1883
1883: R. MCDONALD [Built-1881 US-110469 by Michael Laprise at Mount Clemens, Michigan. Renamed: IDA M. TORRENT 1883 US-110469] First enrollment issued at Port Huron, MI, June 15, 1881. Rebuilt, Grand Haven, MI, May 16, 1883 (134 x 28 x 11; 287.42 gross – 218.68 net). Rebuilt, Chicago, IL, March 21, 1889 (135 x 28 x 10.33; 338.60 gross – 250.68 net). On 12 March 1883, the steam barge R. MC DONALD was renamed IDA M. TORRENT. Burned to a total loss at Cross Village, MI, Lake Michigan, October 10, 1893. Final enrollment surrendered at Chicago, IL, November 8, 1893.
1887
1887: C.H. HACKLEY [Built-5992 US-5992 by Allen McClelland Co at Milwaukee, Wisconsin] First enrollment issued at Milwaukee, WI, September 4, 1868.Enrollment transferred to Mobile, AL, in 1916. Remeasured at Chicago, IL, July 6, 1877 (125 x 27 x 8; 218.03 gross – 207.13 net). Remeasured at Chicago, IL, March 12, 1887 (124.66 x 27.16 x 8.33; 206.06 gross – 197.22 net. Towed out to sea and sunk at Tampa, FL; abandoned in 1933.
1907
1907: D.O. MILLS [Built-1907 US-203979 by Great Lakes Engineering Works at Ecorse, Michigan.(Hull # 29) for Mesaba Steamship Co. Renamed: G.A. TOMLINSON 1960 US-203979] Converted to self-unloader by Fraser-Nelson Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., Superior, WI, in winter, 1959-1960. Received bow thruster from G&W Welding, Cleveland, winter 1973-74; also converted to oil. As G.A. TOMLINSON: Aground for several hours near Detroit Edison plant, off Belle Isle, Detroit River, on April 11, 1972; released herself.Stranded near Buffalo, May 21, 1974; estimated $150,000 damage. Suffered machinery damage to Toledo on April 8, 1977; estimated cost $235,000. Sustained 6 x 10′ hole near bow in collision with a scow at Cleveland on May 24, 1979. Repaired by G&W. Was blown against the harbor breakwall at Ashtabula, OH by gusty winds on October 28, 1979. She was able to free herself. Apparently, she did not suffer any damage. Arrived under her own power at Triad Salvage Inc. of Ashtabula, OH for scrapping in late December 1979. Her scrapping was completed in December 1980. Dropped from documentation in January, 1980.
1910
1910: The b.) RUTH HINDMAN was launched March 12, 1910, as a.) NORWAY (Hull#115) at Toledo, Ohio by Toledo Shipbuilding Co., for the United States Transportation Co. She was scrapped at Thunder Bay, Ontario, in 1978.
1917
1917: ALGONQUIN [Built-1888 C-95051 by Naper, Shanks and Bell at Glasgow, Scotland. Renamed: Algonquin 1916 US-214637] Cut in two for transit through St. Lawrence River locks; put back together at Ogdensburg, NY, in 1888. in 1888 and saw service for several companies on the Great Lakes. The ship was torpedoed by U-62 when it was 65 miles off Cornwall, England, while west of Bishop’s Rock and en route from New York to London with general cargo. It was the first American merchant ship lost due to enemy action in World War One. Sunk by German submarine U-62, with bombs and gunfire, in position 40.5 2N X 7.32W, sixty five miles west of Biships, off Scilly Islands, March 12, 1917.
1930
1930: FRANK EDWARD [Built-1890 US-120807 by Duncan Robertson at Grand Haven, Michigan. Renamed: ROBBINS III 1903-US-120807] Final enrollment surrendered at Grand Haven, MI, on March 12, 1930, and endorsed \”dismantled and abandoned as unfit for further service.\”
1941
1941: March 12, 1941 – The ferry CITY OF MIDLAND 41 arrived in Ludington, Michigan, on her maiden voyage. She loaded cars of paper at Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and then picked up some cars of canned milk at Kewaunee, with Captain Charles Robertson in command.
1942: OLGA [Built-1919 US-218066 as CRAIGBROWNIE by Great Lakes Engineering Works at Ashtabula, Ohio Renamed: PENOBSCOT 1922-US-218066, IDA HAY ATWATER 1933 US-218066 and OLGA 1938 US-218066] As OLGA was torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-126 in Caribbean Sea 20 miles off Nuevital Light, Cuba, while en route from Port Everglades, FL, to Beracoa, Cuba. One crewmember was lost but 32 were rescued and taken to Cuba.
1945
1945: CABLE EYE [Built-1945 US-247311 by Walter Butler Shipbuilders Inc. at Duluth, Minnesota Renamed: UNION STAR 1948-China] Launched as WILLIAM L. NELSON.Built as C1-M-AV1 class cargo vessel for U.S. Maritime Commission. Completion of hull transferred to Pendleton Shipyard, New Orleans, LA, then, on March 12, 1945, transferred again to Port Houston Iron Works, Houston, TX, where vessel was completed. Tonnage change, 1960 (3690 gross – 2047 net. Scrapped at Kaohsiung, Taiwan in June, 1968.
1947
1947: EXANTHIA struck a mine in the Mediterranean while 12 miles from the island of Elba while traveling from Istanbul to New York. The ship was flooded and abandoned but reboarded and eventually towed to New York for repairs. The ship sailed for the American Export Lines and came to the Great Lakes on nine occasions from 1959-1961. After a few years in the James River Reserve Fleet, the vessel was taken to Brownsville, Texas, in 1975 and broken up.
1948
1948: AM-259 (LUCID) [Built-1943 US-Navy by American Shipbuilding Co. at Lorain, Ohio Renamed: YUNG TING 1945-Taiwan and YANG MING ?-1976-Taiwan] Commissioned on December 1, 1943. Decommissioned on August 28, 1945, and transferred to Republic of China on loan same day. Transferred outright to China on March 12, 1948. Stricken from Navy List same date. Later renamed from YUNG TING (MSF-45) to YANG MING (362) and converted from minesweeper to survey vessel. Deleted, as survey ship, from JANE’S in 1976.
1965
1965: CAPTAIN A. CANFIELD [Built-1923 US-Army by Speddon Shipbuilding Co. at Baltimore, Maryland. Renamed: JULIE DEE 1965 US-298069 and WILHELM BAUM 1974 US-298069] Spent 1923-1961 in St. Marys River. First enrollment March 12, 1965. Documented measurements (47.66 x 10 x 4.5; 17 gross – 12 net. Sank at its dock, winter 2014. Raised and restored as part of the Michigan Maritime Museum in South Haven, Michigan
1971
1971: SUNCLIPPER, a Seaway trader in 1966, was built in 1953 as BOW BRASIL. It ran aground at Haifa Bay as f) CLIPPER when the anchors dragged in a storm. The ship was refloated April 10, and taken to Perama, Greece. It was sold “as lies” to Turkish ship breakers, and arrived at Istanbul, Turkey, for scrapping on August 29, 1972.
1980
1980: VAASA PROVIDER [Built-1963 Finland by Terneuzensche Schps Maats at Terneuzen, Netherlands. Renamed: LAURI-RAGNAR 1966-Finland, FINNRUNNER 1966 Finland, and MAURICE DESGAGNES 1972 C-329370] As MAURICE DESGAGNES took severe list in heavy weather on voyage from New Orleans for Sept Iles, March 12, 1980, and sank about seventy-five miles E.S.E. of Halifax, Nova Scotia; crew rescued by helicopters.
1985
1985: LETITIA was the 96th and final addition to the British flag Donaldson Line. It made four trips through the Seaway in 1966 and three more in 1967. It was sailing as d) TEPORA when it caught fire in the Gulf of Mexico en route to Veracruz, Mexico, on March 12, 1985. The Honduran-flagged freighter was abandoned by the crew. The fire was apparently extinguished and the vessel reboarded. It was taken in tow but the blaze broke out again and the ship sank on March 14.
Data from: Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Skip Gillham, the Father Dowling Collection, “Ahoy & Farewell II” and the “Great Lakes Ships We Remember” series
