Today in Great Lakes History – August 24

1882
1882:   The Port Huron Times reported that “the long looked for launch of the Stave Company’s new river steamer MARY took place this afternoon between 4 and 5 o’clock and was witnessed by hundreds of spectators. The last support being knocked away, she slid very gracefully as far as the ways reached and then landed anything but gracefully in the mud where she now lies.” She remained stuck in the mud until she was pulled free five days later.

1885
1885:   IOSCO (wooden schooner-barge, 124 feet, 230 gross tons, built at Alabaster, Michigan in 1873) was heavily damaged by fire. She was rebuilt as an unrigged barge and lasted until 1912.

1892
1892:   At 2:00 a.m., the GEORGE N. BRADY (wooden propeller tug, 102 feet, 165 gross tons, built in 1865 at Detroit or Marine City, Michigan) was engaged in pulling a raft of logs across Lake St. Clair along with the tug SUMNER. Fire was discovered around the BRADY’s smokestack, and the flames quickly spread. The crew was taken off of the stricken vessel by the SUMNER, and the BRADY was cut free of the raft. The blazing vessel drifted to the American shore, where she sank about 3 miles north of Grosse Pointe, Michigan. No lives were lost.

1895
1895:   The steam barge BURLINGTON of 1857, 137 feet, 276 gross tons, ex-package freighter, burned to the water’s edge in the Straits of Mackinac.

1901
1901:   The wooden barge H.A. BARR of the Algoma Central Railway was lost in Lake Erie 30 miles from Port Stanley after breaking the towline in a storm. The vessel was en route from Michipicoten to Buffalo with a cargo of iron ore. All on board were rescued by the towing steamer THEANO.

1907
1907:   The WARD AMES (Hull #518) was launched at West Superior, Wisconsin, by Superior Ship Building Co. for the Acme Steamship Co. (Augustus B. Wolvin, mgr.). Renamed b.) C.H. McCULLOUGH JR. in 1916. She was scrapped at Thunder Bay, Ontario in 1980.

1910
1910:   The THOMAS F. COLE ran aground on a shoal in the St. Marys River, severely damaging her hull plates.

1974
1974:   LEON SIMARD (Hull #413) was launched at Sorel, Quebec, by Marine Industries Ltd. for Branch Lines Ltd. Renamed b.) L’ORME NO 1 in 1982. Sold off the lakes in 1997, renamed c.) TRADEWIND OCEAN d.) AMARA in 2001 and MENNA in 2008.

1979
1979:   The retired steamer KINSMAN ENTERPRISE (i), sold for $145,000, arrived at Port Huron from Toledo under tow of the tug MALCOLM for use as the storage barge HULL NO. 1.

1985
1985:   PAUL H. CARNAHAN arrived for her final lay-up at Nicholson’s in Ecorse, Michigan. Ironically, only a few hours later, her near sister LEON FALK JR departed the same slip on her final trip bound for Québec City and overseas scrapping.

1998
1998:   CANADIAN LEADER went aground near DeTour, Mich., and had to be lightered. The ship was able to proceed to Montreal to unload her cargo of grain and then arrived at Port Weller Dry Docks on August 31 for repairs.

2005
2005:   The Dutch salty VLIEBORG lost power and failed to complete a turn departing Duluth, striking the north pier, toppling a light standard, and damaging the steel piling. The vessel had begun Seaway service in 2001. In 2012, it was renamed c) ANTARCTIC SEA and placed under Norwegian registry.

Data from: Skip Gillham, Father Dowling Collection, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series from the Marine Historical Society of Detroit. Compiled by Roger LeLievre.