioner Lantry's daughters name them". New York Times. 1907-04-16. p. 6. Retrieved 2018-06-03. Two more modern fire-fighting boats for New York's Fire Department were launched yesterday, and within a few months they will be ready for service along the city's water front. The boats were the Thomas Willett and the James Duane, which were launched from the Newburg yard of Alexander Miller Brother.