1890
ALEX NIMICK (wooden propeller, 298 foot, 1,968 gross tons) was launched at W. Bay City, Michigan. She was built by J. Davidson (Hull # 30).
1908
The W.C. RICHARDSON was launched as the a.) WAINWRIGHT (Hull#175) at Wyandotte, Michigan, by the Detroit Ship Building Co.
1923
JOSHUA A. HATFIELD (Hull#782) was launched at Lorain, Ohio, by the American Ship Building Co.
1964
MAX MANUS (dated from 1937 and appeared on the Great Lakes for one trip in 1959) suffered an engine room explosion and fire at Ibiza, Spain, as c) FLORA N., which took the lives of three crew and extensively damaged the midships area of the vessel. The freighter had been discharging cement but was towed out of the port and beached three miles south as a total loss.
1981
MANUEL CAMPOS, which first came through the Seaway when new in 1968, sank off of Crete on this date as c) DENIZ SOMNEZ after developing a severe list in heavy seas. The vessel was traveling from Sfax, Tunisia, to Mersin, Turkey, with a cargo of phosphate ore. All 34 on board were lost.
1988
The tanker L’ORME NO 1 was involved in an accident at Ultramar Refinery near Quebec City when attempting to tie up during foggy weather. She struck the dock and the impact started a fire that extensively damaged the wharf and the forward section of the ship.
1988
Scrapping on E. J. BLOCK began at Port Colborne, Ontario.
1992
NORDSTERN (which transited the Seaway in 1968 and returned as b) GEORG RUSS in 1975 and c) CAPTAIN VENIAMIS in 1984) was beached on the South Korean coast after the hull began to flood during heavy weather on a long voyage from Europe to Yantai, China. The vessel was refloated on February 1 but was declared a total loss, sold to Chinese shipbreakers, and arrived at Qinhuangdao under tow for scrapping on March 1, 1992.
2003
An arson fire aboard replica sailing ship LA GRANDE HERMINE at Jordan Harbour, Ontario, destroyed the wooden superstructure and interior of the idle ship. The vessel was built in 1914 as a ferry across the St. Lawrence and had several subsequent uses under a variety of names. The listing and burned out hull became a tourist attraction with many passers-by stopping to take photos. Its remains were finally removed in late 2021.
Contributors & Sources
Skip, Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series from the Marine Historical Society of Detroit.
Compiled & Maintained by Roger LeLievre
