1863
ALMIRA (two-mast wooden scow-schooner, 85 feet, 80 tons, built in 1849, at Black River, Ohio) was dismasted and capsized in a violent squall on Lake Ontario. All hands were lost. On July 27, the cargo of barreled fish was found by the schooner M.L. COLLINS. The ALMIRA was found still afloat by the schooner PETREL on July 30. She was rebuilt and sailed until December 1871, when she foundered in the ice.
1899
The schooner SOPHIA MINCH, under tow of the JOHN N. GLIDDEN, was caught in a wild Lake Erie storm and cut loose. The vessel was blown ashore west of Ashtabula and declared a total loss, only to be salvaged July 24, 1899, and repaired.
1908
JAMES G. BLAINE (formerly PENSAUKEE, wooden schooner-barge, 177 feet, 555 gross tons, built in 1867 at Little Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin) was being towed in Lake Ontario by the tug WILLIAM L. PROCTOR. Her towline broke in a storm, and she was driven ashore near Oswego, New York, where the waves broke her up. No lives were lost. At the time of her loss, even though she was over 40 years old, she was still fully rigged as a three-mast schooner.
1918
A slip joint on the main steam line of the ANN ARBOR NO. 5 let go, killing four men and badly scalding one other. The dead were Lon Boyd; W.T. Archie Gailbraith, 1st assistant engineer Arthur R. Gilbert; coal passer William Herbert Freeman, 2nd engineer.
1920
MARY WOOLSON (three-mast wooden schooner, 179 feet, 709 gross tons, built in 1888, at Bay City, Michigan) was being towed by the wooden steamer CHARLES D. BRADLEY along with the schooner-barge MIZTEC when the BRADLEY slowed in mid-lake, causing both tows to ram her. The WOOLSON’s bow was heavily damaged, and she quickly sank 8 miles northeast of Sturgeon Point on Lake Huron. No lives were lost.
1923
EDWARD L. STRONG and GLENDOCHART collided between Locks 17 and 18 of the Cornwall Canal with minor damage. The former was scrapped at Port Dalhousie as e) WELLANDOC (ii) in 1963, while the latter was broken up at Hamilton as f) MANCOX in 1970-1971.
1949
NEW YORK NEWS (ii) ran aground on a shoal at the east entrance to Little Current, Manitoulin Island, due to low water and misplaced channel markers. About 800 tons of coal were lightered, and the ship is refloated on July 9.
1973
The former BROMALM, a Swedish-flagged Seaway trader in 1963 and 1964, hit bottom, began leaking and was beached off Kuantan, Western Malaysia, as c) ARISAIOS. On a voyage to Osaka, Japan, with 9,700 tons of iron ore, it was completely flooded and a total loss.
1977
LOUIS R. DESMARAIS (Hull #212) was launched at Collingwood, Ontario, by Collingwood Shipyards Ltd. for Canada Steamship Lines Ltd. Cargo hold replaced at Port Weller Drydocks Ltd., and renamed b.) CSL LAURENTIEN in 2001.
AGAWA CANYON hit the abutment to Bridge 12 of the Welland Canal after losing power while downbound with salt for Kingston. The gash in the port bow was repaired by Port Weller Dry Docks.
1984
The Michigan-Wisconsin Transportation Company (MWT) resumed service to Milwaukee with disappointing results.
1992
COMEAUDOC lost power and struck the seawall at Port Huron while upbound, resulting in significant damage to the wall.
2005
An apparent steering gear or engine failure caused the salty ORLA, built in 1999, to ground off Marysville on the St. Clair River. She was able to dislodge herself.
Contributors & Sources
Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II, and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series from the Marine Historical Society of Detroit.
Compiled by Roger LeLievre.
