1898

The CITY OF DULUTH (wooden passenger/package freight vessel, 202 foot, 1,310 gross tons, built as a passenger vessel in 1874, at Marine City, Michigan) was carrying passengers, corn, flour, and general merchandise from Chicago to St. Joseph, Michigan, during a late season run when she struck an uncharted bar in a storm while inbound to St. Joseph. She was heavily damaged and driven ashore 350 feet west of the north pier, where she broke up. The Lifesaving Service rescued all 24 passengers and 17 crew members using breeches’ buoy.

1907

THOMAS F. COLE (Hull #27) was launched by the Great Lakes Engineering Works, Ecorse, Michigan, for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co.

J.F. SCHOELLKOPF JR. was launched as a.) HUGH KENNEDY (Hull#349) at Lorain, Ohio, by the American Ship Building Co.

1945

The keel for CLIFFS VICTORY, a). NOTRE DAME VICTORY (Hull#1229), was laid on January 26, 1945, at Portland, Oregon, by Oregon Shipbuilding Corp.

1967

ST. LAWRENCE NAVIGATOR was launched in 1967, as a.) DEMETERTON (Hull#619) at South Shields, United Kingdom, by John Readhead & Sons, Ltd.

1986

The saltwater ship f) MARIKA L. was sold at auction on this date to Scrap Hellas Ltd. The vessel had arrived at Eleusis, Greece, under tow, on April 25, 1981, after an engine room fire on the Mediterranean. The ship had been arrested and partially sunk prior to being sold. It made one trip through the Seaway as a) DONATELLA PARODI in 1965 and was ultimately resold for scrapping at Aliaga, Turkey.

1994

In 1994 THALASSA DESGAGNES (steel propeller tanker, 131.43 meters, 5,746 gross tons) entered service for Groupe Desgagnes. The vessel was built in 1976, in Norway, as the a.) JOASLA, renamed b.) ORINOCO in 1979, and c.) RIO ORINOCO in 1982.

Contributors & Sources

Skip Gilham, Joe Barr, Steve Haverty, 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