1852
ATLANTIC (wooden sidewheeler, 267 feet, 1,155 tons, built in 1849 at Detroit, Michigan) was loaded with immigrants when she collided with the propeller freighter OGDENSBURG and quickly sank south of Long Point on Lake Erie at about 2:30 a.m. Of the 600 on board, estimates of death range from 150 to 250. Numerous salvage attempts have been made through the years up through 1989 since there were supposed to be valuables on board when she went down.
1874
The CITY OF LONDON, built by Louis Shickluna at St. Catharines in 1865, was destroyed by a fire at Collins Inlet. The engine was later removed for installation in the CITY OF OWEN SOUND.
1881
MICHIGAN (Hull #48, iron propeller passenger-package freight steamer, 215 feet, 1,183 tons) was launched by the Detroit Dry Dock Company at Wyandotte, Michigan, for the Goodrich Transportation Company. She was then taken to Milwaukee for fitting out and completion. She cost $159,212. She was designed by Frank E. Kirby especially for cross-lake winter service.
1899
The HUNTER SAVIDGE (two-mast wooden schooner, 117 feet, 152 gross tons, built in 1879 at Grand Haven, Michigan) capsized in a squall or tornado in Lake Huron. Five survivors, including Capt. Fred Sharpstein, were rescued from the overturned schooner by the steamer ALEX MCVITTIE. However, five lost their lives, including the captain’s wife and son, the ship’s owner’s wife and daughter, and the mate. Capt. Sharpstein patrolled the beaches looking for the bodies of his wife and son for months, but they were never found. The wreck was found in 1987 near Grindstone City, Michigan.
1900
CAPTAIN THOMAS WILSON was launched at Port Huron for the Wilson Transit Co.
1903
QUEEN OF THE WEST sank in a Lake Erie storm off Fairport, Ohio, but the crew was rescued by the CODORUS. One sailor perished in the transfer between the two ships.
1919
MOHEGAN was built as a wooden steam barge at Marine City in 1894. It left the lakes for ocean service in 1917. The ship was anchored at Rio de Janiero, Brazil, on this date when an explosion and fire destroyed the vessel. All on board survived.
1920
The WILLIS L. KING, upbound light in Whitefish Bay, was in collision with and sank the downbound Steel Trust steamer SUPERIOR CITY. The SUPERIOR CITY was struck nearly amidships, and when the cold water reached her engine room, her boilers exploded. She sank immediately with 29 of her 33 crew members aboard.
1964
TEXACO WARRIOR hit bottom and settled in the Welland Canal with a punctured tank at Thorold South near Bridge 10. The ship was refloated and resumed service. It was scrapped at Sorel, QC, in 1978 as LAKE TRANSPORT (i).
1969
INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORT arrived at Toronto, Ontario, with fuel oil on her maiden voyage.
PETER ROBERTSON, sold for scrap and anchored in western Lake Ontario, dragged her anchors in a storm and landed on the beach near Jordan Harbour, Ontario. The vessel was released August 24 and headed down the Seaway August 27 between the tugs SALVAGE MONARCH and HELEN M. McALLISTER on the next leg of the journey to Spain for scrapping.
1972
VILLE DE QUEBEC was a pre-Seaway trader to the Great Lakes from 1955 to 1958 and returned inland for three trips in 1959. The ship sank off the coast of Albania due to heavy weather on this date as c) SUZY. It was en route from Durres, Albania, to Patras, Greece. 11 members of the crew were lost, and only seven survived.
1975
The coastal freighter AIGLE D’OCEAN struck an iceberg off Port Burwell, Labrador, and sank. Only five crew were rescued. The ship had been inland on several occasions.
1977
CAPO MELE first came through the Seaway as a) PIERRE L.D. in 1959 and again in 1960 for three trips. It was sold and renamed b) CAPO MELE in 1961 and made 22 voyages to the Great Lakes from then through 1967. The ship sustained heavy damage from an engine room fire on this date as e) PAULINA at Banjul, Gambia, and was sold for scrap. The vessel arrived at Santander, Spain, on October 17, 1977, for dismantling.
1985
R. BRUCE ANGUS, in tandem tow with the ULS steamer GORDON C. LEITCH (i) behind the tug IRVING CEDAR, arrived at Setúbal, Portugal, where they were broken up. The a.) IRVING CEDAR is now Purvis Marine’s c.) RELIANCE.
1986
The US266029, a.) WILLIAM CLAY FORD, departed her lay-up berth at the Rouge slip in tow of Gaelic tugs. She was taken to Detroit Marine Terminals on the Rouge River, where her pilothouse was removed to be displayed at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Detroit’s Belle Isle.
Contributors & Sources
Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, David Swayze, Randy Johnson, Ahoy & Farewell II, and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series from the Marine Historical Society of Detroit.
Compiled by Roger LeLievre.
