On This Day: July 5

On This Day: July 5

1874 JUSTIN R. WHITING was launched at Langell’s yard at the mouth of the Pine River in St. Clair, Michigan. Her dimensions were 144 feet x 26 feet, 2 inches x 11 feet, 6 inches. Although built to be a self-powered steam barge, she was towed as a regular barge...
On This Day: July 4

On This Day: July 4

1871 The wooden propeller freighter MAINE, owned by Northern Transportation Co., had sailed from Chicago and was on Lake Ontario when Fireman Orsebius Kelley stoked the fire at 20:00 and went to the porter’s room to get a lamp. When he returned, the boiler...
On This Day: July 3

On This Day: July 3

1872 The wooden steam barge MARY MILLS was launched at P. Lester’s yard at Marysville, Michigan. GRACE DORMER (wooden propeller passenger and package freight ferry, 71 feet, 66 gross tons, built in 1868 at Buffalo, New York) had just finished loading a cargo of...
On This Day: July 2

On This Day: July 2

1870 Before noon, several attempts were made to launch the barge AGNES L. POTTER at Simon Langell’s yard at St. Clair, Michigan. Nothing happened until 15:00 when the vessel moved about 100 feet but still was not launched. The tug VULCAN arrived at 08:00 the...
On This Day: July 1

On This Day: July 1

1852 CASPIAN (wooden side-wheeler, 252 feet, 921 tons, built in 1851 at Newport, Michigan) foundered a short distance off Cleveland’s piers. Some of her gear and structural material was salvaged in the spring of 1853, and the wreck was then flattened with...