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GLMI and the Dossin Great Lakes Museum to
host programs 10/31 - Thursday, November 10, 2005 - Night Watch for the
Edmund Fitzgerald At 5:00 pm the Great Lakes balladeer Lee Murdock will begin a concert in the DeRoy Hall Auditorium. At 6:30 pm Captain Donald Erickson of the Ford Fleet will recount the night 30 years prior that his crew of the S.S. William Clay Ford went into the stormy seas north of White Fish Point to search for and survivors of the lost Fitzgerald. At 7:10 pm the names of the lost crew members will be read and ship's bells will be tolled. This will be followed by Bishop Ingalls of Mariner's Church whose ringing of the church bells is part of Gordon Lightfoot's famous ballad on the loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald. There is limited seating, tickets are $25.00 for the public,
Great Lakes Maritime Institute and Detroit Historical Society Members $20.00.
The event will also be webcast on www.glmi.org. GLMI, the non profit support organization of the Dossin Museum, is sponsoring the webcast and will be charged $8 for each person viewing on line, because of the large number of viewers expected, we will ask for an $8 donation to offset the costs of bringing this special program to thousands of home computers. Saturday, November 12, 2005 - Remembering the Edmund
Fitzgerald Along with workers from the Great Lakes Engineering Works, family members from the last crew of the Fitzgerald will be on hand to talk to the public and share their memories and memorabilia. In addition the public can tour the pilothouse from the S. S. William Clay Ford and meet her Captain Donald Erickson who participated in the search for the Fitzgerald on the night of November 10, 1975. This special open house comes with the cooperation of the Great Lakes Maritime Institute, the Great Lakes Steel Boat Club, the River Rouge Historical Museum, the J. W. Westcott Company, Mariner's Church, the U.S. Steel Company, and other individuals. Numerous stations will be established in the Dossin Museum to allow the public to see historical memorabilia and talk to those who have a 'Connection to the Edmund Fitzgerald'. There will be a number of video presentations on the large screen in the DeRoy Hall Auditorium showing the launching of the Edmund Fitzgerald, and other aspects of the vessel's career, including the tragic loss on November 10, 1975. Admission - $3.50 for adults, $2.50 for students and
seniors. The various sessions will be free with paid admission to the Dossin
Museum. |
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Great Lakes Maritime Institute 10/31 - 35 Dealers – Items for everyone’s Great Lakes Interest:
Artifacts • Artwork Books • Brochures China • Photos Ship Models • Souvenirs.
. . and Much, Much More! Check at the GLMI table to see if your ticket is a winner. Belle Isle Casino On The Strand, Belle Isle. The Casino is not a gambling establishment but used a meeting point for individuals and groups. It is located in full view of the shipping channel near the entrance of the island just east of the Scott Fountain. More information: Dossin Great Lakes Museum, John Polacsek, (313) 297-8366 |
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Shipwreck Bought to Light 10/31 - Barcelona, NY - It sank during a summer storm in Lake Erie off this Chautauqua County harbor on July 29, 1930, with 21 aboard. The boat took 15 lives with it; just six survived. It was front page news. After resting undisturbed on the lake bottom for 75 years, the steamboat George J. Whelan came to life Thursday for nine divers, who were clearly excited about their opportunity. "You can dive a whole lifetime and never be the first one on [a wreck]," said Wayne Rush, who drove two hours from Port Allegany, Pa., for the dive. Rush was the first of the divers to reach the Whelan in 145 feet of water eight miles from shore. Rush and the others said the boat was in impeccable condition, with all of its portholes open. During their brief examination, they said they saw kerosene lanterns, fire extinguishers and porcelain light fixtures, more than enough to pique their interest. "Next summer, I'll be out here every chance I get," said diver Dan Kuzdale of Dunkirk. Lake Erie has at least 1,750 shipwrecks, according to Great Lakes shipwreck historian Mike Walker. He said other estimates put the total at closer to 3,000. Only about 300 have been located, he said, and serious divers in the area are likely to have made multiple trips to most of them. "The Holy Grail for divers in the Great Lakes is a virgin wreck," he said, noting that the cold, fresh water helps preserve wrecks for hundreds of years. "That boat is literally sitting the way it went down." A parade of names After the war, it was returned to the United States, where it operated along the East Coast again as the Bayersher. In 1923, it returned to the lakes, where it was refitted as a coal carrier and renamed the Claremont. At the close of the 1929 shipping season, Kelley Island Lime and Transport Co. in Sandusky, Ohio, purchased the vessel. It was renamed the George J. Whelan, and converted to a sandsucker, a specially equipped boat that mined sand from the lake bottom. Caught in squall All six survivors were pitched into the water, where they clung to the hull for 30 minutes before it sank. They began swimming for shore. First mate Irving Ohlemacher, who had no flotation device, stayed afloat by grabbing two other survivors who did have devices. The survivors' faint, anguished cries for help were heard by crew members on the Amanda Stone, a coal-hauler headed to Erie from Buffalo. The ship lowered its rescue boats and picked up the crew members. The words of the Amanda Stone's captain indicated just how lucky he considered them. "Unless you have sailed on the lakes, you don't know what it means to locate six men swimming around in the nighttime," Capt. Walter H. McNeill said. "The ship's searchlight and the voices of the men were all that the crew . . . had to go by to find those fellows." Ohlemacher agreed. "It was only fate that we should have been seen in that pitch darkness that surrounded us," he said. "The chances are we would have perished if we had to stay in the lake many more hours." Seven sites proposed "We had the advantage of using the latest technology, which allowed us to search an incredible area in one day," Kozak said in a phone interview from Europe. "We did over 32 square miles that day, which is unheard of." Conflicting reports about where the Whelan went down led Herbert and others to search the wrong areas. "There were seven different versions of where it was," Herbert said. "One said six miles off Dunkirk. That isn't near the shipping lane." Herbert did more research and picked a target area. "We had an element of luck in that it truly showed up right where we selected," Kozak said. Finding the Whelan was a priority because it meets several criteria that make it desirable for divers, Herbert said. "It's a big ship, with a loss of life," he said. "It's in relatively shallow water, and not too far from the shore." Chance to be first Papes, who drove from Akron, Ohio with his equipment and
underwater camera, said he, like many divers, is curious about the stories
behind the wrecks. At 145 feet, the water "is dark and it's cold," Papes said.
"You have to have an interest in the history to enjoy it." Judging by the
smiles as the divers returned from their trip to the lake bottom, the Whelan
will occupy their time underwater for quite some time. "We'll be diving the
hell out of this next season," Papes said. |
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Port Reports - October 31 Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey While making the dock at Bay City Wirt, the VanEnkevort & Trader had to maneuver around the Calumet who was still at the dock unloading very slowly. Calumet shifted back on the dock to allow the Trader to get where she needed to unload. Then shifted back forward to resume her unload. As of 9:00 p.m. Sunday, the Calumet was still at the Bay City Wirt dock. She had arrived early Saturday morning. The CSL Tadoussac was also outbound Sunday backing from the
Essroc Dock in Essexville out to Light 12 to turn and head for the lake Green Bay Ports - Scott Best Buffalo - Bob |
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Photo Gallery Updates - October 31 News Photo Gallery updatedPublic Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 31 On 31 October 1888, A W LAWRENCE (wooden propeller tug, 72 foot, 51 gross tons, built in 1880, at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin) blew her boiler at 2:30 a.m. off North Point near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The tug quickly sank. Four of the six aboard were lost. None of their remains were ever found. The tug MERRILL rescued the cook and a passenger. The LAWRENCE was owned by Capt. Mc Coy & Banner and valued at $5,000. CANADIAN EXPLORER's sea trials were conducted on October 31, 1983, on Lake Erie where a service speed of 13.8 m.p.h. was recorded. The EDWIN H GOTT was christened October 31, 1978. On October 31, 1973, the H M GRIFFITH entered service.for Canada Steamship Lines on her maiden voyage bound for Thunder Bay, Ontario to load iron ore for Hamilton, Ontario. GRIFFITH was rebuilt with a new larger forward section and renamed b.) Rt Hon PAUL J MARTIN in 2000. The CADILLAC was launched October 31, 1942, as a.) LAKE ANGELINE.ELMGLEN cleared Owen Sound, Ontario on October 31, 1984, on her first trip in Parrish & Heimbecker colors. On October 31, 1966, while down bound in the St. Marys River loaded with 11,143 tons of potash for Oswego, New York, the HALLFAX ran aground on a rocky reef and settled to the bottom with her hold full of water. She had grounded on Pipe Island Twins Reef just north of DeTour, Michigan. The CHARLES L HUTCHINSON, a.) WILLIAM C MORELAND, struck a reef the night of October 31, 1925 three miles south of Manitou Island, off the Keweenaw Peninsula, on Lake Superior. On October 31, 1983, the SYLVANIA was towed out of the Frog Pond by the harbor tugs ARKANSAS and WYOMING. She was handed over to the tug OHIO for delivery to the Triad Salvage Co. at Ashtabula, Ohio arriving there on November 1st. Dismantling was completed there in 1984. Thus ended 78 years of service. Ironically the SYLVANIA, the first built of the 504 foot class bulkers, was the last survivor of that class. During her career with Columbia Transportation, the SYLVANIA had carried over 20 million tons and netted over $35 million. On 31 October 1883, CITY OF TORONTO (wooden passenger-package freight sidewheeler, 207 foot, 898 gross tons, built in 1864, at Niagara, Ontario) caught fire at the Muir Brothers shipyard at Port Dalhousie, Ontario and was totally destroyed. She previously had her paddle boxes removed so she could pass through the Welland Canal, and she was in the shipyard to have them reassembled that winter. On 31 October 1874, the tug FAVORITE was towing the schooner WILLIE NEELER on Lake Erie. At about 10:30 p.m., near Bar Point, the schooner suddenly sheered and before the tow line could be cast off, the FAVORITE capsized and sank. One life was lost. The rest of the crew clung to the upper works which had become dislodged from the vessel and they were rescued by the schooner's lifeboats. On 31 October 1821, WALK-IN-THE-WATER (wooden side-wheeler, 135 foot, 339 tons, built in 1818, at Black Rock [Buffalo], New York) was wrecked on Point Abino, on the Canadian shore of Lake Erie during a storm. She was the first steam-powered vessel above Niagara and her frequent comings and goings during her career were very much in the newspapers in Detroit but her loss was not mentioned not at all since this steamer was virtually the only source of news from the east. Her engine was installed by Robert Fulton himself. After the wreck, it went into the steamer SUPERIOR and later ran a lumber mill in Saginaw, Michigan. On 31 October 1880, TRANCHEMONTAGNE (wooden schooner, 108 foot, 130 tons, built in 1864, at Sorel, Quebec) was loaded with rye and sailing in a storm on Lake Ontario. She struck the breakwater at Oswego, New York head-on at about 3:00 a.m.. She stove in her bow and quickly sank. The crew took to the rigging, except for one who was washed overboard and rode a provision box from her deck to shore. The Lifesaving Service rescued the rest from the breakwater. The schooner broke up quickly in the storm. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Jody Aho, Father Dowling
Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember
seriesThis is a small sample, the books include many other vessels with a much
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Cutter Mackinaw closer to its Retirement Port 10/30 - Washington - The Mackinaw, a soon-to-be retired Coast Guard icebreaker that blazed shipping trails through the frozen Great Lakes for six decades, is a step closer to winning a new lease on life as a tourist attraction. The U. S. Senate has voted to convey ownership of the
Mackinaw to the city of Cheboygan, Mich., its longtime home port, and
Cheboygan County after it is decommissioned next year. The House approved the
measure, part of a larger Coast Guard budget bill, in September. From the The Toledo Blade |
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Port Reports - October 30 Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey Other inbound vessels were the Buffalo and the CSL Tadoussac. The Buffalo called on the Bay Aggregates dock to lighter before heading upriver to complete her unload at the Valley Asphalt dock in Carrollton. She was expected to be outbound Sunday morning. The CSL Tadoussac was inbound late Saturday evening headed for the Essroc Dock in Essexville to unload. She was expected to be outbound on Sunday. Buffington - Gary Clark Green Bay - Wendell Wilke |
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Photo Gallery Updates - October 30 News Photo Gallery updatedPublic Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 30 On 30 October 1863, TORRENT (2-mast wooden schooner, 125 foot, 412 gross tons, built in 1855, at Newport [Marine City], Michigan) was carrying railroad iron from Buffalo to Little Bay de Noc when she foundered in a storm on Lake Erie, 10 miles east of Port Stanley, Ontario. No lives were lost. On 30 October 1870, JOSEPH A HOLLON (wooden barge, 107 foot, 158 gross tons, built in 1867, at E. Saginaw, Michigan) was in tow of the tug CLEMATIS (wooden tug, 179 tons, built in 1863, at Cleveland, Ohio) in a terrific gale on Lake Huron. The barge broke free and drifted off. The waves washed completely over her and the captain was swept overboard. Her cabins were destroyed. The next day the wife of the mate and another crew member were rescued by the bark ONEONTA (wooden bark, 161 foot, 499 gross tons, built in 1862, at Buffalo, New York) and taken to Detroit, but the HOLLON was left to drift on the Lake. The newspapers listed her as "missing". Five days later the vessel was found and was towed into Port Elgin, Ontario. A total of four lives were lost: three were missing and the fourth was found "lashed to a pump, dead, with his eyes picked out. "The tugs GLENADA and MOUNT MC KAY towed AMOCO ILLINOIS from Essexville, Michigan on October 30, 1985, and arrived at the M&M slip in Windsor, Ontario on November 1st. where she was to be scrapped. The Maritimers CADILLAC and her former fleetmate CHAMPLAIN arrived under tow by the Dutch tug/supply ship THOMAS DE GAUWDIEF on October 30, 1987, at Aliaga, Turkey to be scrapped. The ISLE ROYALE (Canal Bulk Freighter) was launched October 30, 1947, as a.) SOUTHCLIFFE HALL for the Hall Corporation of Canada Ltd. (which in 1969, became Hall Corporation (Shipping) 1969 Ltd.), Montreal. On 30 October 1874, LOTTA BERNARD (wooden sidewheel "rabbit", 125 foot, 147 tons, built in 1869, at Port Clinton, Ohio) was carrying general merchandise from Silver Islet to Duluth when she foundered in a terrific gale off Encampment Island in Lake Superior. Three lives were lost. She was capable of only 4 miles per hour and was at the mercy of any fast rising storm. During a storm, the schooner ANNABELLA CHAMBERS was wrecked on the islands off Toronto, Ontario on 30 October 1873. One sailor was washed overboard and lost. The skipper was rescued, but he had the dead body of his small son in his arms. October 30, 1971 - The PERE MARQUETTE 21 was laid up due to coal strike. She never sailed again as a carferry. On 30 October 1877, CITY OF TAWAS (3-mast wooden schooner, 135 foot, 291 tons, built in 1864, at Vicksburgh [now Marysville], Michigan as a sloop-barge) was carrying 500 tons of iron ore when she struck a bar outside the harbor at St. Joseph, Michigan while attempting to enter during a storm. She drifted ashore with a hole in her bottom and was pounded to pieces. One brave crewman swam ashore with a line and the rest came in on it. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample, the books include many other vessels with a much more detailed history |
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Remembering the Fitzgerald Aboard the Mather Museum 10/29 - November 10, 2005 marks the thirtieth anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald in the frigid waters of Lake Superior. As immortalized in the Gordon Lightfoot ballad, all hands -- 29 Great Lakes mariners -- were lost during this horrific “gales of November” storm. On Saturday, November 12, the Steamship William G. Mather Museum is offering special guided tours using the similarly-configured Mather to recount what did and may have happened that fateful night aboard the Fitzgerald. Guided tours will be offered every half hour beginning at 12:30 PM with the last tour leaving at 4:00 PM. This program is recommended for high school age and older and outdoor dress is recommended since the program includes trips across open decks. There is no charge for the tour, but advance reservations are required due to the limits of tour group size and high demand. For reservations, call the Mather Museum offices at 216-574-9053 by November 10. Due to its historic nature, the Museum has very limited handicapped accessibility. The Mather Museum is now permanently located north of the Great Lakes Science Center at 305 Old Erieside Ave. |
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Port Reports - October 29 Cleveland - Bill Kloss Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey, Stephen Hause & Gordy Garris Next in, was the Canadian Transfer whom had arrived during the afternoon on Friday with a cargo for the Sargent dock in Zilwaukee. On her way upriver past Downtown Bay City, she briefly pulled over at the Old Bay Aggrates dock to let the outbound Fred R. White JR pass. She was expected to be outbound late Friday night. Both vessels caused auto extensive traffic back ups through Bay City that could line up for at least 5 city blocks inland. Finally, the tug Rebecca Lynn and her tank barge were inbound late Friday night calling on the Bit-Mat dock in Bay City to unload. The pair were also expected to be outbound Saturday.
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Photo Gallery Updates - October 29 News Photo Gallery updatedPublic Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 29 The whaleback barge 127 (steel barge, 264 foot, 1128 gross tons) was launched by the American Steel Barge Company of W. Superior, Wisconsin on 29 October 1892. She lasted until 1936, when she was scrapped at New Orleans, Louisiana. On 29 October 1906, the schooner WEST SIDE (wooden schooner, 138 fot, 324 gross tons, built in 1870, at Oswego, New York) was carrying pulpwood from Tobermory, Ontario to Delray, Michigan when she was caught in a severe gale on Lake Huron. There was no shelter and the vessel was lost about 25 mile off Thunder Bay Island. The skipper and his crew, consisting of his wife and three sons aged 10 to 18, abandoned in the yawl. They all suffered from exposure to the wind and waves, but luckily the FRANK H PEAVEY (steel propeller freighter, 430 foot, 5002 gross tons, built in 1901, at Lorain, Ohio) picked them up and brought them to Port Huron, Michigan. ALGOLAKE (Hull# 211) was launched October 29, 1976, at Collingwood Shipyards, Ltd. for the Algoma Central Railway. On October 29, 1986, the JAMES R BARKER, who had suffered an engine room fire, was lashed side-by-side to the thousand-foot WILLIAM J DE LANCEY and towed to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin for repairs. The b.) CANADIAN EXPLORER was christened on October 29, 1983, at the Port Weller Dry Docks. The National Transportation Safety Board ruled on October 29, 1991, that Total Petroleum was responsible for the fire that destroyed the tanker JUPITER because of faulty moorings and exonerated the BUFFALO from primary responsibility. On the afternoon of October 29, 1987, while up bound with coal from Sandusky, Ohio, the ROGER M KYES, b.) ADAM E CORNELIUS went aground on Gull Island Shoal in Lake Erie's Middle Passage and began taking on water. About 3,000 tons of coal was transferred to the AMERICAN REPUBLIC after which the KYES freed herself the next morning. Damage from the grounding required extensive repairs. The tug portion of the PRESQUE ISLE departed New Orleans, Louisiana on October 29, 1973. The H C HEIMBECKER's last trip started at Thunder Bay, Ontario with a load of grain bound for Owen Sound, Ontario where, on October 29, 1981, it was discovered that one of her boilers was cracked. When unloading was completed on October 30th, the HEIMBECKER proceeded under her own power to Ashtabula, Ohio for scrapping. On 29 October 1892, ZACH CHANDLER (3 mast wooden schooner-barge, 194 foot, 727 gross tons, built in 1867, at Detroit, Michigan) was carrying lumber from Ashland, Wisconsin in tow of the steamer JOHN MITCHELL when the two became separated in a northerly gale in Lake Superior. The CHANDLER was overwhelmed and broke up on shore about three miles east of Deer Park, Michigan. Five of the crew made it to shore in the lifeboat and the Lifesaving Service saved two others, but one perished. Three years earlier, the CHANDLER stranded at almost the same spot and sustained heavy damage. On 29 October 1879, AMAZON (wooden propeller freighter, 245 foot, 1406 tons, built in 1873, at Trenton, Michigan) was carrying "provisions" - 900 tons of freight plus 7000 barrels of flour - from Milwaukee to Grand Haven, Michigan. She struck the notorious bar off of Grand Haven in a gale and broke up. All 68 aboard survived. Her engine was later recovered. On 29 October 1880, THOMAS A SCOTT (4-mast wooden schooner-barge, 207 foot, 1159 tons, built in 1869, at Buffalo, New York as a propeller) was riding out a storm at anchor one mile off Milwaukee when she was struck by the big steamer AVON (wooden propeller, 251 foot, 1702 gross tons, built in 1877, at Buffalo, New York). The SCOTT sank quickly. She had been bound from Chicago for Erie, Pennsylvania with 44,000 bushels of corn. Three of her crew scrambled onto the AVON while the seven others took to the yawl and were towed in by the Lifesaving Service. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Ahoy & Farewell II, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes at B.G.S.U and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample, the books include many other vessels with a much more detailed history |
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Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Service to be Webcast Live 10/28 - Paradise, MI - Thirty years after the sinking of the 720-foot steamer Edmund Fitzgerald in a Lake Superior storm, relatives of the 29-man crew will gather Nov. 10 at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum to remember their loss. A special 30th anniversary memorial service will culminate with the ringing of the Edmund Fitzgerald bell and it will be seen for the first time in a live Web cast at www.shipwreckmuseum.com, according to press release. The bell of this most famous Great Lakes shipwreck was recovered at the request of surviving family members in 1995 and is now on display as a memorial at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point. The Shipwreck Museum will offer its annual memorial service on Nov. 10, beginning at 7 p.m. in the museum gallery. This service includes music, reflections and a Call to the Last Watch Ceremony during which the bell is tolled 29 times, once for each crew member, plus a 30th ring to remember all mariners lost on the Great Lakes. Featured bell-ringers are Fitzgerald surviving family members and a group of Great Lakes shipwreck survivors gathered by Dennis Hale, sole survivor of the Great Lakes freighter Daniel J. Morrell, lost on Lake Huron in 1966. A reception will be held immediately following the service at the Paradise Community Center, Highway M-123, in Paradise. An admission fee will be charged for the reception. Seating is extremely limited. Those interested in attending must contact the Shipwreck Museum toll-free at 800-635-1742 by 5 p.m. Nov. 4. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum will open to visitors daily through Oct. 31, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and the museum complex will also be open Nov. 10, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. |
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DNR Withdraws Two Harbors Lighthouse Point Grant 10/28 - A $500,000 grant from the Department of Natural Resources to help the city of Two Harbors, MN buy Lighthouse Point has been withdrawn. The grant, awarded in 2004, was one of the largest under the Natural and Scenic Area grant program, program supervisor Wayne Sames said. But since buying the point may be years in the future -- if ever -- the DNR is giving the money to someone else. The DNR notified the city late last week. The withdrawal wasn't unexpected, said Mickey McGilligan, a member of the Save Lighthouse Point campaign in Two Harbors. "We've been waiting for it," she said. The withdrawal leaves the group with even less money to try to buy the popular point. The city had had about$1.7 million in grant money to buy the land. Some of those grants had expired, and by the end of August the city had $900,000. The loss of the DNR grant reduces that sum. The issue has been brewing in Two Harbors since Roseville, Minn.-based developer Sam Cave bought much of Two Harbors' waterfront property from the Duluth Missabe and Iron Range Railway in 2003. Cave had proposed a condominium development near the point, an area many Two Harbors residents had become accustomed to using as a city park. Two Harbors City Council has since voted to deny Cave's rezoning request. The City Council has expressed interest in buying Lighthouse Point, but a formal resolution to do so has never been passed. Cave and the city have been unable to agree on a purchase price, though the city recently hired an appraiser, who valued the point at $5.7 million. Two Harbors City Councilor Mary Rosati said she would not support a resolution to purchase Lighthouse Point for $5.7 million, because the city simply doesn't have the money. "I hate to send money back, but we didn't have anything we could buy with it," Rosati said of the DNR grant. "And $500,000 wasn't going to pay for the point, anyway. I wish we could have used it to buy other property on the waterfront." Save Lighthouse Point members say the grant money is disappearing because the City Council has not passed a resolution indicating an intent to buy the point. "Right now, everything is in limbo," McGilligan, said. "We have a grant writer who has been putting in a lot of volunteer time on this." The group is still in contact with Cave, and McGilligan took that as a good sign. "Most of our energy is going into getting the group organized," she said. "At the same time, we are pursuing grants and making some contacts about fundraising in the private sector." Cave had offered to sell all of Lighthouse Point to the city in 2003 for $1.8 million. More recently, an appraiser estimated that the easement for the walking trail around the point is valued at$1.14 million. "The grant could have been used to at least buy the easement for the trail," said Paul Bergman, a Two Harbors resident who sits on the Lake County Housing and Redevelopment Authority and the Two Harbors Marina Committee. "I think the council should have taken action to use that money." Sames said the city is welcome to reapply for the grant, though there were no guarantees that the grant would be awarded again. The Natural and Scenic Area program is funded through state bonding money and the Environmental Trust Fund of the Minnesota Lottery. Two or three other grant-funded projects have fallen through in the past 10 years, Sames said. From the Duluth News Tribune |
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City of Rochester sees 6-month Ferry Loss of $4.2M 10/28 - The high-speed ferry between Rochester and Toronto lost $4.2 million through August, a progress report released Wednesday shows — far surpassing initial projections of a $725,000 deficit in its first year. The operating shortfall alone erases half of the $8 million cushion set aside for anticipated deficits in the first three years. What remains of the cushion, and what is needed long term, might not be sorted out until the ferry board releases its 2006 plan in December. "We're actually within budget on expenses," said City Councilman and ferry board President Benjamin Douglas. "So it becomes a revenue issue." After the former operator abruptly shut down last year, city officials scrambled to retain the ferry service as an economic asset for the community. City Council created the Rochester Ferry Co. and backed a $40 million loan, which paid for the ferry and left the cushion for startup costs and expected shortfalls in the early years. Rochester Ferry Co. then hired Bay Ferries Great Lakes LLC as the manager. Engine troubles and other problems delayed startup until June 30, fueled doubts of an already skeptical public and accounted for nearly half of the $4.2 million shortfall. An important number, not included in the 13-page report, is the operating profit or loss in August, said Mark Zupan, dean of the University of Rochester's William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration. "We have an enormous opportunity and, so far, it hasn't cost the taxpayers one red cent," Mayor William A. Johnson Jr. said, questioning what he called the media's "near obsession" with the project but acknowledging a clear plan is needed. "I just think that there's a feeling we need to send out a strong vote of confidence, and that can be conveyed with a plan for 2006." Toronto Mayor David Miller said through a spokesman that the quarterly report was "of great interest to us here." "The ferry is an important asset for both cities," said spokesman Brendan Agnew-Iler. "The mayor of Toronto expressed hope that the short-term losses can be overcome and he reaffirmed his belief that the ferry will work in the long run." Mayor Johnson, meanwhile, said Toronto "needs to recognize it cannot continue to be receiving all this good will without putting something into it." The same goes for the state and other communities in the region. But will the early numbers be convincing? Adding to that, Bay Ferries still sails Lake Ontario under the Bahamian flag, needing certified American pilots to hoist the U.S. flag. As a result, each trip across the lake garners a $1,200 fee. Service is scheduled to shut down in January and February. Asked whether Bay Ferries would resolve the flag issue by March, Cormier said he "can't put absolutes on it." Officials said the crossing fees are included in the $7 million in operating expenses totaled through August. The operating budget that Rochester Ferry Co. approved in June called for spending $13.2 million this year. From the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle |
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Transport Canada - No further action on canal bump by Mississagi 10/28 - Transport Canada has finished investigating what caused a freighter to run into a wall of the Welland Canal in August and is not proceeding with further action. The Mississagi, which is owned by Port Dover-based Lower Lakes Towing, bumped into a canal wall just north of Allanburg on Aug. 9. The company says the 62-year-old freighter had a steering gear malfunction. Transport Canada inspected the Mississagi following the collision and deemed it seaworthy. The vessel had also been inspected in March, as part of the federal agency’s regular ship inspections. There were no outstanding concerns or issues resulting from that inspection. The Transportation Safety Board had also previously said it was not filing a report on the incident, considering it relatively minor. From the St. Catharines Standard |
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Erie Canal Passes EPA Testing 10/28 - Environmental testing inside the old Erie Canal Flight Locks, in Lockport, NY, came back negative for heavy toxins during late October. This good news will allow the State of New York to begin preparations for full restoration of the set of five original locks that are now used as a spillway for two more modern locks that sit alongside them. The first phase will involve the removal of 1,035 tons of sediment that has built up inside the old lock chambers in the nearly 100 years that they have been out of service. $2.9 million in federal and state aid has been set aside for the project that is expected to wrap up in 2007. Local and State officials were present on the Wednesday to commemorate the 180th anniversary of the opening of the Erie Canal. School children were on hand to witness the firing of a cannon while local historians read speeches from 1825. Dignitaries boarded a canal cruise ship for a tour of the flight lock complex as the mayor of Lockport reenacted the canal's opening day ceremony. |
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Port Report - October 28 Saginaw River -Todd Shorkey The Fred R. White, Jr. is due at the Valley Asphalt dock in Carrollton Friday morning at 8:00 a.m. |
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Photo Gallery Updates - October 28 News Photo Gallery updatedPublic Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 28 On 28 October 1891, DAVID STEWART (3-mast wooden schooner, 171 foot, 545 gross tons, built in 1867, at Cleveland, Ohio) was dragged ashore off Fairport, Ohio by a strong gale. She was stranded and declared a total loss. However, she was salvaged and repaired in 1892 and lasted one more year. The CANADIAN PIONEER's maiden voyage was on October 28, 1981, to Conneaut, Ohio to take on coal for Nanticoke, Ontario. The CANADIAN TRANSPORT was launched October 28, 1978, for Upper Lakes Shipping Ltd., Toronto, Ontario. Cleveland Tankers GEMINI was christened October 28, 1978, at Huron, Ohio. The GEORGE M CARL was launched October 28, 1922, by American Ship Building Co. at Lorain, Ohio as a.) FRED G HARTWELL (2) (Hull# 781) for the Franklin Steamship Co. D M CLEMSON (Hull# 716) was launched October 28, 1916, at Lorain, Ohio by American Ship Building Co. for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co., Cleveland, Ohio. CHARLES M WHITE was launched October 28, 1945, as a C4-S-A4 cargo ship a.) MOUNT MANSFIELD for the U.S. Maritime Commission (U.S.M.C. Hull #2369). On 28 October 1887, BESSIE BARWICK, a 135 foot wooden schooner built in 1866, at St. Catharines, Ontario as a bark, left Port Arthur for Kingston, Ontario with a load of lumber during a storm. For more than ten days, her whereabouts were unknown. In fact, a westerly gale drove her into the shallows of Michipicoten Island and she was pounded to pieces. Her crew was sheltered by local fishermen and then made it to the Soo in a small open boat. On 28 October 1882, RUDOLPH WETZEL (wooden propeller tug, 23 tons, built in 1870, at Buffalo, New York) was racing for a tow with the tug HENRY S SILL when her boiler exploded 12 miles north of Racine, Wisconsin. She quickly sank. All three on board were killed and none of the bodies were ever found. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample, the books include many other vessels with a much more detailed history |
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Most Michigan Ferries Kept Shipshape 10/27 - Mackinaw City -- Could a Lake George-style boating calamity happen in Michigan? Such a disaster appears much less likely than the sinking of the Ethan Allen, which took 19 Michiganders to their deaths in New York's Lake George. A Free Press review of cruise and ferry boat inspections found most Michigan boats in good condition, with problems corrected soon after they were identified. Furthermore, the kinds of significant structural alterations that may have contributed to the Ethan Allen's sinking would probably be challenged in the Great Lakes State. In Michigan, ferries carry vacationers and tourists to some of the state's best tourism spots, like Mackinac and Beaver islands. Three ferry companies to Mackinac alone carry the majority of the island's 800,000 visitors each year. "I've always thought they do an exemplary job of taking care of passengers," said Sandy Thompson of Harper Woods, a Mackinac Island ferry rider. "When it's rough weather, they request that you go below. I've always felt safe." But in any accident, it's usually a combination of small problems that add up to one big disaster. Take the case of the True North II. Two schoolchildren died when the Canadian tour boat sank in Lake Huron's Georgian Bay in 2000. A door couldn't keep high waves out, passengers couldn't get to the life jackets quickly, small changes to the hull made more water stay inside and there was only one crew member on board. Any one of those problems would not be fatal by itself, but together they were. Coast Guard regulations, which apply to all but a handful of cruise and tour boats working in Michigan, require retesting of vessels that have undergone major modifications. All passenger boats are tested for stability before initial licensing. For instance, the Mackinac Island ferry Capt. Shepler, built in 1986, had such a test 18 months ago after its three diesel engines were replaced by two, more fuel-efficient models, and its stern received a 7-foot extension. On Thursday, a Coast Guard crew was back at the dock in Mackinaw City, conducting annual inspections on the Capt. Shepler and two other Shepler ferries. All three passed with relatively minor deficiencies, such as not having the ship's name stenciled on a life jacket. Lt. Mark Locklear, supervisor of the Sault Ste. Marie-based inspection team, said the Mackinac ferries, like virtually all of what he calls "small passenger vessels" inspected by the Coast Guard in Michigan, take safety seriously and generally do a good job. "These companies have been in business for a while; there aren't too many startups," he said. "In my opinion, this is a pretty safe industry." Annual inspections are designed to help keep it that way. On Thursday, Locklear's team spent more than an hour aboard each ferry, checking lifesaving and firefighting equipment, engines and controls, and crawling through the ships' holds looking for cracks. One of the problems in Michigan is that the state's short boating season pushes owners to try to get as many trips in as possible to maximize profits, said Mike Thompson, a Detroit boat surveyor. That's why annual inspections are critical. Overall, the Free Press review of inspection reports indicates that most of the items cited were minor. But that doesn't mean all is well. For example, seemingly minor deficiencies -- such as dead batteries in an emergency light -- could contribute to a catastrophe. The Coast Guard inspections are comprehensive, filling a 36-page inspection list. Inspectors check everything from proper training and safety equipment to electrical and communications systems. The crew of one boat, the River Queen, was even told: "Remove the vermin from the vessel." The vermin were removed. "My impression of the Coast Guard is phenomenal. They are quite rigorous, and I think they need to be," said Steven Rybicki, general manager of Infinity Yacht Charters in St. Clair Shores. Some problems are taken more seriously than others. What would cause a boat to be grounded? Deficiencies in "firefighting and lifesaving are two things that will take it out of service," said Lt. Alan Moore, chief of vessel inspections at the Coast Guard station in Detroit. But "there's always stuff that gets overlooked, and that's why we go on board." In fact, Michigan's boats may well be better inspected than those in other states because most fall under the rigorous Coast Guard rules. The Coast Guard inspects all passenger boats in federally navigable waters, including the Great Lakes, the St. Clair and Detroit rivers and the Clinton River up to Mt. Clemens. Boats carrying passengers in other bodies of water are subject to state inspections, which, depending on the state, may not be as comprehensive. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is responsible for inspections on only 16 passenger vessels designed to carry more than six people. But state officials said the Oct. 2 disaster in New York has prompted a review of Michigan regulations. Current state rules require only that vessels heed maximum load limits. For example, a license might specify that a cruise ship can carry a maximum of 29 people, but that could be for 25 passengers and four crew or 27 passengers and two crew, and so on. State and federal regulators and boat owners all said they cannot recall a serious accident involving a Michigan passenger boat, although a near miss was recorded in Genesee County in 1993. That was when a paddle-wheeler purchased by local park operators went down on Mother's Day only two weeks after starting service on Mott Lake. Fortunately, the sinking -- with 111 people aboard -- was in about 7 feet of water and roughly 45 feet offshore. No one was hurt. The sinking was attributed to the pilot mistakenly reversing the paddle wheel and flooding the interior deck. From the Detroit Free Press |
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Alpena - Ben & Chanda
McClain The J.A.W Iglehart arrived at Lafarge on Tuesday night and tied up under the silos to take on cargo for Superior, WI. On Wednesday morning the Paul H. Townsend came into port. The Townsend was at the dock but didn't start loading until later on. The S.T Crapo along with the 'G' tugs Ohio and South Carolina departed Lafarge Wednesday morning around 9am. The tow made its way into the bay and slowly disappeared on the horizon to head back to Green Bay, WI. The Crapo was loaded on Sunday afternoon and has been tied up at the coal dock waiting for better weather conditions. Toronto - Charlie Gibbons Cleveland - Bill Kloss The Algoway was departing and the Canadian Transfer was inbound for Essroc. Sandusky - Dave Wobser Owen Sound - Ed. Saliwonchyk |
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Photo Gallery Updates - October 27 News Photo Gallery updatedPublic Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 27 While in tow of the tug MERRICK on 27 October 1879, the NIAGARA (wooden schooner, 204 foot, 764 gross tons, built in 1873, at Tonawanda, New York) collided with the PORTER (wooden schooner, 205 foot, 747 gross tons, built in 1874, at Milwaukee, Wisconsin) which was in tow of the tug WILCOX at the mouth of the Detroit River. The PORTER sank but was salvaged and repaired. She lasted another 19 years. The PAUL THAYER, b.) EARL W OGLEBAY) was christened on October 27, 1973, at Lorain, Ohio. While the JAMES R BARKER was up bound October 27, 1986, on Lake Huron above buoys 11 & 12, a high pressure fuel line on the starboard engine failed causing an engine room fire, which was extinguished by on-board fire fighting equipment. Fortunately no one was injured. On October 29th the BARKER was lashed side-by-side to the thousand-foot WILLIAM J. DE LANCEY, b.) PAUL R TREGURTHA) and taken to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. On her maiden voyage the HOCHELAGA departed Collingwood on October 27, 1949, for Fort William, Ontario to load grain for Port Colborne, Ontario. The FRANCIS E HOUSE was laid up at Duluth, Minnesota on October 27, 1960, and remained idle there until April, 1966, when she was sold to the Kinsman Marine Transit Co., Cleveland and was renamed c.) KINSMAN INDEPENDENT. On October 27, 1973, the HENRY LA LIBERTÉ struck an embankment while backing from the Frontier Dock Slip at Buffalo, New York and damaged her steering gear beyond repair. As a consequence she was laid up there. The RED WING and the FRANK A SHERMAN departed Lauzon, Quebec on October 27, 1986, in tandem tow by the Vancouver based deep-sea tug CANADIAN VIKING bound for scrapping in Taiwan. On 27 October 1869, ALFRED ALLEN (wooden schooner, 160 tons, built in 1853, at Pultneyville, New Jersey as J J MORLEY) was bound for Toledo, Ohio with 500 barrels of salt when she went on the Mohawk Reef near Port Colborne, Ontario in a blizzard. She washed free and drifted to the mainland beach where she was pounded to pieces. No lives were lost. During a snow storm on the night of 27 October 1878, the propeller QUEBEC of the Beatty Line ran aground on Magnetic Shoals near Cockburn Island on Lake Huron. She was four miles from shore and one of her arches was broken in the accident. October 27, 1854 - Well-known Pere Marquette carferry captain Joseph "Joe" Russell was born in Greenfield, Wisconsin. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes at B.G.S.U and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample, the books include many other vessels with a much more detailed history |
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Sailor's Wife Dies 10/26 - Barbara (Versey) Zeitler – wife of Robert Zeitler who sailed for Reiss, Kinsman, and US Steel, and mother of Interlake Steamship’s marine traffic supervisor – passed away on Sunday, October23, 2005, after a lengthy struggle with cancer. Barbara was a member and President of the Berkshire School Band Tunebackers from 1977 until the present, and a member of the Great Geauga County Fair Board. She was known by many in the Great Lakes shipping industry, and loved sailing with her husband during his career on the Great Lakes. Born April 20, 1938, in Sheboygan WI, she was the daughter of Albina (Francis) Versey of Sheboygan, and the late John Versey. She is survived by her husband Robert Zeitler of Claridon Twp, OH (whom she married January 30, 1959, in Sheboygan WI), sons David and Derek Zeitler, one daughter, Dawn Zeitler, and six grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to the Berkshire Tunebackers, c/o Berkshire High School, P. O. Box 365 Burton, OH 44021 |
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Port Reports - October 26 Toronto - Charlie Gibbons Kingston - Ron Walsh The Georgian Clipper, a new vessel to Kingston, has undergone her five year inspection and will also be in lay-up in the Inner Harbour. The Senator has also arrived from Ottawa. The Sea Prince from Rockport is scheduled to undergo repairs in Kingston Wednesday and then return to Rockport. Milwaukee - Paul Erspamer Tuesday Chios Pride had again shifted southward along the wall in the inner harbor to make room at the Nidera elevator for Canadian Ranger. The Ranger was loading grain Tuesday afternoon. Chios Pride, which had waited patiently at anchor last week for a grain berth to become available (and which is still apparently without cargo) has now backed up almost to the unloading conveyors at St. Mary's Cement. Also Tuesday, the former U.S. Coast Guard buoy tender/lighthouse tender Maple was moored to a face pier at the Milwaukee Yacht Club, near McKinley Marina. Reports are the Maple was acquired for rehab and possible tours by a local marina owner. Cross-lake high-speed ferry "Lake Express" routinely loaded vehicles Tuesday, into the last week of its two-crossings-daily fall schedule between Muskegon and Milwaukee. The Lake Express will move to a berth in the inner harbor after it concludes its second season of service on Oct. 31. Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey and Gordy Garris The James Norris, who had also arrived Monday evening, departed the Saginaw Rock Products dock in Saginaw, turned in the Sixth Street basin and was outbound for the lake Tuesday afternoon. |
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Photo Gallery Updates - October 26 News Photo Gallery updatedPublic Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 26 On 26 October 1878, the new steamer CITY OF DETROIT (composite side-wheel passenger-package freight steamer, 234 foot, 1094 gross tons, built in 1878, at Wyandotte, Michigan) arrived in Detroit from Cleveland with 276 tons of freight, mostly iron, on deck, and no freight in her hold. This experiment was tried to see if the steamer would show any signs of "crankiness", even under a load so placed. She responded well and lived up to the expectations of her designers. On 26 October 1882, the sunken schooner-barge NELLIE MC GILVRAY was dynamited as a hazard to navigation by the Portage River Improvement Company. She sank at the entrance to the Portage Canal in the Keweenaw Peninsula on 28 August 1882, and all attempts to raise her failed. LOUIS R DESMARAIS was christened October 26,1977. Renamed b.) CSL LAURENTIEN in 2001. On October 26, 1968, the R BRUCE ANGUS grounded in the St. Lawrence River near Beauharnois, Quebec Sixteen hundred tons of iron ore were lightered to free her and she damaged 65 bottom plates. The HUTCHCLIFFE HALL and OREFAX were sold October 26, 1971, to the Consortium Ile d'Orleans of Montreal made up of Richelieu Dredging Corp., Mc Namara Construction Ltd. and The J.P. Porter Co. Ltd. On October 26, 1924, the E A S CLARKE of 1907, anchored in the Detroit River opposite the Great Lakes Engineering Works because of dense fog was struck by the B F JONES of 1906, near her after deckhouse which caused the CLARKE to sink. No lives were lost. On October 26, 1977, the MENIHEK LAKE struck a lock in the St. Lawrence Seaway sustaining damage estimated at $400,000. On October 26, 1971, the ROGERS CITY’s, A-frame collapsed while unloading at Carrollton, Michigan on the Saginaw River. Her unloading boom was cut away and temporary repairs were made at Defoe Shipbuilding Co., Bay City, Michigan. The tug ROUILLE was launched on October 26, 1929, as Hull 83 of Collingwood Shipyards Ltd. The schooner HEMISPHERE, which was being sought by the U.S. Marshals at Detroit and the St. Lawrence River, escaped at the Gallop Rapids and has gone to sea. On 26 October 1851, ATLAS (wooden propeller, 153 foot, 375 tons, built in 1851, at Buffalo, New York) was carrying flour from Detroit to Buffalo when she was blown to shore near the mouth of the Grand River (Lorain, Ohio) by a gale, stranded and became a total loss. No lives were lost. On 26 October 1895, GEORGE W DAVIS (wooden schooner, 136 foot, 299 gross tons, built in 1872, at Toledo, Ohio) was carrying coal in a storm on Lake Erie when she stranded near Port Maitland, Ontario. A few days after the stranding, she floated off on her own, drifted two miles up the beach and sank. No lives were lost. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember seriesThis is a small sample, the books include many other vessels with a much more detailed history |
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Ohio Trying to Promote Historic Shipwreck Locations 10/25 - Kelleys Island, OH - When state officials tried to mark several Lake Erie shipwreck sites as preserves two years ago, they tousled with property owners over land rights. Now the state, lake historians and underwater archeologists are hoping to mark four of the lake's zones as "underwater trailways." The routes would guide divers to historic shipwrecks without parceling off properties. "The trailways idea is to promote Lake Erie, hopefully without making people uncomfortable," said Constance Livchak, supervisor of the Division of Geologic Survey with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. "It's not a boundary, where there's a box. A trailway is more of a guide from one shipwreck to the next." Lake Erie has at least 1,500 shipwrecks, many dating back to the late 1800s and early 1900s when shipping traffic there was heavier. About 600 of those wrecks are in Ohio, said Chris Gillchrist, executive director of the Great Lakes Historical Society. ODNR is vying for a three-year, $220,000 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to kick off the mapping plan. If the grant goes through, the state will add $63,000 to the project's budget. The leader on the project is Dave Kelch, an associate professor and district specialist with Ohio State University's Sea Grant Extension program. He said he hopes to publish a 16- to 20-page guide to shipwrecks in four Lake Erie zones. The brochure will include photographs, historical details and coordinates that will allow divers to locate the sites with global positioning equipment. He also wants to set up a Web site with virtual dives for surfers who don't want to get their feet wet. The plan is based on a Wisconsin program that maps out dozens of shipwrecks in Lakes Michigan and Superior. "There's a lot of support and a lot of interest in the maritime history of the Great Lakes," said Keith Meverden, a Wisconsin underwater archaeologist. The expense of documenting each shipwreck's location and remains is high, said Gillchrist, so putting together an exhaustive database would be nearly impossible. "What we're striving for is a representation of the diversity of boats," he said, "so that as people go through these trails, they understand that passenger boats and other work boats were subject to the same forces of nature." The Division of Geologic Survey is using sonar equipment to learn more about Ohio's wreck sites, said Livchak during an exploration of a 1911 shipwreck off of Kelleys Island. |
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Port Reports - October 25 Saginaw - Gordy Garris Next, was the James Norris who continued all the way upriver to unload her cargo at the Saginaw Rock Products dock during the evening on Monday. She was expected to be outbound the Saginaw River Tuesday morning. St. Lawrence River - Ron Walsh |
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Photo Gallery Updates - October 25 News Photo Gallery updatedPublic Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 25 On 25 October 1872, the crew of the small tug P P PRATT (wooden propeller steam tug, 14 tons, built in 1866, at Buffalo, New York), went to dinner at a nearby hotel while the tug was docked in Oswego, New York. While they were gone, the tug’s boiler exploded. A large piece of the boiler, weighing about five hundred pounds, landed on the corner of West First and Cayuga Street. A six-foot piece of rail impaled itself in the roof of the Oswego Palladium Newspaper’s offices. Amazingly, no one was hurt. The hulk was raised the following week and the engine was salvaged. On 25 October 1888, AMETHYST (wooden propeller tug, 14 gross tons, built in 1868, at Buffalo, New York) caught fire and burned to a total loss at Duluth, Minnesota. The ALGOBAY departed on her maiden voyage October 25, 1978, from Collingwood light for Stoneport, Michigan to load stone for Sarnia, Ontario. The STERNECLIFFE HALL entered service for the Hall Corporation of Canada on October 25, 1947. The HURON arrived at Santander, Spain October 25, 1973, in consort with her sister WYANDOTTE towed by the German tug DOLPHIN X. for scrapping. October 25, 1895 - SHENANGO NO 2 (later PERE MARQUETTE 16) was launched in Toledo, Ohio. She was built by the Craig Shipbuilding Company for the United States & Ontario Steam Navigation Company and later became part of the Pere Marquette carferry fleet. The engines of the propeller WESTMORELAND, which sank in 1854, near Skillagalee Reef in Lake Michigan, were recovered and arrived at Chicago on 25 October 1874. ARK was built on the burned out hull of the steamer E K COLLINS as a side wheel passenger steamer in 1853, at Newport, Michigan, but she was later cut down to a barge. On 25 October 1866, she was being towed along with three other barges down bound from Saginaw, Michigan in a storm.. Her towline parted and she disappeared with her crew of 6. The other three tow-mates survived. There was much speculation about ARK's whereabouts until identifiable wreckage washed ashore 100 miles north of Goderich, Ontario. On 25 October 1833, JOHN BY (wooden stern-wheeler, 110 foot, built in 1832, at Kingston, Ontario) was on her regular route between York (now Toronto) and Kingston, Ontario when a storm drove her ashore near Port Credit, a few miles from York. Her terrible handling in open lake water set the precedent that stern-wheelers were not compatible with lake commerce. On 25 October 1887, VERNON (wooden propeller passenger/package-freight steamer, 158 foot, 560 tons, built in 1886, at Chicago, Illinois) foundered in a gale 6 miles northeast of Two Rivers Point on Lake Michigan. The death toll was estimated at 31 - 36. The sole survivor was picked up on a small raft two days later by the schooner POMEROY. He was on the raft with a dead body. Most casualties died of exposure. There were accusations at the time that the vessel was overloaded causing the cargo doors to be left open which allowed the water to pour in during the storm. This accusation was confirmed in 1969 (82 years after the incident) when divers found the wreck and indeed the cargo doors were open. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember seriesThis is a small sample, the books include many other vessels with a much more detailed history |
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Seaway Iroquois Lock Suffers Power Failure Update - Traffic was restored by early afternoon. 10/24 - 1:17 p.m. - The Iroquois lock is unable to operate due to a power failure. The latest information says they will be resuming shipping in the late afternoon, at the earliest. At 1250, the Pineglen and Royale Pescadores were tied at Iroquois Upper Wall., while the Federal Asahi and Cedarglen will be anchored at Prescott. The Algosea is tied at the lower Iroquois wall. They do not even have power for their radio station. All traffic is being monitored on channel 12 by Seaway Eisenhower. Reported by Ron Walsh |
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Governor Celebrates Shipyard in Erie 10/24 - Erie — Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell today delivered $750,000 in funding to support the development and construction of the Bay Front Convention Center, a major economic development project that is expected to create 200 jobs in Erie. Additionally, the Governor celebrated the opening of Erie Shipbuilding, LLC, a new shipbuilding and repair facility located at the Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority-owned shipyard that also is expected to create 200 new jobs. Last year, Pennsylvania offered $2 million to upgrade the vessel repairs facilities at the port, money that will be used by the Western Pennsylvania Port Authority to complete the dry dock for the new shipbuilder. “Creating 400 new jobs in Erie is tremendous news for the city and entire region,” Governor Rendell said. “Pennsylvania is aggressively competing for new jobs and the investments we’re making are helping to produce positive results for our economy. In the last 12 months, job growth has been the largest Pennsylvania has seen in nearly five years, and we are just 7,700 jobs shy of an all-time high number of jobs in Pennsylvania - 5.7 million, which was set in 2001. “Pennsylvania is not only making investments to attract new businesses and jobs, it is creating an environment to support the growth of our companies and the revitalization of our towns and cities,” Governor Rendell added. “These two projects show how committed we are to delivering new jobs to Pennsylvanians. “The creation of Erie Shipbuilding in the Northwest, coupled with the promise of new maritime jobs for Erie, signifies that shipbuilding is alive and well in Pennsylvania, and by supporting strong projects like the Convention Center, we are laying the groundwork for our continued economic success for years to come.” At ceremonies to celebrate the opening of Erie Shipbuilding, Governor Rendell presented the Erie County Convention Center Authority (ECCCA) with a $750,000 Infrastructure and Facilities Improvement Program (IFIP) grant for the development of the Bay Front Convention Center. Erie Shipbuilding is a joint venture between privately held companies Van Enkevort Tug and Barge (VET&B) and K&K Warehousing that will create at least 200 new jobs in Erie. The new shipbuilding and repair facility will be located at the Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority-owned shipyard. The project was a united effort between PennPORTS, a division within the Department of Community and Economic Development, and the Erie Port Authority. VET&B has committed to build a new 780-foot self-unloading laker (barge) and four 135-foot icebreaker certified tugs, which are scheduled to go into operation in 2008. The company has also committed to converting at least four additional 780 foot-long straight deckers and self-unloading barges in the next five years. The Erie Port Authority and VET&B have entered into and executed a five-year lease with two renewable five-year options. |
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Port Reports - October 24 Buffalo - Brian Wroblewski The Karen Andrie came in with her asphalt barge around 4:15 p.m. Sunday afternoon, also headed for Tonawanda. Marquette - Lee Rowe Duluth - Al Miller Monday morning was quieter. Montrealais was ready to load at HSC. Herbert C. Jackson was loading at Midwest Energy Terminal with coal bound for the Shiras plant at Marquette, Mich. Ziemia Zamojska was loading at AGP elevator in Duluth. Toronto - Charlie Gibbons Algosteel arrived early Sunday morning and tied up at the Redpath Sugar dock. She is carrying a load of sugar which was originally slated for Canadian Ranger. This is the second self-unloader to use the new hopper facility at Redpath. |
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Photo Gallery Updates - October 24 News Photo Gallery updatedPublic Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 24 On 24 October 1886, the wooden steam barge RUDOLPH burned on Lake St. Clair and was beached. She was loaded with lumber from East Saginaw, Michigan for Cleveland, Ohio. On 24 October 1902, W T CHAPPELL (2-mast wooden schooner, 72 foot, 39 gross tons, built in 1877, at Sebewaing, Michigan) was carrying stove wood from Grand Marais, Michigan to the Soo in a severe storm on Lake Superior when she sprang a leak. She was blown over and sank 4 miles from the Vermillion Life Saving Station. The Life Saving crew rescued the 2-man crew in the surf boat and took them to the Whitefish Point Lighthouse for the night since the storm was so severe. The c.) TEXACO WARRIOR was launched October 24, 1969, as a.) THUNTANK 6. The PHILIP D BLOCK along with the W W HOLLOWAY scrap tow arrived Recife, Brazil. October 24, 1986. The THOMAS W LAMONT and her former fleet mate, ENDERS M VOORHEES arrived at Alegeciras, Spain on October 24, 1987, on the way to the cutters torch. The LAMONT was one of the last bulkers that retained her telescoping hatch covers to the very end. The NIPIGON BAY arrived Thunder Bay, Ontario on October 24, 1980, where repairs were made from damage caused by her grounding earlier in the month. On 24 October 1855, ALLEGHENY (wooden propeller, 178 foot, 468 tons, built in 1849, at Cleveland, Ohio) was carrying general merchandise and passengers in a storm, when she anchored near the Milwaukee harbor entrance for shelter. She lost her stack and then was unable to get up steam and was helpless. She dragged her anchor and came in close to the beach where she was pounded to pieces. There was no loss of life. Her engine and most of her cargo were removed by the end of the month. Her engine was installed in a new vessel of the same name built to replace her. On 24 October 1873, just a month after being launched, the scow WAUBONSIE capsized at St. Clair, Michigan and lost her cargo of bricks. She was righted and towed to Port Huron, minus masts, rigging and bowsprit, for repairs. On 24 October 1886, LADY DUFFERIN (3-mast wooden schooner-barge, 135 foot, 356 gross tons, built at Port Burwell, Ontario) was lost from the tow of the propeller W B HALL and went ashore near Cabot Head on Georgian Bay. No lives were lost, but the vessel was a total loss. On 24 October 1953, the Yankcanuck Steamship Lines' MANZZUTTI (steel crane ship, 246 foot, 1558 gross tons, built in 1903, at Buffalo, New York as J S KEEFE) ran aground south of the channel into the Saugeen River. The tug RUTH HINDMAN from Killarney pulled her free. No damage was reported. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample, the books include many other vessels with a much more detailed history. |
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Lake Express Ends Season Early Again 10/23 - The Lake Express high-speed ferry service between Muskegon and Milwaukee had a great year with a big increase in ridership. But for the second year in a row, the ferry will cut its planned shipping season short, ending operations Oct. 31. Lake Express reports its sophomore year brought increased ridership, improved customer acceptance and a successful season of operating a new ride-control system. Lake Express officials in Milwaukee planned their first two seasons to continue through Dec. 31. However, customer demand did not justify keeping the ship running into early winter. President Ken Szallai said Great Lakes ferry operations have historically ended operations in mid to late fall. The Ludington-based Lake Michigan Carferry's SS Badger continued operations this year through Oct. 16. And even though the 292-foot catamaran ferry could handle the late fall and early winter conditions on Lake Michigan, "old notions" of not wanting to travel on the lake in November and December die hard, he said. Lake Express will have to do a better job of educating the traveling public of the ship's availability in November and December, Szallai said. Although not releasing specific numbers, Lake Express officials report a 10-15 percent increase in ridership for its second season. Lake Express carried more than 110,000 passengers its first year in 2004, company officials have indicated. "Lake Express is wrapping up another great year of business," Szallai said. "But even more important than this year's business success is the fact that our customers were extremely happy with their experience aboard the Lake Express." Internal company surveys showed that 97 percent of the riders this season say they would travel on the Lake Express again and would recommend the service to others. The ferry company worked hard on its first off season to improve operations in both terminal buildings, food service, crew relations with passengers and upgrading the premiere business class experience. One of the largest improvements over first-year operations was the installation of $450,000 T-foil stabilization wings on the ferry's two hulls. The computerized, hydraulic stabilizers damped the ship's movement in high wind and waves. Although not eliminating seasickness on board, it significantly reduced it, ferry officials say. The stabilizers allowed the Lake Express to better stay on schedule and sail bad-weather days that kept the ferry in port the first year. The Lake Express has been operating a two round-trip-a-day schedule since Oct. 2. Szallai said Lake Express will consider keeping its three round-trip-a-day summer schedule next year through October. Just like motorists at the pump, Lake Express has been shocked by the rising price of fuel over the past six months. To adjust to fuel increases, Lake Express used a fuel surcharge per crossing on each passenger ticket. The charge began the season in May at $1.25 per crossing and has risen to $5 by season's end. The Lake Express will spend the winter in Milwaukee and be put back into service April 29 next year, two weeks earlier than the 2005 season and a month earlier than 2004. Passengers can begin making reservations for the 2006 sailing season after the first of the year. The specific 2006 sail schedule and rates have yet to be announced. Reported by Bob VandeVusse from the Muskegon Chronicle. |
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Historic Beacon has New Owners 10/23 - A historic Port Huron landmark is staying put - and getting about $1 million in restoration efforts. The federal government Friday accepted the National Park Service's recommendation that the city of Port Huron receive ownership of the 176-year-old Fort Gratiot Lighthouse. The ownership transfer comes after about five years of work by officials in the city and Port Huron Museum, which will operate and maintain Michigan's oldest lighthouse. "The Fort Gratiot Lighthouse is such a significant part of this community's history," said Stephen R. Williams, Port Huron Museum director. "And that historic symbol is going to keep standing now and be around for generations to come." Williams said officials would begin developing a detailed restoration plan for the lighthouse. He said early plans call for restoring the exterior to how it appeared in the 1930s or '40s. Williams said restoration would cost about $1 million, and work could start late next year. Joel Garinger of St. Clair Shores walked Friday afternoon along the Thomas Edison Parkway. He comes up to the area about five times a year and has the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse on his list of spots to check out. "It's nice to see that they're going to preserve it," he said. "I know a lot of people who are really into lighthouses, travel all over the place to see them. This will be something special for this area." Because improved technology has made lighthouses obsolete, the Coast Guard began transferring ownership of the lighthouses to eliminate the cost of maintaining them. In 2000, the federal government passed a law allowing municipalities and other nonprofit groups the chance to own the lighthouse if fficials could show they would restore and preserve the structures. Port Huron City Manager Tom Hutka said the lighthouse would be a wonderful addition to the city's museum system. This is a symbol of the city and its history," he said. "And we think it's going to be an attraction that will help with our economic-development efforts |
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Salvagers and Michigan cut deal on sunken ship believed in Lake Michigan 10/23 - Grand Rapids - The State of Michigan and a salvaging company have agreed to work together to determine whether a 17th-century French vessel rests at the bottom of northern Lake Michigan. After more than a year of legal maneuvering, the agreement was disclosed during a hearing Thursday in U.S. District Court. What has yet to be determined is whether the wreck of the Griffin belongs to Michigan or France. Great Lakes Exploration Group LLC, led by its president, Steve Libert, believes it may have found the ship between Escanaba and the St. Martin Islands, near Wisconsin. The precise location has not been publicly revealed because of looting concerns. The company and some state scientists will visit the site next spring and invite representatives from France and the Field Museum of Chicago to join them. Rick Robol, an attorney from Columbus, Ohio, representing the salvagers, told The Grand Rapids Press for a story published Friday that it may be possible to determine details about the wreck without bringing up pieces. For example, "there may be cannons aboard," he said. "Both sides have agreed to explore working together in an effort to identify the target," Allison Pierce, a spokeswoman for Attorney General Mike Cox, said Friday. The Griffin -- also spelled Griffon in some references -- is considered by historians to be the first European trade ship to sail lakes Huron and Michigan. It was crudely built in 1679 in the wilderness near Niagara Falls by French explorer Robert de La Salle but sank, probably during a storm, during one of its first voyages. La Salle was not on board, but the ship went down with five or six crew members and a load of furs, said Scott Demel, an archaeologist at Chicago's Field Museum. Demel has been working on the project for a couple of years with Libert, who lives in Oak Hill, Va., but also has a home in northern Michigan's Charlevoix. "We're pretty excited and hopeful that all these parties can work together," Demel said Friday. Radiocarbon testing of an artifact found near the purported shipwreck site indicated that the item could have come from the same time period as the Griffin, he said. Great Lakes Exploration filed a lawsuit in 2004 seeking to become custodian of what Libert believes is the shipwreck site. Trying to protect its interests, the state intervened, saying the debris found could be simply barn timber. Michigan typically has authority over abandoned ships, but France has expressed a strong interest in the Griffin. The U.S. Department of State is prepared to argue that France owns the wreck, if it is the Griffin, because La Salle was sailing under authority of a king, Robol said. La Salle's other ship, La Belle, was discovered in the mid-1990s off the Texas coast. With approval from France, state archaeologists there recovered nearly 1 million artifacts, from human bones to muskets, and publicly displayed many of them. The Texas experience "could become a model" for Michigan if the Griffin has been located, Robol said. |
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Port Reports - October 23 Buffalo - Brian Wroblewski The Karen Andrie departed for Cleveland Saturday morning with her barge at 9:00 a.m. Alpena - Ben & Chanda McClain The Fred R. White Jr. brought a load of coal from Ashtabula to Lafarge on Thursday morning. The McM Marine tug Mohawk and dredge barge departed the Thunder Bay River at 7:00 a.m. on Thursday. The St. Mary's Challenger made a rare visit to Alpena on Thursday to load cement for the Lafarge Springwells dock in Detroit. The Challenger arrived around 11:00 a.m. and was heading out into the lake before 7:00 p.m. On Thursday afternoon the Fred R. White Jr. loaded at Stoneport, with the Algorail to follow after the White Jr. On Friday evening the Paul H. Townsend made its way into port to take on cargo under the silos. The G. L. Ostrander/ barge Integrity departed early Saturday morning. The much anticipated tow of the St Crapo safely arrived in Alpena at about 10:30 a.m. Saturday morning. The "G" tug Ohio was on the bow and another tug (name unknown) was at the stern. The tow slowly and carefully made its way through the shipping channel into Lafarge where the tugs manuvered the Crapo into the coal dock slip. The Crapo remains tied up there until it is time for loading under the silos (possibly on Sunday). Saginaw River - Gordy Garris Marquette - Lee Rowe Erie Canal - Jim Hastings |
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Photo Gallery Updates - October 23 News Photo Gallery updatedPublic Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 23 On 23 October 1887, the small wooden scow-schooner LADY ELGIN was driven ashore about one mile north of Goderich, Ontario in a severe storm that claimed numerous other vessels. By 26 October, she was broken up by the waves. The c.) CECILIA DESGAGNES was launched October 23, 1970, as a.) CARL GORTHON, for Rederi A/B Gylfe, Hälsingborg, Sweden. The rail car ferry GRAND RAPIDS was launched October 23, 1926, at Manitowoc, Wisconsin for the Grand Trunk-Milwaukee Car Ferry Co., Muskegon, Michigan. She entered service in December of 1926. WILLIAM B SCHILLER (Hull#372) was launched October 23, 1909, at Lorain, Ohio for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co., Cleveland, Ohio. October 23, 1953 - The steamer SPARTAN arrived Ludington on her maiden voyage. Captain Harold A. Altschwager was in command. On 23 October 1868, F T BARNEY (wooden schooner, 255 tons, built in 1856, at Vermilion, Ohio) collided with the schooner TRACY J BRONSON and sank below Nine Mile Point, Northwest of Rogers City in Lake Michigan. The wreck was found in 1987, and sits in deep water, upright in almost perfect condition. On 23 October 1873, the wooden steam barge GENEVA was loaded with wheat and towing the barge GENOA in a violent storm on Lake Superior. She bent her propeller shaft and the flailing blades cut a large hole in her stern. The water rushed in and she went down quickly 15 miles off Caribou Island. No lives were lost. This was her first season of service. She was one of the first bulk freighters with the classic Great Lakes fore and aft deck houses. On 23 October 1883, JULIA (2-mast wooden schooner, 89 foot, 115 gross tons, built in 1875, at Smith's Falls, Ontario) was coming into Oswego harbor with a load of barley when she struck a pier in the dark and sank. No lives were lost. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample, the books include many other vessels with a much more detailed history |
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Mackinaw Passes with Flying Colors 10/22 - Cheboygan - If you happened to drive past the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Mackinaw this week, you may have noticed a broom attached to the ship's mast. During World War II, specifically from late 1942 to early 1943, it became customary for a broom to be tied to the shears of a submarine returning from a successful patrol, indicating that it had made a “clean sweep” or sunk everything possible. Those crews had completed their mission with flying colors. The Mackinaw breaks ice and does not submerge, yet the symbolism of the broom still holds true. The crew of the giant icebreaker, in its final year of service on the soon-to-be de-commissioned vessel, completed a “clean sweep” of its Tailored Annual Cutter Training. The Mac will be awarded the Coast Guard “O” for overall operational readiness, and the crew earned the Coast Guard's “E” ribbon as recognition for its overall excellence. “TACT is a two-week period of intensive drills and training designed to make Mackinaw crewmembers a more cohesive, efficiently functioning unit that can effectively respond to emergent and non-standard evolutions,” stated Ensign Beth Newton, the ship's public affairs officer. “Some of the training scenarios held on the Mackinaw included drills for man overboard, precision anchoring, engineering space fire, small boat operations and engineering casualty control exercises. Newton said a towing evolution was also performed with the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Biscayne Bay. The exercises were graded by members of the Afloat Training Group from Mayport, Fla. The Mackinaw is spending this week underway in Lake Superior conducting area familiarization for the upcoming ice season. The ship is scheduled to visit Duluth, Minn., and Superior, Wis., Friday and Saturday for tours but had to skip a planned stop at Thunder Bay, Ont., Canada due to heavy weather. The Mac is due to return to Cheboygan Sunday. “Part of the ship's preparation for icebreaking is raising proficiency in navigating ports and waterways crucial to Great Lakes shipping,” Newton said. From the Cheboygan Tribune |
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Steering Away from Seaway Expansion 10/22 - For decades, international shippers have wanted bigger locks and channels in the St. Lawrence Seaway. Earlier this month, the Seaway’s chief in Canada said expansion is off the table, at least for a generation. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s David Sommerstein reports: Only a third of the world’s shipping fleet can fit in the Seaway. Industry has long said digging deeper drafts would bring much needed commerce to Great Lakes ports. But Dick Corfe told shippers at a conference in Toronto there’d be no changes for fifteen to twenty years. Corfe is CEO of the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation, which runs Canada’s half of the waterway. "We have to work with what we have. We have the physical constraints of the locks. The ships can’t be any bigger than the locks, and we have an obligation to try and maximize the use of the system around the current infrastructure." Corfe said the way to do that is to move goods between East Coast and Great Lakes ports by ship instead of truck or train. Corfe’s remarks come after the Army Corps of Engineers backed off a study last year that recommended expansion. Environmentalists said dredging and blasting a bigger channel would devastate Great Lakes ecology. From Great Lakes Radio Consortium |
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Christening of CCGS Cape Hearne 10/22 - The Canadian Coast Guard Cutter Cape Hearne was officially christened at 11 a.m. Saturday in Portsmouth Olympic Harbour, Kingston. The sponsor of the vessel was Ms. Judith MacKenzie, a long time Kingston public servant. Her father and grandfather had a long marine career. The 47-foot motor lifeboat is stationed in Kingston for search and rescue duties in eastern lake Ontario, Upper St. Lawrence River area. The two crews, captained by Ray Throop and Wade Buhl, have been training on the vessel since July. The vessel has been equipped with the latest electronic navigation, communication and search gear. Top speed is 26 knots. The vessel replaces the CCGC Bittern which has been decommissioned since July. Reported by Ron Walsh |
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Work Starts on Desmond Ship Watching Facility 10/22 - Bob Babcook and his grandson, Mikey, ventured Thursday
afternoon to Vantage Point in Port Huron hoping to get some goodies at Anchor
Fries. They discovered the french-fry wagon and London's Ice Cream truck had
closed for the season, so they enjoyed the view of the St. Clair River from
their seats on the sea wall. Acheson Ventures spokesman Paul Maxwell said the building, which will be composed of six modular trailers, should be finished by the end of November. Maxwell said the building, which will feature a glass face, also can be used by organizations offering maritime events. A more permanent building will be built if everything is successful at the site, he said. Babcook of Port Huron frequently brings his grandson to the site. On Thursday, Mikey, 2, pointed at the birds as they skimmed the water. "All this revitalization here is really the greatest thing that has happened to this town," Babcook said. "And building a place where you can watch the ships is a great idea. It'll keep people inside out of the winter weather." Maxwell, who has declined to give a cost for the project, said while the ship-watching facility will be open in the winter, the french-fry wagon and ice-cream truck will return in the spring. "We're really just testing the waters now with the ship-watching facility," he said. "And if it's successful, like we think it will be, it could become something more permanent. We're really looking at this area as our maritime center." From the Port Huron Times-Herald |
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Port Report - October 22 Prescott - Ron Walsh The Algosoo has been anchored in Prince Edward Bay since yesterday. As of 1730 she was still there. The Algoma list says she has coal for a Lake Ontario port. |
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Photo Gallery Updates - October 22 News Photo Gallery updatedPublic Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 22 On 22 October 1903, while being towed by the GETTYSBURG in the harbor at Grand Marais, Michigan in a severe storm, the SAVELAND (wooden schooner, 194 foot, 689 gross tons, built in 1873, at Milwaukee, Wisconsin) was torn away and thrown against some pilings which punctured her hull. She sank to her main deck and was pounded to pieces by the storm waves. No lives were lost. The tug PRESQUE ISLE completed her sea trials on October 22, 1973, in New Orleans. On October 22, 1986, the ALGOCEN spilled about four barrels of diesel fuel while refueling at the Esso Dock at Sarnia. The TOM M GIRDLER departed South Chicago light on her maiden voyage, October 22, 1951, bound for Escanaba, Michigan where she loaded 13,900 tons of ore for delivery to Cleveland, Ohio. The THORNHILL of 1906, a.) ISHPEMING, grounded on October 22, 1973, just above the Sugar Island ferry crossing in the St. Marys River. On 22 October 1887, C.O.D. (wooden schooner-barge, 140 foot, 289 gross tons, built in 1873, at Grand Haven, Michigan) was carrying wheat in Lake Erie in a northwest gale. She was beached three miles east of Port Burwell, Ontario and soon broke up. Most of the crew swam to shore, but the woman who was the cook was lashed to the rigging and she perished. October 22, 1929 - The steamer MILWAUKEE (formerly MANISTIQUE MARQUETTE AND NORTHERN 1) sank in a gale with a loss of all 52 hands. 21 bodies were recovered. Captain Robert Mc Kay was in command. On October 27, 1929, a Coast Guard patrolman near South Haven, Michigan, picked up the ship's message case, containing the following handwritten note:"S.S. MILWAUKEE, OCTOBER 22/29 8:30 p.m. The ship is taking water fast. We have turned around and headed for Milwaukee. Pumps are working but sea gate is bent in and can't keep the water out. Flicker is flooded. Seas are tremendous. Things look bad. Crew roll is about the same as on last payday. (signed) A.R. Sadon, Purser." On 22 October 1870, JENNIE BRISCOE (wooden schooner, 85 foot, 82 tons, built in 1870, at Detroit, Michian) was raised from where she sank off Grosse Ile, Michigan a couple of months earlier. She was in her first season of service when she collided with the propeller FREE STATE and sank there. Her raised wreck was sold Canadian in 1871, and she was rebuilt as the propeller scow HERALD. In a severe gale on 22 October 1873, the three barges DAVID MORRIS, GLOBE, and SAGINAW from Bay City grounded and sank off Point Pelee on Lake Erie. On 22 October 1887, DOLPHIN (wooden schooner-barge, 107 foot, 147 tons, built in 1855, at Milan, Ohio) and G D NORRIS (2-mast wooden schooner, 128 foot, 262 gross tons, built in 1856, at Cleveland, Ohio) were both carrying lumber and were in tow of the steamer OSWEGATCHIE in a storm on Lake Huron. The tow line broke when the vessels were off Harbor Beach, Michigan. The DOLPHIN capsized and foundered. All 6 or 7 onboard perished. The NORRIS sank to her decks and her crew was rescued by the passing steamer BRECK. The NORRIS drifted ashore near Goderich, Ontario. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Max Hanley, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample, the books include many other vessels with a much more detailed history. |
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Port Reports - October 21 Prescott - Ron Walsh The Wanna Naree has been anchored at Beauharnois since 7:05 p.m., and she also has engine problems. Green Bay - Jason Leino The S.T. Crapo tow got under way at 8:30 a.m. from LaFarge. The tow was out bound Green Bay at 12:30 p.m. The H. Lee White arrived next at 8:45 a.m. with a load of coal from Ashtabula, OH. for WPS/Fox River Dock. Last to arrive was the G.L. Ostrander Integrity at 1400 with a partial load of cement from Milwaukee/Alpena for LaFarge. Buffalo - Brian Wroblewski Saginaw - Todd Shorkey The Trader arrived with a split load, lightering at Bay City Wirt and then finishing her unload at the Wirt dock in Saginaw. The pair were outbound late Thursday night. The tug Muskegon and dredge Buxton were also still working on a dredging project near the pump-out island in Saginaw Bay. |
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Photo Gallery Updates - October 21 News Photo Gallery updatedPublic Photo Gallery updated |
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Today in Great Lakes History - October 21 The Anchor Line’s CONEMAUGH (wooden propeller passenger-package freight steamer, 251 foot, 1609 gross tons, built in 1880, at W. Bay City, Michigan) and the Union Line’s NEW YORK (wooden propeller package freighter, 269 foot, 1922 gross tons, built in 1879, at Buffalo, New York) collided on the Detroit River at 7:30 p.m., 21 October 1891. The CONEMAUGH sank close to the Canadian shore. She was carrying flour and other package freight from Chicago to Buffalo. She was later raised and repaired, and lasted until 1906 when she was lost in a storm on Lake Erie. The JOHN B AIRD arrived at Sarnia, Ont. October 21, 1990, for repairs after suffering a conveyor belt fire a week earlier. The JAMES A FARRELL and fleet mate RICHARD TRIMBLE were the first vessels to lock down bound in the newly opened Davis Lock at the Soo on October 21, 1914. On October 21, 1954, the GEORGE M HUMPHREY set a record when she took aboard 22,605 gross tons of iron ore at Superior, Wisconsin. The record stood until 1960. The crew on the SAMUEL MATHER was safely removed from the badly exposed steamer on October 21, 1923, by the Eagle Harbor life saving crew. She had run aground on the 19th. It was announced on October 21, 1986, that Canada Steamship Lines and Upper Lakes Group would merge CSL's Collingwood shipyard and ULS' Port Weller shipyard and create Canadian Shipbuilding & Engineering (1986) Ltd. On 21 October 1941, AMERICA (steel tug, 80 foot, 123 gross tons, built in 1897, at Buffalo, New York) was on a cable along with the big tug OREGON off Belle Isle in the Detroit River trying to pull the steel bulk freighter B F JONES off a bar. The cable tightened, pulling AMERICA out of the water and spinning her upside down. Six of the crew of 13 lost their lives. AMERICA was later recovered. Still owned by Great Lakes Towing Co., AMERICA was renamed b.) MIDWAY in 1982 and c.) WISCONSIN in 1983. On 21 October 1916, JAMES B COLGATE (whaleback bulk freighter, 308 foot, 1713 gross tons, built in 1892, at W. Superior, Wisconsin) was carrying coal off Long Point on Lake Erie in a storm. She struck bottom in a plunge off a huge wave in one of the worst storms ever recorded on Lake Erie -- it's called the "Black Friday Storm". Of the 26 on board, only her skipper survived. The 360 foot steel freighter MERIDA also perished in this same storm. October 21, 1954 - Capt. Allen K. Hoxie, skipper of the MILWAUKEE CLIPPER, retired. On 21 October 1886, W L BROWN (wooden propeller freighter, 140 foot, 336 gross tons, built in 1872, at Oshkosh, Wisconsin as NEPTUNE) was carrying iron ore from Escanaba for DePere, Wisconsin. A storm struck while she was on Green Bay. She sprang a leak one mile from Peshtigo Reef and went down in 76 feet of water. No lives were lost. All of her outfit and machinery were removed the following summer. This vessel's first enrollment was issued at Milwaukee, Wisconsin on 22 April 1873, as NEPTUNE, but this enrollment was surrendered at Milwaukee on 30 September 1880, endorsed "broken up." However she was re-enrolled as a new vessel at Milwaukee on 15 June 1880, having been rebuilt by A. L. Johnson at Green Bay, Wisconsin as the W L BROWN. Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample, the books include many other vessels with a much more detailed history< |