1875
1875: AMERICAN CHAMPION (wooden scow schooner; 156 tons; built in 1866 at Trenton, MI) dropped anchor to ride out a gale near Leamington, ON, on Lake Erie. The chains gave way, and she struck a bar and sank to the gunwales. The crew of eight spent the night in the rigging, and the next day a local woman and her two sons heroically rescued each one.
1888
1888: AUSTRALIA (wooden schooner; 109 feet; 159 gross tons; built in 1862 at Vermilion, OH) was carrying cedar posts from Beaver Island to Chicago, IL, when she encountered a gale. She was laid on beam ends and sprung a leak. She headed for shelter in Holland, MI, but struck a bar and foundered in the mouth of the harbor. The wreck blocked the harbor until it was removed on October 5. Her crew was rescued by the U.S. Life-Saving Service.
1896
1896: SUMATRA (wooden schooner barge; 204 feet; 845 gross tons; built in 1874 at Black River, OH) was loaded with railroad rails in tow of the steamer B.W. ARNOLD in a storm on Lake Huron. The SUMATRA was blown down and foundered off the Government Pier at Milwaukee, WI. Three of the crew were lost. The four survivors were rescued by the ARNOLD and the U.S. Life-Saving Service. The SUMATRA was owned by the Mills Transportation Co.
1906
1906: The first FAYETTE BROWN ran into the pier entering Lorain, OH, became disabled, and stranded on the beach. The ship was refloated with considerable damage. It last operated as c.) GLENMOUNT in 1923 and was scrapped around 1928.
1913
CITY OF LONDON sank off Point Pelee in Lake Erie after a collision with the JOE S. MORROW. The hull was later dynamited as an obstacle to navigation.
1929
1929: On this day September 30, 1929, there was great excitement at a Milwaukee dock. The Great Lakes Transit steamer UTICA was greeted by prohibition and Coast Guard forces when she arrived. Prohibition Federal Agents had received a tip from Windsor, Ontario, that the UTICA had sailed from there with a cargo of liquor.
This was big news in the papers and was printed across the country. Headlines spoke of $30,000 worth of liquor on board, which was later valued at $2,600. The UTICA was called a “Vessel Bristling With Rum” although it seemed to have carried whiskey, ale and wine.
1943
1943: ROBERT C. STANLEY departed light on her maiden voyage from River Rouge, MI, bound for Two Harbors, MN, to load iron ore.
1964
1964: DUNDRUM BAY was a pre-Seaway visitor to the Great Lakes on charter to the Hall Corporation. The vessel was driven aground on this date as f.) ESITO near Necochea, Argentina, while traveling in ballast. The hull broke in two and was a total loss.
1965
1965: PROTOSTATIS, a Greek Liberty ship, went aground on Traverse Shoal in Lake Ontario while en route from Detroit, MI, to Genoa, Italy, with a cargo of scrap. The vessel was lightered and refloated with the aid of tugs. It went to Kingston, ON, to anchor and reload in the shelter of Wolfe Island.
1976
1976: The 660-foot forward section of the BELLE RIVER (Hull #716) was side launched at Sturgeon Bay, WI, by the Bay Shipbuilding Co. The vessel was renamed b.) WALTER J. MCCARTHY JR. in 1977.
1980
1980: GOVERNOR MILLER was towed down the Welland Canal in tow of TUG MALCOLM, STORMONT, and ARGUE MARTIN on her way to Quebec City, QC.
1986
1986: CCGS CARIBOU ISLE struck a rock in Lake Huron’s North Channel and began taking on water. CCGS SAMUEL RISLEY arrived and helped patch the ship. The pair then departed for Parry Sound, ON.
Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Jody Aho, Ahoy & Farewell II, Father Dowling Collection, and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series from the Marine Historical Society of Detroit. Compiled by Roger LeLievre.
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- Protostatis at Wolfe Island in 1966. Skip Gillham Collection
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- Belle River under construction.
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- Governor Miller scrap tow in 1992. Al Sykes
