Today in Great Lakes History – September 5

1882
1882:   The schooner CALEDONIA, wrecked the previous autumn near the Fishing Islands on Lake Huron, was raised and arrived in Port Huron, MI, under tow to be rebuilt.

1896
1896:   The Canadian passenger ship BALTIC, built in 1867 as FRANCES SMITH, burned at the dock in Collingwood, ON. The hull drifted to shallow water and remained there for several years.

1898
1898:   The MONTGOMERY (wooden schooner-barge; 204 feet; 709 tons; built in 1856 at Newport/Marine City, MI, as a passenger-package freight steamer) sank in 21 feet of water on Lake St. Clair after colliding with the whaleback barge 137 (steel barge; 345 feet; 2,480 gross tons; built in 1896 at West Superior, WI) which was being towed by the ALEXANDER MCDOUGALL (steel propeller semi-whaleback freighter; 413 feet; 3,686 gross tons; built in 1898 at West Superior, WI). The MONTGOMERY was raised and repaired. She lasted another 2 years before breaking up in a storm in 1901.

1899
1899:   The DOUGLASS HOUGHTON grounded at Sailors Encampment and sank when rammed by her barge, JOHN FRITZ. The HOUGHTON completely blocked St. Marys River traffic for 5 days. More than 300 boats were delayed at an estimated loss of $600,000.

1905
1905:   ABERCORN (wooden propeller “rabbit” boat; 126 feet; 261 gross tons; built in 1873 at Marine City, MI) burned at the dock at Goderich, ON, while unloading coal. She reportedly caught fire from the explosion of a signal lamp.

1942
1942:   BENJAMIN F. FAIRLESS cleared Lorain, OH, on her maiden voyage for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co.

1948
1948:   J.P. MORGAN JR. returned to service after repairs suffered in an accident in June.

1960
1960:   NEW QUEDOC arrived at McLouth Steel in Trenton, MI, on her maiden voyage with a load of Labrador iron ore. The vessel was renamed b.) QUEDOC in 1963 and scrapped under that name at Curacao Island in the Lesser Antilles in 1985.

1964
1964:   A. & J. MID-AMERICA, a Seaway caller in 1963, was driven ashore at Lantau Island near Hong Kong, China, by Typhoon Ruby. The vessel was refloated on October 5 but came ashore again days later during Typhoon Dot on October 13. Refloated on October 21, the vessel returned to service and was scrapped as e.) UNION TIGER at Inchon, South Korea, after arriving in April 1968.

1964:   The former HEMSEFJELL, a pre-Seaway trader, was also blown aground at Hong Kong as d.) PROSPERITY during Typhoon Ruby but released on October 5. It was scrapped in Thailand in 1972.

1964:   The 3-year-old bulk carrier LEECLIFFE HALL sank in the St. Lawrence River 65 miles below Quebec City, QC, following a collision with the APOLLONIA. Efforts to beach the ship failed, and three lives were lost. The hull was dynamited as a hazard to navigation in 1966. The latter, a Greek freighter, had been a Seaway trader in 1964 and was repaired at Levis, QC. The ship was scrapped at Shanghai, China, as c.) MAYFAIR after arriving on May 3, 1985.

1973
1973:   The WYANDOTTE of 1916, formerly a.) CONNEAUT, was towed down the Welland Canal on on her way to the cutter’s torch at Santander, Spain.

1974
1974:   CHI-CHEEMAUN completed her sea trials. The ferry would eventually depart the Collingwood, ON, shipyard on September 26.

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