1858
1858: On 9 March 1858, the propeller ferry GLOBE was being loaded with cattle at the Third Street dock at Detroit, Michigan. In the rush to get aboard, the cattle caused the vessel to capsize. All of the cattle swam ashore, although some swam across the river to the Canadian side.
1882
1882: J.H. Mead [Built-1874 US-75722 by Carlton at Sheboygan, Wisconsin] First enrollment issued at Milwaukee, WI, May 23, 1874. Rebuilt, Milwaukee, WI, March 9, 1882 (171 x 29 x 11; 409.03 gross – 388.58 net. Enrollment transferred to New York, NY, in 1916. Final enrollment surrendered at New York, NY, August 10, 1917, and endorsed \”sold alien.\” Vessel was sold to French buyers; ultimate disposition unknown
1891
1891: W.L. WETMORE [Built-1871 US-80196 by Quayle & Martin at Cleveland, Ohio] First enrollment issued at Detroit, MI, May 19, 1871. Remeasured, Detroit, MI, April 19, 1879 (215.33 x 33.33 x 21; 1216.75 gross – 1032.76 net). Remeasured, Cleveland, OH, March 9, 1891 (213.58 x 33.33 x 12.5; 819.74 gross – 700.33 net). Stranded two miles below Tobermory, Ontario, Georgian Bay, November 29, 1901, with barges BRUNETTE and KING in tow, bound from Parry Sound, Ontario, for Buffalo, with lumber; no lives lost. Final enrollment surrendered at Buffalo, NY, January 20, 1902, and endorsed \”vessel lost.\”
1896
1896: ROY [Built-1884 US-110634 by David Lester at Marine City, Michigan] First enrollment issued at Toledo, OH, June 6, 1884. While towing steamer PANTHER from Detroit to Toledo, along with tug S.C. SCHENK, caught in ice and crushed off Stony Point, near Monroe, MI, Lake Erie, on December 16, 1895. Crew escaped to tug SCHENK. Final enrollment surrendered at Toledo, OH, March 9, 1896.
1903
1903: EMERALD [Built-1862 by Charles Hinman at Algonac, Michigan] First enrollment issued at Detroit, MI, on June 7, 1862. Remeasured at Detroit, MI, May 11, 1866 (146.42 x 14.33 x 8.66; 189 gross). Rebuilt at Ballentine’s yard, Wenona, MI, in 1875 (144 x 22.42 x 9; 215 gross – 154 net. Final enrollment surrendered at Marquette, MI, on March 9, 1903, and endorsed \”abandoned as unfit for further service.\”
1905
1905: The JAMES C. WALLACE (Hull#334) of the Acme Steamship Co., (A.B. Wolvin, mgr.), was launched at Lorain, Ohio, by American Ship Building Co. Purchased by the Interlake Steamship Co. in 1913, she was scrapped at Genoa, Italy in 1963.
1907
1907: WIARTON was launched March 9, 1907, as a) THOMAS LYNCH (Hull#73) at Chicago, Illinois, by Chicago Ship Building Co., for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co. She was used as part of a breakwall at the Steel Co. of Canada Dock in Hamilton. The GROVEDALE of 1905, and HENRY R. PLATT JR of 1909, were also used
1907: JOHN OWEN [Built-1874 US-75608 by Detroit Dry Dock Co.at Detroit, Michigan. Renamed: COLUMBUS 1907 C-117039] First enrollment issued at Detroit, MI, June 29, 1874. Last U.S. enrollment surrendered at Port Huron, MI, March 9, 1907, and endorsed \”sold alien. Burned at dock, Gargantua Harbour, Ontario, Lake Superior, on September 10, 1910.
1917
1917: LARS FOSTENES [Built-1916 Norway by Detroit Ship Building Co at Wyandotte, Michigan] Torpedoed and sunk while on maiden voyage off southwest coast of Ireland, March 9, 1917
1918
1918: BUCKMAN [Built-1901 US-3904 by Craig Shipbuilding Co at Toledo, Ohio. Renamed: ADMIRAL EVANS 1913 US-3904] As ADMIRAL EVANS: Wrecked at Hawk Inlet, Alaska, on March 9, 1918; refloated in June, 1918. Removed from documentation and rebuilt. Scrapped in 1937.
1918: AMOCO ILLINOIS was launched March 9, 1918, as a) WILLIAM P. COWAN (Hull#724) at Lorain, Ohio, by American Ship Building Co.
1920
1920: March 9, 1920 – The PERE MARQUETTE 3 sank off Ludington after being crushed by ice.
1933
1933: On 09 March 1933, all nine steamers of the Goodrich Transit Company were seized by federal marshals under a bankruptcy petition. These steamers were CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, CAROLINA, ALABAMA, ILLINOIS, CITY OF BENTON HARBOR, CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS, CITY OF ST. JOSEPH, CITY OF HOLLAND, and the CITY OF SAUGATUCK.
1945
1945: NOTRE DAME VICTORY (Hull#1229), was launched on March 9, 1945, at Portland, Oregon, by Oregon Shipbuilding Co., just 42 days after her keel was laid. She became the b.) CLIFFS VICTORY and sailed on the Great Lakes from 1951 until 1985.
1973
1973: AVERY C. ADAMS [Built-1958 UK-310631 by Canadian Vickers LTD at Montreal, Canada. Renamed: CYPRESS 1964-Liberia, UNION 1968-Liberia, FREIA 1969-Liberia, SCOTIACLIFFE HALL 1972 C-310621, SCOTIACLIFFE 1975-Liberia, NAVIFOR NORSE 1976-Liberia, NAVIFOR NORSE 1982-Panama and NAVIFOR II 1987-Norway] Chartered in 1974 by Hall Shipping Corp., Ltd., to Bunge Canada, Ltd., to haul grain. Transferred to Nassau and Canadian registry closed December 9, 1974.As SCOTIACLIFFE HALL: When outbound from Galveston Bay (TX), in evening of March 9, 1973, collided with inbound British propeller DRUCILLA U. Both vessels severely damaged; SCOTIACLIFFE HALL dry docked at Todd Shipyards Corp., Galveston, TX, for repairs. Broken up by Norwegian owners, 1991.
1979
1979: EAGLESCLIFFE HALL [Built-1974 C-188893 by Grangemouth Dockyard Co LTD at Grangemouth, Scotland. Renamed EAGLESCLIFFE 1974 UK-188893] As EAGLESCLIFFE: Ran aground in the Aransas Pass, February 19, 1979. Refloated and arrived in New Orleans, LA, on March 9, 1979. Sank in Galveston Bay, TX, on February 9, 1983, after the hull had fractured the previous day while inbound.
1985
1985: The Norwegian freighter TRONSTAD first came to the Great Lakes as a pre-Seaway visitor in 1957. It returned on another 12 occasions after the new waterway opened in 1959. The vessel was sailing a d) CRUZ DEL SUR when it was confiscated by U.S. authorities for drug smuggling and brought to Miami on this date in 1985. The 30-year old ship was towed out into the Atlantic and scuttled off Miami on December 19, 1986.
2007
2007: The Greek freighter WISMAR was built in 1979 IMO-7906899 and came through the Seaway in 1980. It lost power below Lock 2 of the Welland Canal while upbound on August 30, 1980, and had to drop anchor. It was sailing as h) GRACIA from Thailand to Dakar, Senegal, with a cargo of rice, when the engine failed in heavy weather in the Indian Ocean on February 27, 2007. The crew took to the lifeboats and was rescued. The former Great Lakes visitor was last seen on March 7, adrift, with a 20-degree list to port, and likely soon sank.
Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series.
