Today in Great Lakes History

[yachtsmanwilly]

Lookback #291 – Imperial Hamilton caught fire at Sarnia on Sept. 4, 1961

9/4 - The Imperial Oil tanker Imperial Hamilton caught fire while loading ethyl gasoline at Sarnia on Sept. 4, 1961. While the blaze of Sept. 4, 1961, did significant damage to the ship, it was able to complete the season operating on short runs to Sault Ste. Marie and Georgian Bay ports.

The vessel was retired at the end of the year and eventually converted to a barge. It was towed to Windsor but saw little, if any service, before being sold for use as a breakwall on Lake Michigan. Before departing, however, the pilothouse was removed and taken to Corunna, Ontario, and opened as a marine museum. Sadly, this project was not a success and, after being vandalized, it was decided to demolish the structure.

The hull saw only brief service as a breakwall. It was eventually refloated and cut up for scrap at Kewaunee, Wisconsin, in 1970.

This ship had been built at Collingwood as Hull 47 and was launched as Sarnolite on Sept. 27, 1916. It was used as a fleet training ship in the 1920s and 1930s combining east coast and Great Lakes service. Due to its work carrying bunker and crude oil, it was referred to as a “dirty ship” as compared with company carriers that hauled refined, and cleaner, products.

Imperial Oil renamed this tanker Imperial Sarnia in 1947 and then Imperial Hamilton in 1948 when the new Imperial Sarnia was finished. It operated around the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence and, in later years, hauled more refined products cleaning up its image. A new pilothouse was built at Port Dalhousie and installed over the winter of 1951-1952. This is the structure that saw limited service as a museum.

Skip Gillham





Today in Great Lakes History - September 4

On September 4,1889, the new steamer CHEROKEE (wooden propeller freighter, 209 foot, 1,002 gross tons) arrived in Port Huron, Michigan, from M. P. Lester's yard in Marine City, Michigan, for the Phoenix Iron Works in Port Huron to installed the engine and boiler. Her outfitting was completed by Carleton and Cole of Port Huron.

On September 4, 1876, CITY OF PORT HURON, a wooden steam barge, sank a few miles off shore near Lexington, Michigan, at about noon. She was heavily loaded with iron ore and sprang a leak at about 11 o'clock. Most of the crew managed to get on top of the cabin while two were in the forward rigging as she went down in 6 fathoms of water. The heavy seas washed over those on the cabin. Captain George Davis and two others floated ashore on wreckage while a fish boat picked up the five others. No lives were lost.

1921: The former laker RANDOLPH S. WARNER was cut in two to leave the Great Lakes during World War One. It was rebuilt with the pilothouse amidships and sank on this date about 40 miles off the Bosporus after reportedly striking an unrecovered mine.

1926: HARSEN, loaded with a cargo of sand, capsized and sank in a storm 3 miles northeast of the Pelee Passage Light in Lake Erie. The wooden-hulled vessel was a total loss.

1961: IMPERIAL HAMILTON caught fire while loading ethyl gasoline at Sarnia and sustained considerable damage. Six on board were injured.

1963: The Egyptian freighter SALAH ELDIN, a former Victory ship, caught fire in the crew quarters in Hamilton but the blaze was extinguished before it reached the cargo hold. The vessel almost capsized due to the weight of water but it remained upright. Two crew were injured and the Chief Steward died. The ship was towed out by GRAEME STEWART and JAMES BATTLE on November 22, 1963, for Quebec City and sold as is, where it became d) MERCANTILE VICTORY after a refit at Houston, Texas. Another fire on April 23, 1964, this time in the engine room on the Red Sea shortly after re-entering service in March 1964, led to an eventual resale to Spanish shipbreakers. The vessel arrived at Castellon for dismantling on May 10, 1965.

1967: The tugs MICHAEL McALLISTER and AMERICA towed the retired passenger ship NORTH AMERICAN through the Welland Canal enroute to a new career as a training ship for the S.I.U. at Piney Point, MD.

1972: NORSE CORAL was new when it entered the Seaway in 1962 and returned as b) TOTEM STAR in 1963. The ship opened the Seaway season on April 8, 1964, and returned to our shores as c) SILVERBEACH in 1965. It sustained heavy damage off Victoria, BC while inbound from Hong Kong to Vancouver on this date due to a collision with the C.E. DANT. The two ships were locked together. They were towed to Victoria the next day and then separated September 6. The damage was repaired and the former lakes trader survived until scrapping at Xingang, China, in 1986.


Upper Great Lakes continue to rise

9/4 - Duluth, Minn. – The Upper Great Lakes continued their meteoric 2014 rise in August, with Lake Superior’s monthly water level the highest in 18 years and lakes Michigan and Huron reaching the highest August level since 1998.

Lake Superior rose 0.4 inches in August, the usual increase for the month, and sits at 6 inches above average for Sept. 1 and 8 inches above the level at this time last year, according to the International Lake Superior Board of Control.

Lakes Huron and Michigan saw an even faster rise – up 2 inches in August, a month the lakes usually go down 2 inches. The two lakes now sit just 1 inch below their long-term Sept. 1 average, and a full 17 inches above the Sept. 1 level one year ago.

Water supply for lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron were above normal, with continued increased rain, reduced evaporation and more stream inflow.

The upper lakes have been on an upward trajectory for more than a year, easing concerns over below-normal water levels that had lingered for about a decade.

The lakes’ level is considered important for shipping as well as recreational boating, which have been plagued in recent years by unusually low water levels. Unusually high levels can be a problem as well, especially for increased erosion.

Bemidji Pioneer





Update on Lake Superior outflow and expected conditions

9/4 - Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. – The International Lake Superior Board of Control, under authority granted to it by the International Joint Commission (IJC), has set the Lake Superior outflow to 3,090 cubic metres per second (m3 thousand cubic feet per second (tcfs)) for the month of September, effective September 3.

The September outflow will be released by discharging approximately 2,189 m3 hydropower plants and passing most of the remaining flow through the control structure at the head of the St. Marys Rapids.

The gate setting of the control structure will be reduced to the equivalent of approximately six gates open, on September 3 (achieved by setting 14 gates to a partially open setting of 80 centimetres (cm) (31 inches (in)) each).

As a result, the flow and water levels in the St Marys Rapids are expected to decrease from those experienced last month, but will still remain relatively high throughout September.

There will be no change to the setting of Gate #1 which supplies water to the channel north of the Fishery Remedial Dike, but with the equivalent of six gates fully open in the main rapids, water may overtop the dike along the north side of the rapids.

Soo Today

[yachtsmanwilly]

Lookback #292 – Torpedo missed Meadcliffe Hall in St. Lawrence on Sept. 5, 1942

9/5 - The Meadcliffe Hall was a sister-ship to the Teakbay and George L. Eaton. The vessel was built at South Bank-on-Tees, England and sailed for Canada on March 30, 1929, for service in the Hall Corporation fleet.

The 258 foot, 6 inch long bulk carrier traded through the old canal system bringing grain to the St. Lawrence and returning inland with pulpwood for Cornwall, Ontario, Waddington, N.Y. or Erie, Pa.

It was 72 years ago today that the ship was upbound on the St. Lawrence, near the Fox River, when it was fired at by a German submarine lurking beneath the water. The Nazi U-boat Captain misread the speed of the loaded canaller and shot well ahead of its target. The projectile continued to shore where it exploded breaking virtually all the windows in St. Yvon, Que.

Meadcliffe Hall survived the war and was sold to the Colonial Steamship Co. of Capt. Scott Misener in 1955. Renamed Picton, the ship joined their grain, coal, pulp and, eventually, ore trade between the Great Lakes and docks along the St. Lawrence.

Picton was sold for West Coast service as a log barge but was damaged by Hurricane Gracie off Bahamas while under tow during the delivery voyage on Sept. 28, 1959. This was a major Atlantic storm that lasted 10 days and did major damage to the South Carolina coastline. The name Gracie has not been used since for an Atlantic hurricane.

Picton continued to have trouble and later ran aground at Colon, Panama. Abandoned to the underwriters, the vessel was salvaged and renamed El Llanero for Venezuelan trading.

There is a report that this ship was resold and renamed Olga for Dutch flag service in 1961 and then broken up for scrap at Flushing, Netherlands, in the last quarter of 1962. I do wonder if this was a case of mistaken identity but, otherwise, the ship's fate is unknown.

Skip Gillham





Today in Great Lakes History - September 5

September 5, 1899, the DOUGLASS HOUGHTON grounded at Sailors Encampment and sank when rammed by her barge, JOHN FRITZ. The HOUGHTON completely blocked St. Marys River traffic for five days. More than 300 boats were delayed at an estimated loss of $600,000.

On 05 September 1898, the MONTGOMERY (wooden schooner-barge, 204 foot, 709 tons, built in 1856, at Newport [Marine City], Michigan as a passenger/package freight steamer) sank in 21 feet of water on Lake St. Clair after colliding with the whaleback barge 137 (steel barge, 345 foot, 2,480 gross tons, built in 1896, at W. Superior, Wisconsin) which was being towed by the ALEXANDER McDOUGALL (steel propeller semi-whaleback freighter, 413 foot, 3,686 gross tons, built in 1898, at West Superior, Wisconsin). The MONTGOMERY was raised and repaired. She lasted another two years before breaking up in a storm in 1901.

CHI-CHEEMAUN completed her sea trials on September 5, 1974, and then cleared the Collingwood shipyard on September 26th.

BENJAMIN F. FAIRLESS cleared Lorain on her maiden voyage September 5, 1942 for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co.

J. P. MORGAN, JR. returned to service September 5, 1948, after repairs suffered in an accident in June.

NEW QUEDOC arrived at McLouth Steel, Trenton, Michigan, on her maiden voyage September 5, 1960, with a load of Labrador iron ore. Renamed b.) QUEDOC in 1963. QUEDOC was scrapped at Curacao Island, Lesser Antilles in 1985.

The WYANDOTTE of 1916, a.) CONNEAUT, was towed down the Welland Canal on September 5- 6, 1973, on her way to the cutter’s torch at Santander, Spain.

On 5 September 1905, ABERCORN (wooden propeller 'rabbit', 126 foot, 261 gross tons, built in 1873, at Marine City, Michigan) burned at the dock at Goderich, Ontario, while unloading coal. She reportedly caught fire from the explosion of a signal lamp.

The schooner CALEDONIA, wrecked the previous autumn near the Fishing Islands on Lake Huron, was raised and arrived in Port Huron, Michigan, on September 5, 1882, under tow to be rebuilt.

1896: The Canadian passenger ship BALTIC, built in 1867 as FRANCES SMITH, burned at the dock in Collingwood. The hull drifted to shallow water and remained there for several years.

1964: A. & J. MID-AMERICA, a Seaway caller in 1963, was driven ashore at Lantau Island near Hong Kong by typhoon Ruby. The vessel was refloated October 5 but came ashore again days later during typhoon Dot on October 13. Refloated October 21, the vessel returned to service and was scrapped as e) UNION TIGER at Inchon, South Korea, after arriving in April 1968.

1964: The former HEMSEFJELL, a pre-Seaway trader, was also blown aground at Hong Kong as d) PROSPERITY during typhoon Ruby but released on October 5. It was scrapped in Thailand during 1972.

1964: The three-year old bulk carrier LEECLIFFE HALL sank in the St. Lawrence, 65 miles below Quebec City, following a collision with the APOLLONIA. Efforts to beach the ship failed and three lives were lost. The hull was dynamited as a hazard to navigation in 1966. The latter, a Greek freighter, had been a Seaway trader in 1964 and was repaired at Levis, QC. The ship was scrapped at Shanghai, China, as c) MAYFAIR after arriving on May 3, 1985.

American Spirit grounds in Round Island Passage

9/5 - C - St. Ignace, Mich. – The 1,004-foot-long freighter American Spirit, which ran aground near Mackinac Island Thursday, was still stuck late Thursday night.

The Sam Laud was en route to the Spirit’s position and was expected to take on some of the cargo in an attempt to lighten the thousand footer and help refloat the vessel.

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the vessel was pushed out of the channel in the Round Island Passage around 6:30 p.m. by strong winds that passed through the area. Social media photos show she has a list to starboard. The storm also knocked out electrical power to much of the Eastern Upper Peninsula.

There were no injuries or pollution reported. The American Spirit, operated by the American Steamship Co. is carrying a load of taconite from Two Harbors, Minn., to Gary, Ind., according to the Coast Guard.

The shipping channel was closed to freighter traffic, but was open for ferry traffic.

Coast Guard marine inspectors are working with the vessel owners and crew to come up with a plan to free the ship.

"Sector Sault Ste. Marie will continue to work through the night with the crew of the American Spirit to develop a safe salvage plan," said Lt. j.g. Derek Puzzuoli, public affairs officer at Sector Sault Ste. Marie. "Marine inspectors will continue to carefully monitor the vessel's condition until it has been refloated."

9 & 10 News, Up North Live





Port Reports - September 5

Lorain, Ohio – Phil Leon
Robert S. Pierson cleared the Lorain harbor at 7:50 a.m. Thursday.





St. Lawrence Seaway cargo shipments surpass 2013 levels by 3 percent

9/5 - Total cargo shipments on the St. Lawrence Seaway have now surpassed 2013 levels despite one of the most difficult starts to the shipping season in years due to ice coverage.

According to Seaway figures, total cargo tonnage from March 25 to August 31 reached 20 million metric tons, up 3 percent over the same period last year.

The strong recovery has been fuelled by grain exports, increases in road salt inventories for Great Lakes municipalities and an influx of specialty steel and other metals for the automotive and construction industries. Construction materials such as stone and cement have also been in strong demand.

Total grain shipments (including U.S. and Canadian) have reached 5.6 million metric tons, up 73 percent over last year. U.S. grain so far this season has totaled 630,000 metric tons, up 13 percent.

General cargo tonnage — including specialty steel imports as well as aluminum and oversized project cargo like machinery or wind turbines — has topped 1.5 million metric tons, up 66 percent.

Specialty steel is shipped through the St. Lawrence Seaway to the ports of Cleveland, Detroit, Burns Harbor, Toledo and Milwaukee, and then further processed by U.S. manufacturers for use in the automotive industries.

Year-to-date dry bulk cargo totaled 4.9 million metric tons, with strong increases in construction materials such as stone and cement, as well as road salt.

Chamber of Marine Commerce





Stationary Lake Ontario ships explained

9/5 - St. Catharines, Ont. – Each summer, the vessels line up on Lake Ontario from Port Dalhousie to the Welland Canal. While most are passing through Niagara, a handful just stay put. For days — sometimes a week or more — they remain at anchor.

On Wednesday, several were seen stationary about two kilometres off Municipal Beach.

Several Standard readers noticed the same thing in recent weeks and contacted the newsroom wondering what gives. The answer is nothing mysterious, but not exactly straightforward.

Alvina Ghirardi of the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp. said generally, the vessels are research ships or commercial vessels in a holding pattern.

“The ships wait in this area, outside Port Weller … for a variety of reasons,” said Ghirardi, a Seaway manager of maintenance planning and logistics.

Reasons could include awaiting orders or instructions from their agents/owners about their next cargo shipment and destination. Others might be queuing for an available dock at ports in Toronto or Oshawa, or they’re staying where they are due to fueling needs or weather conditions.

Some stationary boats are simply on standstill until a pilot arrives. “Those ships would be waiting for that pilot to board and take them into the canal,” she said. In this case, Wednesday’s sightings were commercial vessels and not doing research, Ghirardi said.

The ocean-going ships seen were the Miedwie, Appollon and Wigeon, which have been anchored since Aug. 4, 23 and 28 respectively. “The information we have is they are awaiting orders or a dock.”

Stationary ships are a “fairly common” sight, Ghirardi said. “I live in the area and you’re always seeing at least a couple of vessels out there. Sometimes it’s a day, a week or a bit longer as they are waiting for their agents, principals or owners on what their next shipment is, or what the destination or (loading or unloading) dock will be.”

Research vessels include some involved with environmental sampling. Among them is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency research vessel the Lake Guardian.

According to an e-mail from Eda Lam of the EPA, the monitoring programs are sometimes done in Ontario waters off Niagara by co-operative agreement with Canadian authorities.

Its tasks include sampling the water and checking the aquatic life, sediments and air to assess the health of the Great Lakes ecosystem.

St. Catharines Standard


American Spirit grounds in Round Island Passage

9/5 - C - St. Ignace, Mich. – The 1,004-foot-long freighter American Spirit, which ran aground near Mackinac Island Thursday, was still stuck late Thursday night.

The Sam Laud was en route to the Spirit’s position and was expected to take on some of the cargo in an attempt to lighten the thousand footer and help refloat the vessel.

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the vessel was pushed out of the channel in the Round Island Passage around 6:30 p.m. by strong winds that passed through the area. Social media photos show she has a list to starboard. The storm also knocked out electrical power to much of the Eastern Upper Peninsula.

There were no injuries or pollution reported. The American Spirit, operated by the American Steamship Co. is carrying a load of taconite from Two Harbors, Minn., to Gary, Ind., according to the Coast Guard.

The shipping channel was closed to freighter traffic, but was open for ferry traffic.

Coast Guard marine inspectors are working with the vessel owners and crew to come up with a plan to free the ship.

"Sector Sault Ste. Marie will continue to work through the night with the crew of the American Spirit to develop a safe salvage plan," said Lt. j.g. Derek Puzzuoli, public affairs officer at Sector Sault Ste. Marie. "Marine inspectors will continue to carefully monitor the vessel's condition until it has been refloated."

9 & 10 News, Up North Live

[yachtsmanwilly]

Port Reports - September 8

Marquette, Mich. – Rod Burdick
Regular visitors Herbert C. Jackson and Michipicoten loaded ore Sunday morning at LS&I.

Lorain, Ohio – Phil Leon
Algorail left Lorain Sunday at 4 a.m.





Lookback #295 – Grand Rapids caught fire at Muskegon on Sept. 8, 1980

9/8 - The rail car and passenger ferry Grand Rapids sustained fire damage that developed in the pilings alongside the vessel at Muskegon, Mich., on Sept. 8 1980. The ship had been inactive for almost a decade after receiving ice damage on Lake Michigan in February 1971.

The arson blaze of 34 years ago today buckled hull plates on the car deck and the U.S. Coast Guard and Muskegon Fire Department had to put it out.

The ferry had been built at Manitowoc, Wis., in 1926 and was equipped with 4 tracks to handle 30 rail cars for the Lake Michigan crossings. It was a good carrier for 44-years but not without incident.

The 360-foot-long steamship stranded on a sandbar off Grand Haven on Dec. 8, 1927, and repeated the event on March 9, 1933.

A second fire on April 15, 1987, was the result of an attempt to steal equipment. The thieves used a cutting torch to remove valuables from the upper deck but their work burned more than they had bargained for igniting the pilothouse and they had to flee.

Grand Rapids was sold for scrap in 1989 and towed to Port Maitland, arriving Sept. 10, 1989. The hull was dismantled there in 1994.

Skip Gillham





Today in Great Lakes History - September 8

September 8, 1936, the Interlake steamer CRETE and the Pittsburgh steamer CORNELL collided in heavy fog above Whitefish Point. After temporary repairs were made in the Weitzel lock, the CRETE proceeded to Chicago Shipbuilding to repair a damaged bow. The CORNELL proceeded to Manitowoc to repair damage to her starboard side just forward of her boiler house.

On September 8,1868, HIPPOCAMPUS (wooden propeller, 152 tons, built in 1867, at St. Joseph, Michigan) stranded in a storm off St. Joseph and was pounded to pieces. 36 of the 41 passengers were lost. Litigation continued until November 10,1884, when the owner was held innocent of blame in the U. S. Court at Grand Rapids, Michigan.

GEMINI (Hull#745) sailed on her maiden voyage in August, 1978, from Levingston Shipbuilding Co., at Orange, Texas, to load fuel oil at Baytown, Texas, for delivery at Detroit, Michigan. Passing up bound the next month on September 8 through the Welland Canal, GEMINI became the largest U.S. flagged tanker on the Great Lakes with a capacity of 76,000 barrels. GEMINI was renamed b.) ALGOSAR in 2005.

The W. E. FITZGERALD (Hull#167) was launched September 8, 1906, at Wyandotte, Michigan, by Detroit Ship Building Co. for the Chicago Navigation Co., Chicago, Illinois (D. Sullivan, mgr.).

The bulk freighter HENRY A. HAWGOOD was launched on September 8, 1906, at Cleveland, Ohio, by the American Ship Building Co. for Minerva Steamship Co. (W. A. & H.A. Hawgood, mgr.), Cleveland. Renamed b.) C. RUSSELL HUBBARD in 1912, and c.) W. W. HOLLOWAY in 1935.

RADIANT departed the shipyard September 8, 1913, light on her maiden voyage bound for Montreal, Quebec.

September 8, 1970 - MILWAUKEE CLIPPER made her last run from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

On September 8, 1985, the downbound the Panamanian NORCHEM collided with the upbound CANADIAN PROSPECTOR near Kanawake, Quebec. PROSPECTOR had little damage but NORCHEM was ripped open near her port anchor.

On September 8,1885, ADVANCE (wooden schooner, 119 foot, 180 gross tons, built in 1853, at Milwaukee, Wisconsin) was carrying wood when she became waterlogged and capsized in a gale and blinding rain near Port Washington, Wisconsin, in Lake Michigan. All but one of her crew of seven drowned when her yawl capsized in the surf.

On September 8,1871, the schooner MORNING LIGHT was sailing from Kelley's Island on Lake Erie with a cargo of stone for Marquette, Michigan, in heavy weather. Trying to enter the Detroit River, the crew miscalculated their position and ran the ship aground on Pointe Mouille, just below Gibraltar. The crew scuttled the vessel in the shallow water to save her from harm. The following day, the tug GEORGE N. BRADY was sent out with steam pumps and hawsers and the MORNING LIGHT was raised and towed to Detroit for repairs.

1860: The wooden passenger and freight steamer LADY ELGIN sank in Lake Michigan following a collision with the schooner AUGUSTA with an estimated 297 lost their lives.

1979: The Norwegian carrier INGWI first came through the Seaway in 1960 and made about 10 trips inland through 1967. The hull was reported to have fractured as b) OH DAI enroute from Singapore to Calcutta. The ship foundered in the Bay of Bengal but there was speculation at the time that this was an insurance fraud.

1980: The idle rail car ferry GRAND RAPIDS sustained fire damage from a blaze in the pilings at Muskegon, buckling plates on the car deck. It was extinguished by the U.S.C.G. and Fire Department.

2010: The tug MESSENGER came to the Great Lakes for the Gaelic Tugboat Co. in 1984 and was renamed b) PATRICIA HOEY. It was later sold and became c) NEW HAMPSHIRE and then d) SEA TRACTOR II before leaving the lakes, via Oswego, about 1991. It was known as e) SHARK when scuttled as an artificial reef near Miami, on this date in 2010.

[yachtsmanwilly]

Today in Great Lakes History - September 9

On 09 September 1889, the FOLGER (wooden propeller wrecking tug, 69 foot, 64 gross tons, built in 1881, at Kingston, Ontario) was sailing upbound past St. Clair, Michigan when fire was discovered in her engine room. Her wheelsman stuck to his post as long as possible, trying to beach her at Courtright, Ontario, but the flames engulfed the vessel and all hands had to abandon her.

September 9, 1936. For the second consecutive day, boats of the Interlake and Pittsburgh fleets collided. The SATURN collided with the HENRY H. ROGERS in heavy fog above Whitefish Bay. The SATURN continued upbound to repair damage at Superior Shipbuilding. The ROGERS continued downbound to South Chicago where the anchor of the SATURN was removed from the Mate's starboard cabin.

September 9, 1940, the steamer MARITANA, Captain Charles E. Butler, went to anchor in Whitefish Bay due to weather. When they retrieved their anchor the next day, they also recovered a second anchor. The second anchor had an oak stock 12 feet across and 17 inches in diameter. The 8 foot forged metal shank was stamped with a date of 1806.

On 09 September 1886, GENERAL WOLSELEY (wooden side-wheel steamer, 103 foot, 123 tons, built in 1884, at Oakville, Ontario) caught fire on her way to Dyer's Bay, Ontario. She was run ashore for the crew to escape near Cape Croker on Georgian Bay and burned to the water's edge.

The WOLVERINE (Hull#903) was launched September 9, 1974, at Lorain, Ohio by American Ship Building Co. for the Union Commerce Bank (Ohio), Trustee (Oglebay Norton Co., mgr.), Cleveland, Ohio.

DETROIT EDISON (Hull#418) was launched September 9, 1954, at Manitowoc, Wisconsin by Manitowoc Ship Building Co. for the American Steamship Co. (Boland & Cornelius, mgr.) Buffalo, New York.

The Steamer PERE MARQUETTE 18 sank on September 9, 1910, with a loss of 29 lives. No cause for the sinking has ever been determined. The PERE MARQUETTE 17 picked up 33 survivors, losing 2 of her own crew during the rescue.

The first of two fires suffered by the Grand Trunk carferry GRAND RAPIDS occurred on September 9, 1980. The cause of the fire was not determined.

On 9 September 1929, the ANDASTE (steel propeller self-unloading sandsucker, 247 foot, built in 1892, at Cleveland, Ohio) was probably overloaded with gravel when she 'went missing' west of Holland, Michigan. The entire crew of 25 was lost. When built, she was the sister of the 'semi-whaleback' CHOCTAW, but was shortened 20 feet in 1920-21, to allow her to use the Welland Canal.

On 9 September 1871, Captain Hicks of the schooner A H MOSS fired the mate, a popular fellow, in a fit of anger the same time that a tug arrived to tow the schooner out of Cleveland harbor. The crew was upset to say the least, and when the towline was cast off and Capt. Hicks ordered the sails hoisted, the crew refused to do any work. The skipper finally raised the signal flags and had the tug tow his vessel back into the harbor. When the MOSS dropped anchor, he fired the entire crew then went ashore to hire another crew.

The ROY A. JODREY (Hull#186) was launched in 1965, at Collingwood, Ontario by Canadian Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. Ltd. for Algoma Central Railway Ltd.

1924: A fire aboard the ship SOUTH AMERICAN at Holland, MI destroyed the upper works of the popular passenger steamer.

1964: A collision between the GEORGE R. FINK and the Swedish freighter BROHOLM occurred in zero visibility on Lake Huron just north of the Bluewater Bridge. The latter, on her only voyage through the Seaway, received a gash on the starboard side above the waterline while the former had only minor damage. BROHOLM arrived at Hsinkang, China, for scrapping as d) PROODOS on September 2, 1974.

1977: The British freighter PERTH began service to Canada in 1951 and ooperated into the Great Lakes until 1960. The ship ran aground about 200 miles south of Suez as e) GEORGIOS on this date but was later refloated and taken to Suez. The ship was arrested there and subsequently sank on October 1, 1979. The hull was likely refloated and dismantled at that location.

1993: INDIANA HARBOR received major hull damage when it struck Lansing Shoal. The ship was repaired at Sturgeon Bay.


August another strong month for U.S.-flagged lakes fleet

9/9 - Cleveland, Ohio – U.S.-flag Great Lakes freighters moved 11 million tons of cargo in August, their second-highest monthly total in two years. The August float, while down 3.2 percent from July, also represents an increase of 5 percent compared to a year ago.

Iron ore for steel production totaled 5.5 million tons, an increase of 23 percent compared to a year ago. Higher water levels again allowed some cargos to approach 70,000 tons, but with 18 million cubic yards of sediment clogging ports and waterways, the industry continues to surrender carrying capacity to the dredging crisis. The top ore loads in August were still about 3,000 tons short of what vessels were carrying in 1997, a period of near record-high water levels.

Coal cargos totaled 2 million tons, a decrease of 19 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings at Lake Michigan and Lake Erie ports were largely unchanged from a year ago, but shipments from Lake Superior ports fell by 25 percent.

Shipments of limestone totaled 2.8 million tons, a decrease of 7 percent compared to last year.

Year-to-date, U.S.-flag cargo movement stands at 49.4 million tons, a decrease of 7.7 percent compared to a year ago. Higher water levels and increased vessel utilization rates are allowing the fleet to narrow the gap between this year and last caused by the brutal winter of 2013/2014. At the end of April, for example, U.S.-flag cargo movement was 45 percent off the previous year’s pace. However, Great Lakes water levels normally begin their seasonal decline in the fall, so going forward, loads will likely be smaller.

Lake Carriers’ Association





Shipwrecked schooner found on Lake Superior

9/9 - Whitefish Point, Mich. – The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society has found a 115-year-old shipwreck. The shipwreck society was searching recently west of Whitefish Point, near Deer Park, when they noticed a blip on their side-scan sonar.

After sending divers down to investigate what it may be, they were excited to find that it was the three-masted wooden schooner, Nelson. The Nelson sank in a rare spring gale on May 13th, 1899. Nine people died including the captain's family – the captain was the only survivor.

Nelson, built in 1866, rests in over 200 feet of water and is amazingly intact, despite laying on the bottom of Lake Superior for 115 years after foundering in heavy weather.

In the spring of 1899, Nelson was in tow of the wooden steamer A. Folsom, along with the schooner Mary B. Mitchell bound for Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula. A northwest gale with freezing rain and 50 mph winds descended on the trio and thick ice soon formed on the ships’ decks. Captain A. E. White of the Folsom was attempting to turn the ships and head for the cover of Whitefish Bay when he witnessed the Nelson’s towline part and the schooner rapidly sinking.

He later noted that “…the Nelson disappeared as suddenly as one could snuff out a candle.”

This is a particularly tragic shipwreck,” Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society Executive Director Bruce Lynn remarked. “Captain Haganey of the Nelson remained aboard his sinking ship to lower the lifeboat, which contained the crew, his wife and infant child. Once lowered, Captain Haganey jumped overboard to gain the lifeboat himself. He landed in the water, and upon surfacing witnessed the stern of his vessel rise up as the ship dove for the bottom. The line was still attached to the lifeboat, which took his crew and family along with the sinking ship.”

Captain Haganey was the only survivor and later struggled ashore to the Deer Park Life-Saving Station, where he was nursed back to health.

The Nelson wreck-site is now being documented by the Shipwreck Society and her story will eventually be told at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, located at Whitefish Point, Michigan.

Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society





Port Reports - September 9

Grand Haven, Mich. – Dick Fox
The Bradshaw McKee and barge St. Marys Challenger brought in a load for the St. Marys Terminal in Ferrysburg about 9 am Monday.

Toledo, Ohio – Jim Hoffman
There was no activity around the American Fortitude as of Monday. All of her lines are still out, anchors are down, and no white towing stripe painted at the base of the bow. American Valor has no activity around her. Adam E. Cornelius still has a crew working on her. A section of steel plate is still removed from the port side of the hull near the stern area. Unknown when she will fit out and sail. The saltwater vessel Fritz still remains under arrest at the Midwest Terminals Overseas Dock. The Manistee was inbound Maumee Bay with a load of salt bound for one of the upriver docks. American Century was loading coal at the CSX Docks with Algosoo waiting to follow. Catherine Desgagnes remains anchored in western Lake Erie and will follow the Algosoo loading coal. The tug Huron Service and barge 6506 remain in temporary layup at the Midwest Terminals Overseas Dock. The saltwater vessel Erieborg was loading grain at Andersons K Elevator. There are no vessels at the Ironhead Shipyard at the present time.





National Museum team discovers rare schooner off Oswego

9/9 - Toledo, Ohio – A rare dagger-board schooner, Three Brothers, has been discovered in deep water off Oswego, N.Y., by a volunteer team, the National Museum of the Great Lakes in Toledo announced Monday.

The schooner was located in early July with assistance from sonar equipment.

The schooner, which was heading from Pultneyville to Oswego with a cargo of apples, cider, and 700 bushels of wheat when it sank in a gale in 1833, is the first fully working dagger-board schooner ever found and is believed to be the oldest confirmed commercial schooner to have been discovered in the Great Lakes, according to the National Museum of the Great Lakes.

Dagger-board schooners were in use on the lakes from the early 1800s until the 1830s.

Christopher Gillcrist, executive director of the National Museum of the Great Lakes, said in a prepared statement that collaboration with a three-member team continues to produce “the most stunning shipwreck discoveries on the Great Lakes. The find and identification of the Three Brothers is not only important to the Lake Ontario region but all of the Great Lakes.”

The survey of historic shipwrecks in Lake Ontario was funded by a grant from The National Museum of the Great Lakes/Great Lakes Historical Society of Toledo.

“Finding shipwrecks is not easy. Finding money to find shipwrecks isn’t easy either,” stated Mr. Gillcrist. “There is not a lot of grant money for this type of activity, so we generally fund our shipwreck research out of our general operating budget.”

Funds are generated through membership, annual giving and the organization’s annual fundraiser H2Oh, which included a limited raffle for a Great Lakes freighter trip and $10,000.

Several days after the schooner went down, apparently in a severe gale that blustered that day, the ship’s tiller, a barrel of apples, and the captain’s hat were found just east of Oswego near 9 Mile Point. In addition to the captain, two crew members and a passenger, all of New York, died.

The schooner was constructed in 1827 on Galloo Island, a few miles from the northeastern end of Lake Ontario near the St Lawrence River.

In early July, during a survey by the shipwreck search team, the discovery of the schooner came as a surprise because this was not one of the shipwrecks thought to be in this area, according to the National Museum of the Great Lakes.

After six weeks of research and collaboration with shipwreck historians, the schooner was identified as the Three Brothers, and in early August more details were obtained, including through video surveys.

Historic shipwrecks abandoned and embedded in New York State underwater lands belong to the people of the State of New York and are protected by state and federal law from unauthorized disturbance.

Toledo Blade





Lookback #296 – Desdemona stranded off southern South America on Sept. 9, 1985

9/9 - The small West German freighter Desdemona was completed in April 1952 and made two trips through the old locks of the St. Lawrence to reach the Great Lakes that year. On the first trip it stopped at Milwaukee to load salted pork backs.

The ship was a regular inland caller and this pattern continued into the first two years of the Seaway. The vessel made three visits inland in 1959 and its final call on the lakes came in 1960.

The 254 foot, 11-inch-long Desdemona was sold in 1961 and resold in 1962 for service under the flag of Argentina. None of these owners changed the name.

It was 29 years ago today that Desdemona ran aground at Cabo San Pablo, Tierra del Fuego, in the Magellan Strait off the southern tip of South America. It stranded on one of the island archipelagos in that region and became a total loss.

The ship was seen there intact but badly rusted in 2010 and there is every reason to believe it will remain there for many more years.

[yachtsmanwilly]

Lake Superior gale warning posted

9/10 - Duluth, Minn. – Lake Superior will be whipped into a frenzy late Tuesday night and Wednesday, with strong northeast winds expected to build waves up to 25 feet in some open areas of the big lake.

The National Weather Service in Duluth has issued a gale warning and small craft advisory for the western portions of the lake with sustained winds of 40 mph expected Wednesday and gusts to 50 mph. Waves are expected to hit 11 feet at this end of the lake, with higher waves along the South Shore.

The Marquette, Mich., office of the weather service is calling for waves in the more open parts of Lake Superior to reach 17- to 25-feet high.

A strong low-pressure system is tracking northeast out of Iowa toward Michigan tonight and Wednesday. Along with strong winds, the system will bring heavy rain to much of Wisconsin, including up to 2 inches in northern Wisconsin. A flood watch is posted for many northern counties from tonight to Wednesday afternoon, including Bayfield, Ashland, Iron, Washburn, Sawyer and Price.

With heavy rain falling on already swollen streams from storms last week, the weather service says some flooding is expected to occur in low-lying areas.

The flood watch does not include the Twin Ports, but rain is likely across most of the region tonight and Wednesday.

After July-like high temperatures for most of September so far, much colder air will funnel into the region starting tonight, with highs only in the 40s Wednesday and Thursday, and lows in the 30s into the weekend. Areas from the Iron Range north could see frost on Friday and Saturday.

Duluth News Tribune





Stormy weather expected Wednesday on Lake Michigan

9/10 - Grand Haven, Mich. – An unseasonably strong storm system is poised to churn up the Great Lakes during the afternoon Wednesday.

National Weather Service forecasters expect Lake Michigan breakers to build to an impressive 10 feet or greater, especially out to mid lake. However, shoreline communities from about Saugatuck north to Holland and Grand Haven could see wave heights surge to at least 6 to 8 feet.

Considering Great Lakes water levels around long-term averages, the expected surf easily could inundate piers and other structures, meteorologist Bob Dukesherer said.

Winds are forecast to blow in excess of 20-30 mph from the south southwest.

"With 10-footers on top of water levels near normal, (that'll) swamp the piers more easily," he said.

Further inland, gusts from this storm system could roar in excess of 30 mph or greater. Forecasters are considering issuing a wind advisory for this threat, meaning any loose items could topple over or blow away in the heaviest gusts.

MLive meteorologist Mark Torregrossa is tracking the possibility of strong to severe thunderstorms across Lower Michigan during the day, but the chances of anything too significant have trailed off since earlier forecasts.

Dukesherer said he and his team at the National Weather Service consider the confidence in severe weather to be low, though the potential impact of severe thunderstorms to be high across much of the region. Damaging winds, heavy rains and perhaps the chance of an isolated tornado or two are still not out of the question.

"Like all weather events, there are probabilities with this," Dukesherer said.

A big cool down is in store after the system passes, with daytime high temperatures falling some 15 degrees below average.

M Live





Port Reports - September 10

Marquette, Mich. – Rod Burdick
H. Lee White and Kaye E. Barker loaded ore at LS&I on Tuesday.

Grand Haven, Mich. – Dick Fox
Wilfred Sykes crossed the pier heads about 8 a.m. Tuesday blowing a salute on its way to the Verplank's Dock in Ferrysburg. It blew a similar salute on its way out about 3:30 p.m.

Oswego, N.Y. – Ned Goebricher
On Monday, Stephen B. Roman and English River unloaded cement.





Lakes limestone up again in August

9/10 - Cleveland, Ohio – Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 3.7 million tons in August, an increase of 2.8 percent compared to a year ago. Shipments bettered the month’s long-term average by almost 7 percent.

Loadings out of U.S. quarries totaled 3.1 million tons in August, a slight dip compared to a year ago. However, shipments from Canadian quarries rose 36 percent 660,000 tons.

Year-to-date the Lakes limestone trade stands at 15.8 million tons, a decrease of 4.2 percent compared to a year ago. The gap between this year and last has lessened considerably since ice conditions eased in May. At the end of April, limestone cargos were down 55 percent compared to the same point in 2013.

Lake Carriers’ Association





Lakes’ ore trade stays in high gear in August

9/10 - Cleveland, Ohio – For the second month in a row, shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes reached their highest level in 6 years. The 7,242,492 tons loaded in August are the most since July 2008 when 7,318,961 tons moved from U.S. and Canadian ports. The August ore float also represents a slight increase over this July: 10,986 tons.

U.S. Great Lakes ports continued to drive the upturn. Loadings totaled 6,743,478 tons, an increase of almost 33 percent compared to a year ago. However, shipments from Canadian ports in the Seaway decreased by nearly 32 percent, in large part because of the closure of Wabush Mines.

Year-to-date the Lakes ore trade stands at 33.7 million tons, a decrease of 5 percent compared to a year ago. Shipments from U.S. ports are down by 4 percent, but loadings from Canadian ports in the Seaway have slipped by 13 percent.

The higher water levels that have somewhat helped offset the staggering delays in March and April when heavy ice formations covered the Lakes will start to fade away in the fall if the Lakes begin their seasonal decline as they normally do in autumn. As it is, August’s top load was 405 tons less than July’s largest ore cargo. The reduction in payloads will likely accelerate in the coming months.

Lake Carriers’ Association





Long-lost Air Force plane discovered in Lake Ontario by National Museum of the Great Lakes

9/10 - Cleveland, Ohio – Somewhere in the darkness a plane without a pilot, crew or passengers flew on its final mission over Lake Ontario in 1952. Suddenly, witnesses saw a bright flash of light, then nothing. The aircraft had disappeared with no telltale wreckage to mark its grave, apparently lost to history in an enduring mystery.

But the mystery was solved June 27 when an exploration team funded by the National Museum of the Great Lakes, in Toledo, discovered the wreck of that U.S. Air Force aircraft at the bottom of Lake Ontario, near Oswego, N.Y. The twin-engine C-45 was found nearly intact, under more than 100 feet of water, during a search for historic shipwrecks in the area, including a War of 1812 gunboat.

The C-45 Expeditor, manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corp. of Wichita, Kan., was used in military service during and after World War II for training, transport and other unarmed missions. This particular C-45 was carrying three Air Force officers and two civilians on a routine flight from Bedford, Mass., to Griffis Air Force Base near Rome, N.Y., when the left engine started failing and the plane began losing altitude.

The pilot, fearing the plane would crash, ordered the crew and passengers to parachute from the plane at an altitude of 2,500 feet. All landed safely in their first jump from an airplane.

The plane was set on automatic pilot on a heading that the pilot believed would take it clear of any inhabited area. It flew for another 70 minutes until it ran out of fuel. A museum news release noted that the owner and an employee of a refreshment stand near Oswego saw a plane circling the lake just before it fell into the water about a mile offshore. Both said "a powerful light, like that of a searchlight, appeared for several seconds after the crash."

Three Coast Guard cutters and military aircraft searched the area for two days but no wreckage was found. The plane rested at the bottom until its discovery by the team of Jim Kennard, Roger Pawlowski and Roland Stevens.

Kennard, of Fairport, N.Y., said in a phone interview that the team had been searching without luck in the area where witnesses said the plane had gone down. They continued beyond that area, when "all of a sudden we see a sonar image of it, and it's like 'Oh my gosh, there it is!' " Kennard said. "That's kind of how it was – you've been searching for a good part of the day, the flies are biting you, the sun is beating down on you, and just as you're saying 'I guess we're about ready to wrap this up,' all of sudden excitement happens."

Kennard said this is the third sunken aircraft he has found, along with more than 200 shipwrecks, during his past 40 years of exploring the Great Lakes, and the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. In this case, as with others, "it's really not just trying to find the plane, it's bringing maritime history to the surface," Kennard said.

He said the team made additional finds in that same area involving both modern and historic shipwrecks. "It's almost like fishing," he added. "You're out there, fishing for shipwrecks, and nothing happens. Then all of sudden they start biting. Oh my gosh, every time we turned around there was something else."

Christopher Gillcrist, executive director of the National Museum of the Great Lakes/ Great Lakes Historical Society, said historic shipwrecks in the Great Lakes are protected by state and Canadian laws from unauthorized disturbance.

He also noted that "generally, military hardware is never abandoned" by the armed forces, and the sunken aircraft may still be considered U.S. Air Force property. Gillcrist said there are other sunken airplanes on the Society's watch list, including a B-24 bomber lost in Lake Ontario in 1944, and a C-47 cargo plane that also crashed in the lake.

Cleveland.com

100 Years ago on Lake Erie

September 9, 1813. Oliver Hazard Perry’s U.S. fleet (9 vessels) attempted to lure the British fleet (6 vessels) out into the lake, from Amherstburg, unsuccessfully on August 24, 25 and September 1. Finally on the evening of September 9, the British ships slipped out of the harbor at Amherstburg and floated down the Detroit River into Lake Erie. At this point, the British Commander Barclay did not know where Perry’s fleet was anchored. Source: David Curtis Skaggs and Gerard T. Altoff, A Signal Victory: The Lake Erie Campaign 1812-1813 (Annapolis: Naval University Press, 1997), 106-107, 110.

September 10, 1813. Oliver Hazard Perry’s nine-vessel fleet at Put-in-Bay spotted a British ship at dawn in the direction of Rattlesnake Island, showing the British fleet. Perry left Put-in-Bay and attempted to sail NW, but the wind did not cooperate and little headway was made in 3 hours. Then, the wind changed 90 degrees and blew from the SE, and headway could be made towards the British. At 1145 the British ship Detroit fired the first shot from 5 miles east of West Sister Island. The battle lasted for hours, and most of the British fire was directed to Perry’s ship Lawrence. The Lawrence was rendered useless, with many casualties. Perry transferred to the Niagara. The British lost most of their senior officers, and Commander Barclay was wounded. The lead British ship Queen Charlotte collided with the largest British ship Detroit, becoming entangled. Perry on the Niagara sailed close and delivered the final blow to the British. Some British ships surrendered, and two ran but were caught. The entire flotilla was in American hands. It was one of the rare times in British history that the Royal Navy lost an entire squadron. Source: David Curtis Skaggs and Gerard T. Altoff, A Signal Victory: The Lake Erie Campaign 1812-1813 (Annapolis: Naval University Press, 1997), 118-147.

[yachtsmanwilly]

Canada finds ship from doomed 19th century Franklin expedition

9/11 - Ottawa, Ont. – Canadian explorers have found the wreck of one of two ships lost in the 1845 Franklin expedition to Canada's Northwest Passage, solving an enduring historical mystery and bolstering Canada's claim to the key Arctic trade route.

Sir John Franklin and his 128 crew in the British ships HMS Erebus and HMS Terror were seeking the fabled Northwest Passage between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans when they became stuck in ice. The men all died and the ships vanished.

"I am delighted to announce that this year's Victoria Strait expedition has solved one of Canada's greatest mysteries, with the discovery of one of the two ships belonging to the Franklin Expedition," Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in a statement Tuesday.

"Finding the first vessel will no doubt provide the momentum – or wind in our sails – necessary to locate its sister ship and find out even more about what happened to the Franklin Expedition's crew."

The mystery has gripped Canadians for generations, in part because of the crew's grisly fate. Tales handed down through the aboriginal Inuit people describe cannibalism among the desperate seamen.

Harper, who has visited the Arctic territory of Nunavut every year since taking power in 2006, said the discovery was an historic moment for Canada.

"Franklin’s ships are an important part of Canadian history given that his expeditions, which took place nearly 200 years ago, laid the foundations of Canada’s Arctic sovereignty," he said.

Global warming is rapidly melting the Arctic ice sheets, opening up the possibility that ships traveling between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans could use the Northwest Passage as a short cut.

Canada says it has sovereignty over the passage but the United States does not acknowledge this, saying the channel lies in international waters.

This year's bid to locate the ships included money spent on seabed mapping to make "Canada's Arctic both safer and more secure," according to a Parks Canada release at the time of the expedition.

Parks Canada archaeologists discovered the wreck using a remotely operated underwater vehicle.

An image released showed a largely intact wooden ship resting upright on the sea bed only 36 feet below the surface. Some of the deck structures were still intact, although the main mast had been sheared off.

Harper said experts did not yet know whether the ship found was the Erebus or the Terror.

Canadian divers and archaeologists had been trying since 2008 to find the ships, which became ice-bound off King William Island in the Victoria Strait in Nunavut.

The search for Franklin started in the late 1840s and over the decades teams have discovered traces of 70 crew members, some of whom started trekking overland in desperation when it became clear the ships would never escape from the ice.

They proved hard to find because they drifted in ice for hundreds of miles and the Inuit gave conflicting accounts of where they sank.

Reuters





Lookback #298 – Former Grindefjell arrived at Mozambique ablaze on Sept. 11, 1968

9/11 - Grindefjell was one of the canal ships of the pre-Seaway era that were regular callers around the Great Lakes. This ship had been built by J. Crown & Sons and launched at Sunderland, England, on Jan. 15, 1953. It was completed in June and was soon engaged in Great Lakes trading for the Fjell Line of Norway.

Inland service continued in the Seaway era that began in 1959 and Grindefjell was lengthened in 1960 to take advantage of the opportunity to carry more cargo. It returned to Sunderland for the work and resumed service 38 feet longer and able to carry an extra 630 tons of cargo.

Grindefjell made a total of 27 trips through the Seaway and it was last seen on the Great Lakes in 1965. It was sold to the Kala Shipping Co. and renamed Lenro in 1966. The ship flew the flag of Greece, but not for long.

Lenro was carrying bagged Ethiopian Niger Seed Expellers when it caught fire 46 years ago today and put into Mozambique. The Suez Canal was closed due to the Arab-Israeli War and the ship was taking the long way around from Assab, Ethiopia, to Rotterdam, Holland, when the blaze broke out.

Flames spread throughout the ship and, at one point the hull glowed red from the fire. The ship was a total loss and eventually capsized and abandoned. In time, the remains were either scrapped or scuttled.

Skip Gillham





Today in Great Lakes History - September 11

1872, at Milwaukee, the Wisconsin, which was transferred to the Atlantic coast from Lake Erie in 1898, struck Romer Shoal off the shore of Staten Island and was wrecked. She was sailing from Norfolk, Virginia to Saco, Maine at the time. Her crew managed to reach the Life Saving Station through the heavy surf.

September 11, 1969, the Bethlehem steamer LEHIGH, Captain Loren A. Falk, delivered the first cargo to the new Bethlehem Steel mill at Burns Harbor, Indiana. The cargo consisted of 15,700 tons of taconite pellets loaded at Taconite Harbor, Minnesota.

On 11 September 1883, EXPLORER (2-mast wooden schooner, 48 foot, 33 gross tons, built in 1866, at Chatham, Ontario) struck rocks and went down on Stokes Bay on the outside of the Bruce Peninsula. Her crew was visible from shore clinging to the wreck until the vessel broke up. All five were lost.

The GEORGE M. HUMPHREY, of 1927, was patched and refloated on September 11, 1944. She had sunk in 80 feet of water after a collision with the steamer D.M. CLEMSON, of 1916, off Old Point Light, on June 15, 1943. On May 6, 1944, the barges MAITLAND NO. 1 and HILDA were employed as pontoons for the salvage operation positioned over the sunken hull. Cables were attached to the HUMPHREY's hull and to the barges. The hull was raised through a series of lifts, which allowed it to be brought into shallower water. Partial buoyancy was provided by the HUMPHREY's ballast tanks, which were pumped out to about 25 percent of capacity. The HUMPHREY was patched and refloated on September 11, 1944. She was taken to the Manitowoc Ship Building Co. first for an estimate of repairs, which totaled $469,400, and then was towed to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin for reconditioning which was completed at a reported cost of $437,000. Captain John Roen's Roen Transportation Co. assumed ownership on September 18, 1944, and the next year the ship was renamed b.) CAPTAIN JOHN ROEN. She re-entered service on May 1, 1945, chartered to the Pioneer Steamship Co. on a commission basis. Renamed c.) ADAM E. CORNELIUS in 1948, and d.) CONSUMERS POWER in 1958. She was scrapped at Kaohsiung, Taiwan in 1988.

September 11, 2001, the former Bob-Lo boat STE. CLAIRE was towed from Detroit to Toledo by Gaelic's tug SHANNON. In August 2005, she was taken to Belanger Park in River Rouge and in the spring of 2006 she was returned to Nicholson's Slip in Ecorse by Gaelic's tugs PATRICIA HOEY and CAROLYN HOEY.

Carrying cargoes off the lakes, CANADA MARQUIS departed Halifax bound for Philadelphia with a cargo of grain. HON. PAUL MARTIN departed Halifax the same day on her way to Tampa with a load of gypsum.

HORACE JOHNSON sailed on her maiden voyage light from Lorain, Ohio, on September 11, 1929, bound for Two Harbors, Minnesota to load iron ore.

On 11 September 1895, S.P. AMES (2 mast wooden schooner, 61 foot, 43 gross tons) was driven ashore at Pointe aux Barques, Michigan, in a storm. She was quickly stripped before she went to pieces. She had been built in 1879, at Montrose, Michigan, in farm country, well inland, on the Flint River by Mr. Seth Ames. He wanted to use her to return to sea, but he died the day before her hull was launched.

On 11 September 1876, the schooner HARVEST HOME sank on Lake Michigan while bound from Chicago for Cleveland with a load of scrap iron. She was about 26 miles off Grand Haven, Michigan. The crew was taken off by the schooner GRACIE M. FILER just as the boat was going down.

1942: H.M.C.S. CHARLOTTETOWN, a Canadian naval corvette built at Kingston, ON in 1941, was torpedoed and sunk by U-517 on the St. Lawrence near Cap Chat, QC. Nine of the 64 on board were lost. 1946:

The former Hall freighter LUCIUS W. ROBINSON, heading for new service in the Far East as b) HAI LIN, ran into a typhoon on the Pacific during its delivery voyage but was unscathed.

1961: The retired PERSEUS, under tow for scrapping overseas, broke loose of the tug ENGLISHMAN, and was abandoned in rough seas near the Azores. It was later found drifting and taken in tow only to sink on September 21.

1968: GRINDEFJELL, a pre-Seaway and Seaway-era visitor for the Norwegian Fjell Line from 1953 to 1965, put into Mozambique as b) LENRO after fire had broken out in a cargo hold. The flames spread and, at one time the hull glowed red hot. The ship was gutted, later capsized and was abandoned as a total loss. The vessel was enroute from Assab, Ethiopia, to Rotterdam, with a cargo of bagged niger seed expellers and had to take the long way around due to the Suez Canal being closed. The hull was either scrapped or scuttled.

1987: An arson fire gutted the bridge and top deck of the laid up former C.S.L. package freighter FORT YORK at Sarnia. There had been another suspicious fire three weeks earlier that had been extinguished.

[yachtsmanwilly]

Coast Guard can't adequately respond to Great Lakes heavy oil spill

9/12 - Detroit, Mich. – The U.S. Coast Guard and other responders are not adequately equipped or prepared for a “heavy oil” spill on the Great Lakes, according to a Coast Guard commander who is pushing for action.

A major oil spill could spell economic disaster for the states in the Great Lakes region, severely damaging the multibillion-dollar fishing and recreational boating industries and killing off wildlife.

Rear Admiral Fred Midgette, commander of the Coast Guard’s District 9, which includes the Great Lakes, said everyone involved in spill response on the Great Lakes is moving with a sense of urgency to come up with a plan to address a major spill.

But they haven’t found a way forward yet.

“When you get environmental groups, technical experts, oil spill recovery groups and regulators together, that’s how you find what’s the best way ahead,” Midgette said Tuesday at an international forum on heavy oils at the Detroit-Wayne County Port Authority attended by a cooperative of oil and chemical spill professionals.

Midgette said he was particularly concerned that response plans and organizations “are not capable of responding to heavy oil spills, particularly in open-water scenarios,” in an Aug. 20 memo to the Coast Guard’s Deputy Commandant for Operations.

That’s a serious issue, said David Holtz, Michigan chairman for the nonprofit Sierra Club.

“How can Michigan and the Great Lakes be in a position where two large oil pipelines are operating underneath the Straits of Mackinac, and the lead responders — the first responders to an oil spill — say they couldn’t respond effectively if something happened to those pipes?” he said.

The Coast Guard’s warning, based on its 2013 study, comes as Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette and Department of Environmental Quality Director Dan Wyant convene a task force looking at petroleum pipeline safety throughout Michigan and the state’s preparedness for spills — including on the more than 60-year-old pipelines operated by Canadian oil transport giant Enbridge along the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac.

The Coast Guard noted other vulnerable locations, including,\ oil pipelines running under the St. Clair River between Marysville and Sarnia, Ontario, and near Niagara Falls and Buffalo.

The study also cited the interest by a Superior, Wis., company, Calumet Specialty Product Partners, L.P., and others, to establish a dock to facilitate Great Lakes oil shipping by barges out of western Lake Superior. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources dealt that effort a setback in January — requiring an involved environmental assessment — but it could eventually continue.

The Coast Guard Research and Development Center’s June 2013 final report was frank on the limitations in dealing with heavy oil that sinks below the surface and makes traditional skimming recovery methods ineffective.

“Current methods are inadequate to find and recover submerged oil, with responders having to reinvent the techniques on each occasion,” the report states, later adding, “Responses to recent higher profile submerged oil spills have shown responders have almost no capability in detection and recovery.”

Those high-profile spills include the July 2010 spill near Marshall, where an Enbridge oil transmission pipeline burst while carrying diluted bitumen or dilbit, a sludgy oil product thinned for transport typically using petroleum-based thinning agents.

The oil spill overwhelmed Talmadge Creek, a tributary to the Kalamazoo River, as well as a long stretch of the river. As the diluents evaporated, the heavier oil sank to the river bottom, combining with sediments, churned by the rushing water and complicating cleanup. Enbridge has spent more than $1 billion on the cleanup effort, which still is not complete more than four years later.

The Marshall spill showed that no community is ready to adequately respond to a heavy oil spill, said Beth Wallace, an environmental consultant who has worked to spotlight issues related to oil pipeline transport.

The Coast Guard report is “just a scary scenario for the Great Lakes,” she said. “I would hope that the governor, with the pipeline safety task force, will take a hard look at this.”

Oil companies need to do more in the way of transparency and financially providing for the necessary response if their products spill, Wallace said. And while the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration oversees many petroleum pipeline safety issues, it is typically not there when a spill occurs, she said. That’s left to local communities’ first responders or the Coast Guard if the spill occurs on a major water body.

Complications include that oil companies use a variety of products as diluents in dilbit that can have varying effects on what happens with the oil when it spills, experts said — and the companies often keep those diluents a trade secret. Other factors affecting how a heavy oil spill behaves include temperature and water conditions.

Even finding and tracking submerged oil is a challenge, said Kurt Hansen, a project manager at the Coast Guard’s Research and Development Center at New London, Conn., specializing in oil spill response.

“Once the oil goes below the surface, that sets a whole new set of problems,” he said. “You’re going to have to figure out if it’s coming back up in tiny little droplets, because that’s going to need one set of recovery response and surveillance. Or, if it goes to the bottom in a clump, that’s going to need another set of response.

“And if it mixes with the silt and sand and dirt at the bottom, that’s going to need even a third set of response and information that you need.”

While responders are ready in most cases for surface oil spills, responding to a sinking oil spill requires pulling together equipment and response capability from a variety of locations — costing precious time, Hansen noted. What’s needed, he said, is pulling those capabilities together beforehand.

“Right now, there are no hard requirements for those systems,” he said. “Somebody’s going to have to look at the legal aspects of that, at what you can require.”

Said Holtz: “Speed is everything. So if the Coast Guard has to go to other places to get what they need to deal with a Great Lakes oil spill, that’s got to change. Either that or stop having pipelines in the Great Lakes.”

Detroit Free Press





Brig Niagara marks Battle of Lake Erie anniversary

9/12 - Erie, Pa. – Wednesday marked the 201st anniversary of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry's victory over the British fleet at the Battle of Lake Erie.

U.S. Brig Niagara Senior Capt. Walter Rybka, Niagara Capt. Billy Sabatini, crew members and the public commemorated the decisive War of 1812 event during an afternoon ceremony on the outdoor plaza behind the Erie Maritime Museum.

"I say always that the outstanding lesson that we get from Perry is that the real motto is 'Don't Give Up,''' Rybka said. "All of his luck, it still came so close to utter disaster, yet in 15 or 20 minutes at the end, he was able to turn the battle around.

Yes, he had to give up the ship (Lawrence) and go to the next one (Niagara), so it wasn't don't give up the ship, it was don't give up.''

Perry captained an American fleet of nine vessels to victory over a six-ship British squadron on Sept. 10, 1813.

The battle site was about 11 miles west-northwest of Put-in-Bay, Ohio.

Six of Perry's ships, including the Niagara, were built at Presque Isle Bay in the spring and summer of 1813.

"They had a job to do, they had to defend the nation, and it was just that people matter,'' Rybka said. "The decisions they make and the things they do, that's what makes our history. History matters because it's those lessons that count and the inspiration we get from people who did it right or did something that was really tough to do and they stuck with it.''

Part of Wednesday's half-hour ceremony included participation of the Niagara's color guard and a wreath-laying ceremony.

Officials placed a wreath in the water next to where the Niagara is berthed behind the museum.

After Wednesday's ceremony, Erie Maritime Museum officials unveiled a Niagara ship model exhibit at a public reception inside the museum.

Erie resident Pete Gonzalez, 76, and seven other people spent the past seven years building a 1/24-scale wooden model of the Niagara.

The Niagara model measures 8 feet 6 inches in length and 6 feet 4 inches high and is displayed in a custom-built glass case.

"Every piece on here is handmade,'' Gonzalez said. "There are no store-bought parts. Every knot is hand-tied, I'm proud to say.''

Gonzalez estimates the model took approximately 6,500 hours to build. The project began in June 2007 and was completed last week, said Gonzalez, who has been a volunteer worker at the Erie Maritime Museum since 1996.

"It's made of all wood. Plank on frame, she'll float,'' Gonazalez said.

"I think they did a magnificent job of capturing the spirit of the ship and the feeling of her,'' Rybka said. "All the details they put into it and all the rigging does reflect the ship as she is now.''

GoErie.com





Lookback #299 – Former Canadian Ambassador caught fire on Sept. 12, 2013

9/12 - A year ago today a fire broke out at Banten, Indonesia, aboard the Pramudita, a self-unloading bulk carrier that had been built on the Great Lakes by Port Weller Dry Docks of St. Catharines. This was Hull 70 of the now-closed shipyard and the vessel entered service in July 1983 as Canadian Ambassador.

This member of the Upper Lakes Shipping fleet carried grain on its maiden voyage but spent most of its career hauling coal. It was a very modern ship, air conditioned, equipped with a swimming pool and private accommodations for the crew.

Canadian Ambassador soon left the Great Lakes for coastal and deep sea trading. It crossed the Atlantic for Sweden in 1985, delivered phosphate rock along the Atlantic seaboard but was also heavily engaged in the coal trade.

The ship was transferred to Marbulk Shipping in 1986 and was renamed Ambassador at Sorel in December of that year.

Ambassador caught fire while unloading coal at Belledune, New Brunswick, on Dec. 14, 1994, and the blaze proved challenging due to its location in the conveyor tunnel. The tunnel had to be flooded to save the ship and there was heavy, but repairable damage, to the after end.

Algoma Central Corp. chartered Ambassador in 2000 and it was renamed Algosea. Most of the service was along the St. Lawrence in the ore trade but the ship made one trip through the Seaway to Hamilton with ore for Dofasco and another from Little Narrows, Nova Scotia, to Bath, with gypsum. It was returned to Marbulk in December and again renamed Ambassador.

The ship never traded inland again and spent its final years mainly carrying coal and gypsum. It crossed the Atlantic for a refit at Gdansk, Poland, in 2003.

Ambassador was sold for Indonesian service as Pramudita in 2012 and was working in the coal trade when fire broke out on Sept. 12, 2013. There are no reports of the ship being repaired or sold for scrap but it would appear that the latter is inevitable.

Skip Gillham





Today in Great Lakes History - September 12

On 12 September 1903, the R E SCHUCK (steel propeller bulk freighter, 416 fott, 4713 gross tons) was launched by the American Ship Building Company (Hull #327) at Lorain, Ohio for the Gilchrist Transportation Company. She was purchased by the Interlake Steamship Co. (Pickands, Mather & Co., Mgrs.) in 1913, and renamed b.) HYDRUS. However, she foundered in the "Big Storm" of 1913, on Lake Huron with all hands; 24 lives were lost.

On 12 September 1902, EXPERIMENT (2-mast wooden schooner, 65 foot, 50 gross tons, built in 1854, at St. Joseph, Michigan) was carrying firewood in a storm on Lake Michigan when she went out of control in the harbor at St. Joseph, Michigan after swerving to miss an unmarked construction crib. She wrecked and was declared a total loss. Her crew was rescued by the Lifesaving Service. Three days later she was stripped and abandoned in place.

ROGER BLOUGH was laid up at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin from September 12, 1981, through 1986, because of economic conditions.

CANADIAN PIONEER was christened at Port Weller Drydocks Ltd. on September 12, 1981, by Mrs. Louise Powis, wife of the Chairman and President of Noranda Mines for Upper Lakes Shipping Ltd. Renamed b.) PIONEER in 1987.

CARTIERCLIFFE HALL, a.) RUHR ORE, was towed by the tug WILFRED M. COHEN to Collingwood, Ontario for repairs from a June 5th fire and arrived at Collingwood Shipyards Ltd. on September 12, 1979. Renamed c.) WINNIPEG in 1988, and d.) ALGONTARIO in 1994.

Canadian Shipbuilding & Engineering Limited at Collingwood, Ontario closed the yard on September 12, 1986, after 103 years of shipbuilding. Collship was famous for its spectacular side launches. 214 ships were built at Collingwood.

While unloading steel in South Chicago from the a.) CANADA MARQUIS on September 12, 1988, a shoreside crane lifting a payloader into the hold collapsed onto the ship. CANADA MARQUIS had a hole in her tank top and damage to her hatch coaming. She sails today on the ocean and lakes as e.) BIRCHGLEN, for CSL.

On 12 September 1900, ALBACORE (2 mast wooden schooner, 137 foot, 327 tons, built in 1872, at Port Dalhousie, Ontario) had a storm blow out her sails, driving her into the seawall at Fort Bank just east of Oswego, New York where she broke up. The tug J NAVAGH tried unsuccessfully to save her. Her crew of seven was rescued by the U.S. Lifesaving Service.

After an extremely dry summer, forests were burning all over the Great Lakes region in the autumn of 1871. The smoke from these fires affected navigation. Newspaper reports stated that on 12 September 1871, 38 ships and four strings of barges anchored near Point Pelee on Lake Erie due to the restricted visibility caused by the smoke from the forest fires.

On 12 September 1900, the schooner H. W. SAGE was raised by the McMorran Wrecking Company and was then towed to Port Huron for repairs. She had sunk near Algonac, Michigan in a collision with the steamer CHICAGO on 30 July 1900.

1889: ROTHESAY, a wooden sidewheel passenger vessel, collided with the tug MYRA in the St. Lawrence between Kingston and Prescott. The latter sank with the loss of 2 lives. The former was beached on the Canadian shore where it settled and was abandoned. The wreck was dynamited in 1901 and part of it remains on the bottom in 35 feet of water.

1900: The wooden steamer JOHN B. LYON began taking water in a storm about 25 miles east of Ashtabula and sank in Lake Erie. There were 9 lost with only 6 rescued from the 19-year old vessel.

1917: GISLA was built at Wyandotte, MI in 1916 and went overseas for war duty. The vessel was hit by gunfire from U-64 in the western Mediterranean off Cape Palos, Spain, and sunk by a timed bomb. The ship was carrying nuts and vegetable oil from Kotonou, Dahomey, for Marseilles, France, when it was attacked.

1919: The wooden barge CHICKAMAUGA began leaking in huge seas off Harbor Beach, MI while under tow of the CENTURION and the ore laden vessel sank the next day. The crew of 10 was rescued by the JAMES WHALEN and the wreck was removed the following year.

1928: B.B. McCOLL was virtually destroyed by a fire at Buffalo while loading and had to be abandoned as a total loss. The ship was salvaged, rebuilt and last sailed as h) DETROIT. The ship was scrapped in 1982-1983 at Lake Calumet, IL.

1953: MARYLAND was mauled by a storm on Lake Superior and 12 hatch covers were blown off. The ship was beached near Marquette and all 35 on board were saved. The ship was abandoned but the extensive bottom damage was repaired and the ship resumed service as d) HENRY LALIBERTE.

1989: POLARLAND began visiting the Great Lakes in 1968 and returned as b) ISCELU in 1980, c) TRAKYA in 1981 and d) TRAKYA I in 1982. The ship was lying at Hualien, Taiwan, as e) LUNG HAO during Typhoon Sarah and got loose in the storm prior to going aground. The hull broke in two and was a total loss.

1989: SACHA, Liberian registered SD 14, began Seaway trading in 1973. It returned as b) ERMIONI in 1982. The ship stranded on the wreck of the ORIENTAL PEARL while approaching Bombay, India, from Tampa as d) SAFIR on December 22, 1984, and sustained considerable damage. This was repaired but SAFIR was lost after stranding on a reef off Tiran Island in the Red Sea on September 12, 1989.

2006: TORO went aground in the St. Lawrence off Cornwall Island with damage to the bulbous bow and #2 hold. The ship, enroute from Thunder Bay to Progresso, Mexico, with a cargo of wheat, was released September 18 and repaired at the Verreault shipyard in Les Mechins, QC before resuming the voyage on October 27. The vessel had previously visited the Great Lakes as a) LA LIBERTE, c) ASTART and d) ULLOA. It was still sailing as g) XING JI DA as of 2011.

[yachtsmanwilly]

Divers work on grounded John B. Aird Sunday

9/15 - Morrisburg, Ont. – Sunday night the Algoma Central Corp. self-unloader John B. Aird remained aground on Doran Shoal, a mile below the village of Morrisburg.

Divers were on the scene Sunday and underwater welding was taking place most of the afternoon and stopped at sunset. The tug Ocean Ross Gaudreault arrived from Montreal at mid-day.

The Aird is out of the channel and her bow is close to lighted buoy 81. She is loaded with slag for Sept Iles and is on the bottom amidships, starboard side. She is down by the head and up at the stern. The charted depth at that point is 3.8 meters or 12.5 feet.

Ron Beaupre





Port Reports - September 15

Lorain, Ohio – Phil Leon
A problem with the Charles Berry bridge Sunday caught the Manistee in port, as she was unable to transit the partially opened span. She finally cleared about 10 p.m.

Welland Canal
Boatherds enjoying the final day of the annual Welland Canal gathering were treated to the oldest and newest vessels in the Algoma Central fleet. Algoma Harvester and Algoma Montrealais both headed upbound in the afternoon. Other traffic included the upbound Frontenac, Lake Ontario and Vega Desgagnes. The Federal Leda, Tecumseh and Merwedegracht were downbound.





Lookback #302 – Liberty ship Mesologi collided with a laker on Sept. 15, 1962

9/15 - The Greek Liberty ship Mesologi made a total of six trips to the Great Lakes. It began coming inland in 1962 and was involved in a collision the Paul L. Tietjen at Toledo on Sept. 15, 1962.

The accident occurred at the entrance to the channel at the port and the laker was found to be at fault and responsible for the close to $28,000 in damage to the foreign ship.

Mesologi had been built at Baltimore in 1943 and first sailed as the George M. Cohan to assist in the war effort. The 441 foot, 6 inch long freighter was lengthened to 511 feet, 6 inches at Kobe, Japan, in 1955 but was registered in Liberia under a fourth name of National Fighter.

Mesologi was re-registered in Liberia in 1963 and made its final appearance on the Great Lakes in 1966. Sold and renamed Blue Sand in 1968. The ship was later resold to Japanese shipbreakers and arrived at Aioi for dismantling about Nov. 13, 1969.

Paul L. Tietjen dated from 1907 and first served the Kinsman fleet as Matthew Andrews and Harry L. Findlay before becoming Paul L. Tietjen in 1965. It tied up at Buffalo on July 22, 1977, and following a sale for scrap, was towed to Ashtabula, Ohio, on Oct.10-11, 1978, for dismantling.



Today in Great Lakes History - September 15

On 15 September 1886, F. J. KING (wooden schooner, 140 foot, 280 tons, built in 1867, at Toledo, Ohio) was carrying iron ore from Escanaba, Michigan, to Chicago, Illinois. She sprang a leak and sank in a heavy southwesterly gale three miles off Rawley Bay, Wisconsin. Her crew reached shore in the yawl. Her loss was valued at $7,500.

The A. H. FERBERT of 1942 was towed out of Duluth by the Sandrin tug GLENADA September 15, 1987; they encountered rough weather on Lake Superior and required the assistance of another tug to reach the Soo on the 19th. On the 21st the FERBERT had to anchor off Detour, Michigan, after she ran aground in the St. Marys River when her towline parted. Her hull was punctured and the Coast Guard ordered repairs to her hull before she could continue. Again problems struck on September 24th, when the FERBERT went hard aground at the Cut-Off Channel's southeast bend of the St. Clair River. Six tugs, GLENADA, ELMORE M. MISNER, BARBARA ANN, GLENSIDE, SHANNON and WM. A. WHITNEY, worked until late on the 26th to free her. The FERBERT finally arrived in tow of GLENSIDE and W. N. TWOLAN at Lauzon, Quebec, on October 7th.

The steamer WILLIAM A. AMBERG (Hull#723) was launched September 15, 1917, at Lorain, Ohio, by American Ship Building Co. for the Producers Steamship Co., (M. A. Hanna, mgr.). Renamed b.) ALBERT E. HEEKIN in 1932, c.) SILVER BAY in 1955, d.) JUDITH M. PIERSON in 1975 and e.) FERNGLEN in 1982. Scrapped at Port Maitland, Ontario, in 1985.

On September 15, 1925, the JOHN A. TOPPING left River Rouge, Michigan, light on her maiden voyage to Ashland, Wisconsin, to load iron ore for delivery to Cleveland, Ohio. Renamed b.) WILLIAM A. REISS in 1934, she was scrapped at Alang, India, in 1994.

On September 15th, lightering was completed on the AUGUST ZIESING; she had grounded above the Rock Cut two days earlier, blocking the channel.

September 15, 1959, was the last day the U.S. Coast Guard Buoy Tender MESQUITE was stationed at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

MIDDLETOWN suffered a fire in her tunnels on September 15, 1986. Second and third degree burns were suffered by two crew members. She was renamed f.) AMERICAN VICTORY in 2006.

In 1934, the ANN ARBOR NO 6 collided with the steamer N. F. LEOPOLD in a heavy fog.

September 15, 1993 - Robert Manglitz became CEO and president of Lake Michigan Carferry Service after Charles Conrad announced his retirement and the sale of most of his stock.

On 15 September 1873, IRONSIDES (wooden propeller passenger/package freight vessel, 220 foot, 1,123 tons, built in 1864, at Cleveland, Ohio) became disabled when she sprang a leak and flooded. The water poured in and put out her fires. She sank about 7 miles off Grand Haven, Michigan, on Lake Michigan. Reports of the number of survivors varied from 17 to 32 and the number lost varied from 18 to 28.

On 15 September 1872, A. J. BEMIS (wood propeller tug, 49 tons, built in 1859, at Buffalo, New York) caught fire while underway. The fire originated under her boiler. She ran for shore but sank about six miles from Alpena, Michigan. No lives lost.

1882: The wooden passenger steamer ASIA got caught in a wild storm crossing Georgian Bay, fell into the trough and sank stern first. There were 123 passengers and crew listed as lost while only two on board survived.

1915: ONOKO of the Kinsman Transit Company foundered in Lake Superior off Knife Point, while downbound with wheat from Duluth to Toledo. The crew took to the lifeboats and were saved. The hull was located in 1987, upside down, in about 340 feet of water.

1928: MANASOO, in only her first season of service after being rebuilt for overnight passenger and freight service, foundered in Georgian Bay after the cargo shifted and the vessel overturned in heavy weather. There were 18 casualties, plus 46 head of cattle, and only 5 survived.

1940: KENORDOC, enroute to Bristol, UK, with a cargo of lumber was sunk due to enemy action as part of convoy SC 3 while 500 miles west of the Orkney Islands. The ship had fallen behind the convoy due to engine trouble, and was shelled by gunfire from U-48. There were 7 casualties including the captain and wireless operator. H.M.S. AMAZON completed the sinking as the bow of the drifting hull was still visible.

1940: The Norwegian freighter LOTOS came inland in 1938 delivering pulpwood to Cornwall and went aground there in a storm. The ship was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine while about 15 miles west of Rockall Island, Scotland, while inbound from Dalhousie, NB for Tyne, UK.

1962” A collision between the HARRY L. FINDLAY of the Kinsman Line and the Greek Liberty ship MESOLOGI occurred at Toledo. The latter began Seaway service that year and made a total of six inland voyages. It was scrapped at Aioi, Japan, as f) BLUE SAND after arriving in November 1969.

[yachtsmanwilly]

John B. Aird freed from Seaway shoal

9/16 - Morrisburg, Ont. - About 10:30 p.m. the John B. Aird was pulled off her strand into the channel with the Wilf Seymour pulling on the bow and Ocean Ross Gaudreault on the stern. The tugs held her there while the crew checked tanks before heading down river to the Wilson Hill anchorage for inspection.

While the salvage operation and tow were underway, Algosea and Sarah Desgagnes were held at Eisenhower Lock.

Original report - Efforts continued Monday to free the Algoma Central Corp. self-unloader John B. Aird, aground since Saturday on Doran Shoal, a mile below the village of Morrisburg.

Monday the tug Wilf Seymour joined the effort to get the Aird off the shoal.

Divers were on the scene Sunday and Monday, with underwater welding taking place. The tug Ocean Ross Gaudreault from Montreal is also on the scene.

The Aird is out of the channel and her bow is close to lighted buoy 81. She is loaded with slag for Sept Iles and is on the bottom amidships, starboard side. She is down by the head and up at the stern. The charted depth at that point is 3.8 meters or 12.5 feet.

Ron Beaupre





Port Reports - September 16

Marquette, Mich. – Rod Burdick
A busy Monday evening at the Upper Harbor found Mesabi Miner unloading coal, fleet mate Kaye E. Barker loading ore and Michipicoten at anchor, waiting to load.

Lorain, Ohio – Phil Leon
Calumet arrived in Lorain early Monday morning and docked by the concrete plant.





New leaders at Cliffs Natural Resources close Duluth office

9/16 - Duluth, Minn. – Cliffs Natural Resources is closing a 30-person regional office in Duluth that oversaw the company's several Minnesota mines.

The Duluth News-Tribune reports on the cost-cutting move. Employees at the office have been offered jobs at Cliffs' regional mine operations or at its Cleveland headquarters.

Cliffs, which still employs about 1,800 people in Minnesota and owns taconite mines in several Iron Range cities, had a tumultuous summer. A hedge fund toppled the company's board of directors in a proxy fight with pledges to cut costs.

It's thought that the new leaders like the company's taconite business, so its broader Minnesota mining operations aren't necessarily targeted for cuts, too.

Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal





Harsh winter felt deep into Great Lakes shipping season

9/16 - Green Bay, Wis. – A harsh winter slowed the start of the 2014 shipping season on the Great Lakes, but it also helped boost water levels that had been sagging for the last decade.

Higher water levels are a boon to port and shipping officials who say the increases allow ships to carry more cargo on each trip, helping make up for early season delays caused by widespread icing on the lakes.

"The timing is great because we had all those horrible delays in March and April," said Glen Nekvasil, vice president of the Ohio-based Lake Carriers' Association. "We needed every benefit we could get. That has helped us narrow the gap a bit."

While load sizes are up, some ships aren't carrying full loads of products like coal and iron ore — that last happened in the late 1990s, Nekvasil said.

"We have to recognize that even these loads are still not full loads," he said. "Even the top loads have been have been 2,500 or 3,000 tons short of what the boat could have done."

Through Sept. 5, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Lake Michigan's level was up 18 inches over the same time in 2013, according to a weekly water level update.

"That is an extraordinary change," said Dean Haen, director of the Brown County Port & Resource Recovery department. "Usually there's an annual fluctuation and a 10-year cycle. Basically we've been at the bottom of our 10-year cycle for 10 years. It's been a long time, and there's been a lot of concern about prolonged low water."

Cooler summer temperatures, coupled with above average precipitation are among the factors contributing to increased lake levels, port officials said.

The current water level on lakes Huron and Michigan are at the "long-term" average, according to the report. The level is forecast to fall an inch by early October, according to the corps of engineers report.

Through the end of August, the Port of Green Bay handled 1.28 million tons of cargo carried on 111 ship visits this year. Both numbers are up about 10 percent from the same time last year.

"For every additional inch (of water), they're able to carry an additional 100 tons at essentially no additional cost," Haen said. "The fuel's the same, the crew's the same, the deprecation on the vessel, it's all fixed."

That helps lower the cost per unit for shipping, a savings that should be realized by end users of the bulk commodities passing through the port.

Key products at the Port of Green Bay include limestone, coal, petroleum products, and cement.

"The first driver on port tonnage is the economy," Haen said. "The economy is strong, and carriers will be able to carry more product... with fewer transits."

Across the Great Lakes, American-flagged ships on the Great Lakes carried 49.9 million tons of cargo through August. That's about 8 percent less than at the same time last year, but a vast improvement over April when ice on the lakes cut cargo movement by 45 percent.

"Higher water levels and increased vessel utilization rates are allowing the fleet to narrow the gap between this year and last caused by the brutal winter of 2013/2014," the Lake Carriers' Association said in a monthly report. "Great Lakes water levels normally begin their seasonal decline in the fall, so going forward, loads will likely be smaller."

Nekvasil said if this is a typical year, he anticipates levels will drop in the fall.

"It's a not a permanent thing and doesn't lessen the need for dredging," he said. "When you have all that water running off (from rain and snow melt) into the system, sometimes it actually brings more sediment into a harbor than you had before."

Green Bay Press Gazette





Lake Michigan levels rise above average

9/16 - Grand Rapids, Mich. – After a few years of below average lake levels, Lake Michigan is starting to slowly rebound.

After an above average winter snowfall in the Great Lakes basin, and steady spring and summer rains Lake Michigan is slowly starting to increase levels.

After record ice coverage this winter, the Army Corp of Engineers released their spring outlook calling for increasing lake levels by this fall and it looks like that forecast was right on.

Lake Michigan first climbed above average for a short period on August 13th, but shortly after dropped slightly below. It didn’t take long as the basin received heavy rains at the end of August allowing levels to increase and by the beginning of September, lake levels were at or above average.

As of September 12th, Lake Michigan/Huron were recording lake levels at 579.17 feet. That is above the mean level of 579.11 feet and the long-term average of 579.09 feet. Even though levels are only a few inches above average, they are two feet above levels this time last year and thirty feet above the record lowest level in September.

Lake levels are expected to drop an inch in the month of October but will still be closer to average than the lake has been in the last few years.

Fox 17





Lookback #303 – Wooden steamer Charles B. Packard sank in Lake Erie Sept. 16, 1906

9/16 - The wooden steamer Charles B. Packard was mainly used to carry lumber or pulpwood. It had been built as West Bay City, Mich., and launched on Aug. 18, 1887, as Elfin-Mere. In these early years the 190-foot-long freighter also saw service carrying some coal and iron ore.

A lamp exploded in the engine room on Nov. 16, 1901, while the ship was at Green Bay and the blaze swept through the ship and it had to be abandoned. However, the vessel was rebuilt and renamed Charles B. Packard in 1903.

This steamer had several owners over the years and it was wrecked 108-years ago today. On Sept. 16, 1906, the vessel struck the wreck of the schooner Armenia near Colchester Reef, Lake Erie and sank in about 45 minutes. As with the earlier fire, all on board were saved.

With the remains in only 40 feet of water, a decision was made to dynamite the wreck as it was a hazard to navigation. This was carried out and today the remains are easily visited by divers.

Skip Gillham





Today in Great Lakes History - September 16

On September 16, 1893, HATTIE EARL (wooden schooner, 96 foot, 101 gross tons, built in 1869, at South Haven, Michigan) was driven ashore just outside the harbor of Michigan City, Indiana, and was pounded to pieces by the waves. No lives were lost.

At about 8:30 a.m. Sunday, September 16, 1990, the inbound motor ship BUFFALO passed close by while the tanker JUPITER was unloading unleaded gasoline at the Total Petroleum dock in the Saginaw River near Bay City, Michigan. As the BUFFALO passed the dock's aft pilings broke off and the fuel lines parted which caused a spark and ignited the spilled fuel. At the time 22,000 barrels of a total of 54,000 barrels were still aboard. Flames catapulted over 100 feet high filling the air with smoke that could be seen for 50 miles. The fire was still burning the next morning when a six man crew from Williams, Boots & Coots Firefighters and Hazard Control Specialists of Port Neches, Texas, arrived to fight the fire. By Monday afternoon they extinguished the fire only to have it re-ignite that night resulting in multiple explosions. Not until Tuesday morning on the 18th was the fire finally subdued with the assistance of the U.S. Coast Guard's BRAMBLE and BRISTOL BAY. The tanker, which was valued at $9 million, was declared a total constructive loss, though the engine room was relatively untouched. Unfortunately the fire claimed the life of one crew member, who drowned attempting to swim ashore. As a result the Coast Guard closed the river to all navigation. On October 19th the river was opened to navigation after the Gaelic tugs SUSAN HOEY and CAROLYN HOEY towed the JUPITER up river to the Hirschfield & Sons Dock at Bay City (formerly the Defoe Shipyard) where a crane was erected for dismantling the burned out hulk. Her engines were removed and shipped to New Bedford, Massachusetts, for future use. The river opening allowed American Steamship's BUFFALO to depart the Lafarge dock where she had been trapped since the explosion. JUPITER's dismantling was completed over the winter of 1990-91. Subsequent investigation by the NTSB, U.S. Coast Guard and the findings of a federal judge all exonerated the master and BUFFALO in the tragedy.

Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd. purchased all nine of the Soo River's fleet on September 16, 1982, for a reported C$2.5 million and all nine returned to service, although only four were running at the end of the season.

The NORISLE went into service September 16, 1946, as the first Canadian passenger ship commissioned since the NORONIC in 1913.

On September 16, 1952, the CASON J. CALLAWAY departed River Rouge, Michigan, for Duluth, Minnesota, on its maiden voyage for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co.

On September 16, 1895, ARCTIC (2 mast wooden schooner, 113 foot, 85 gross tons, built in 1853, at Ashtabula, Ohio) was rammed and sunk by the steamer CLYDE in broad daylight and calm weather. ARCTIC was almost cut in half by the blow. The skipper of CLYDE was censured for the wreck and for his callous treatment of the schooner's crew afterwards. Luckily no lives were lost.

On September 16,1877, the 46 foot tug RED RIBBON, owned by W. H. Morris of Port Huron, Michigan, burned about 2 miles below St. Clair, Michigan. Capt. Morris ran the tug ashore and hurried to St. Clair to get assistance, but officials there refused to allow the steam fire engine to go outside the city. The tug was a total loss and was only insured for $1,000, half her value. She had just started in service in May of 1877, and was named for the reform movement that was in full swing at the time of her launch.

On September 16, 1900, LULU BEATRICE (2-mast wooden schooner, 72 foot, 48 gross tons, built in 1896, at Port Burwell, Ontario) was carrying coal on Lake Erie when she was wrecked on the shore near the harbor entrance at Port Burwell in a storm. One life was lost, the captain's wife.

1892 The wooden propeller VIENNA sank in foggy Whitefish Bay after beiing hit broadside by the wooden steamer NIPIGON. The latter survived and later worked for Canada Steamship Lines as b) MAPLEGRANGE and c) MAPLEHILL (i) but was laid up at Kingston in 1925 and scuttled in Lake Ontario in 1927.

1901 HUDSON was last seen dead in the water with a heavy list. The steeel package freighter had cleared Duluth the previous day with wheat and flax for Buffalo but ran into a furious storm and sank in Lake Superior off Eagle Harbor Light with the loss of 24-25 lives.

1906 CHARLES B. PACKARD hit the wreck of the schooner ARMENIA off Midddle Ground, Lake Erie and sank in 45 minutes. All on board were rescued and the hull was later dynamited as a hazard to navigation.

1937-- The large wooden tug G.R. GRAY (ii) of the Lake Superior Paper Co., got caught in a storm off Coppermine Point, Lake Superior, working with GARGANTUA on a log raft and fell into the trough. The stack was toppled but the vessel managed to reach Batchawana and was laid up. The hull was towed to Sault Ste. Marie in 1938 and eventually stripped out. The remains were taken to Thessalon in 1947 and remained there until it caught fire and burned in 1959.

1975 BJORSUND, a Norwegian tanker, visited the Seaway in 1966. The 22--year old vessel began leaking as b) AMERFIN enroute from Mexico to Panama and sank in the Pacific while under tow off Costa Rica.

1990 JUPITER was unloading at Bay City when the wake of a passing shipp separated the hose connection spreading gasoline on deck. An explosion and fire resulted. One sailor was lost as the ship burned for days and subsequently sank.

2005 Fire broke out aboard the tug JAMES A. HANNAH above Lock 2 of the Welland Canal while downbound with the barge 5101 loaded with asphalt, diesel and heavy oil. City of St. Catharines fire fighters help extinguish the blaze.

[yachtsmanwilly]

Half way down is the photo links page. Hopefully you can open it from here, if not C&P it to search. Neat tow pics of the COLUMBIA




Boblo boat Columbia towed to Toledo as first step toward refurbishment

9/17 - Detroit, Mich. – The passenger vessel Columbia, one of the beloved but battered former Boblo boats, has left Detroit for what is likely the last time.

Shortly after 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, the steamer left her longtime home in Ecorse, towed away by the tugs Captain Keith and Manitou to Toledo. It is there that the nonprofit Columbia Project will dry dock the vessel and get her shipshape again. Or at least shipshape enough to make the trek to New York state by next August. The Columbia Project has spent years working on a plan to return the boat to service in the Hudson River Valley – and will spend some $10 million to $20 million to do it.

The National Historic Landmark vessel is now the oldest surviving passenger steam vessel in the United States, and the best remaining work by one of America’s greatest naval architects, Frank E. Kirby.

Built in 1902, the Columbia combines a spectacular array of design, engineering, and aesthetic innovations. At 207’ in length and 60’ in breadth, the ship was designed to carry 3,200 passengers comfortably on her five decks. Her interiors were created in collaboration with the painter and designer Louis O. Keil. The ship is adorned with mahogany paneling, etched and leaded glass, gilded moldings, a grand staircase, and an innovative open-air ballroom.

The Columbia’s massive 1,200-horsepower triple-expansion reciprocating steam engine, surrounded by viewing galleries, will become an unforgettable demonstration of early steam technologies for visitors. Laid up and minimally maintained for the past 15 years, the ship has suffered an accelerating decline in her condition.

This means Detroit has likely seen the last of the SS Columbia. To learn more about the S.S. Columbia project, go to sscolumbia.org.

Detroit Free Press





Severstal closes sale of Dearborn plant, exits U.S.

9/17 - Dearborn, Mich. – Russian steelmaker Severstal has completed the sale of its Dearborn and Columbus, Miss., steel plants to AK Steel. Severstal sold its Dearborn plant for $700 million and the Columbus mill to Steel Dynamics for $1.63 billion.

Since purchasing it in 2003 for $285 million, the Russian company invested $1.4 billion in a mill that was once part of Henry Ford's historic Rouge complex.

"I would like to express gratitude to the whole team and to every employee of Severstal North America for achieving a lot together," Alexey Mordashov, Severstal CEO said in a statement. "I wish you the best of luck in all your future endeavors."

About 1,800 workers work at the plant today. The decision to sell the plants, first announced in July, comes amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine and a deteriorating Russian economy.

The sale also comes several months after Severstal won approval for a revised state permit to release higher levels of certain pollutants into the air.

An attorney suing Severstal in July told the Free Press he hopes AK Steel will be more willing to work with the local community on air pollution issues.

Detroit Free Press





CSL announces changes to leadership team

9/17 - Montreal, Q.C. – CSL President and CEO Rod Jones has announced two new appointments.

Effective Jan. 1, 2015, Louis Martel, currently president of Canada Steamship Lines, will assume the position of President, CSL International.

In this role, Martel will be responsible for the leadership of CSL’s international divisions, namely CSL Americas, CSL Europe, CSL Asia, CSL Australia and CSL Transhipment. He will continue to be based in Montreal.

Martel will also retain his group-wide responsibilities as head of the following programs: Safety and SafePartners, Environmental Technologies and Innovation, Sustainability and Regulatory Compliance, Global Ship Management, and Global Technical Services.

Martel joined CSL as Naval Architect in 1997, and transferred to CSL Americas as Director, Technical Operations in 2003. He was promoted to Vice-President, Technical Operations in 2006, and President of Canada Steamship Lines in 2012. Building on the solid foundation and momentum established by Louis Martel in Canada, Allister Paterson will be joining CSL as President of Canada Steamship Lines, effective in January 2015.

Paterson has over 20 years experience in the transportation industry, most recently as Senior Vice President of Finnair’s Commercial Division. Prior to joining Finnair, he was President and CEO of Seaway Marine Transport.

Paterson began his career at Pacific Western Airlines (predecessor to Canadian Airlines) before joining Air New Zealand in senior roles including Acting-CEO in 1998. Prior to joining Seaway Marine Transport, he was the President and CEO of Air Canada Vacations.

CSL





When ships sail into Cleveland, Seamen's Service knows how to shout 'Ahoy!'

9/17 - Cleveland, Ohio – When the Polish freighter Mamry steamed in to Cleveland Harbor early Wednesday, its captain and crew had been on the water 11 straight days. They left high seas in the North Atlantic for round-the-clock shifts through the locks of the St. Lawrence Seaway.

Now a city of shiny glass buildings and stately towers – plus restaurants and dance clubs – rose enticingly close. Jim Clark made sure the sailors knew they were welcome.

Wearing a bright orange vest that lets him move about the Port of Cleveland, Clark climbed a steep gangplank and followed an escort to the captain's quarters, where he delivered news of free Wi-Fi, postcards and directions, available at his office a short walk away.

And that stadium looming to port? American football would be played there on Sunday, he said.

"Cleveland Browns?" Capt. Sylvester Kacrzarksi asked in thickly accented English. "Maybe there is time enough this time."

That encounter, a version of which unfolds every few days during the shipping season, ranks among the little known but much appreciated protocols on the lakefront.

Clark, 65, is president of the Cleveland Seamen's Service, an institution about as familiar to visiting seafarers as a Lake Erie lighthouse.

The all-volunteer group greets foreign ships and their sailors and helps them to make the most of their port-of-call. The service turned 50 years old this month, making it one of the oldest private seamen services on the continent--and one of only two still holding out a lamp on the Great Lakes.

Its relevancy was quickly validated by younger members of the Mamry crew, who followed Clark across the docks to the Seamen's Service office--a modest, box-like building with a crow's nest at the edge of the port, in the shadow of FirstEnergy Stadium.

They wanted to talk to wives and children and girlfriends via the Internet. They wanted directions to a "disco club." They wanted the bus to Walmart.

"Some of us are interested in American football," said Marek Paszcuk, the first mate in a crew of 20. "How much the tickets?"

Clark grimaced.

"You know," he brightened, "we have a baseball team playing, too."

At its birth in 1964, the Seamen's Service shepherded a larger flock. Foreign ships called upon Cleveland more frequently in the early days of the Seaway, sending their sailors into the city for several days, sometimes a week at a time.

Accustomed to bigger ocean ports, the sailors often struggled do find someone who spoke their language or cooked their food. Claire MacMurray Howard, a popular columnist for The Plain Dealer, noticed that many never ventured beyond the dim taverns of the Flats.

She founded the Cleveland Seamen's Service to connect the sailors to the city, modeling it after seamen services found in ocean ports around the world.

According to historical accounts, the city embraced her concept. MacMurray Howard mustered a force of 300 volunteers, men and women who guided captains and crew to ethnic markets, soccer games, bowling alleys and cultural dances.

Veteran members say she was passionate about her goal of making Cleveland renowned as the "friendliest port in the world."

The challenge has changed but the quest remains much the same.

Today, larger ships arrive with smaller crews for shorter stays. The port sees two to three ocean ships a week from May to December. They unload quickly, with their own cranes, and are often gone in a day or two.

Still, that's time enough to dash to the store, Skype home, enjoy a good meal and even catch a ball game. That's time enough to feel welcomed.

"We are the face of Cleveland to the international visitors," said Rita Clark, a volunteer for 17 years. "We want to welcome them to our city."

The Cleveland Seamen's Service counts 21 active members, including Jim and Rita Clark of Brecksville. Most are retirees but the ranks also include young professionals and downtown office workers.

The group would love to add some speakers of Polish, Ukrainian and Tagalog, the language of the Philippines. That would linguistically cover most of the sailors sailing in on the Seaway, Clark said.

But when phrasebooks fail, English and pantomime are often enough. Many of the ships return year after year and the crews become familiar.

Maggie Wendel had the duty when a sailor she knew visited the office to talk with his family via the Internet. He had Wendel say hello to his daughter.

"The most important thing for the sailors is their families," said Wendel, a retired Euclid social worker. "Then comes the sightseeing and the shopping."

She joined the service 45 years ago, hoping to reconnect with her German roots among German ships. As the longest-serving member, she has plenty of stories of sailors and their misadventures.

Those tales shine more vividly these days, as the group marks a half-century on the waterfront with celebrations like a birthday party Saturday at Pier W in Lakewood.

Reminiscing at the Seamen's Service office last week, Gisela Luck recalled the Burmese sailors who sought to defect one day in the 1990s.

"They walked in here, seven of them," she recalled. "Only one of them spoke English."

She said they were upset not with their dictatorial government but with the ship's food; that, and lousy working conditions.

Luck called the port authority, which alerted an immigration agent, who arrived with a burly stevedore. She said she'll never forget how the pair convinced the Burmese sailors to jump ship in Montreal instead.

"Now, it's totally different," she said. "You go on a ship, the kitchen is Hispanic dirtbag and span. They serve fabulous food."

The happier sailors tend to have less time to explore the city. But if a window of opportunity opens, the Seamen's Service is ready to guide or to give a ride.

When he boarded the Mamry, Clark had in his hand a sheet listing information handy to sailors on leave; like where to find a hair cut, wire money or buy electronics. He could offer discount admission to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and game times.

A window opened wider. The Mamry had no sooner begun unloading its steel coils from Holland than the rains began, forcing the captain to close the massive hatches that cover the hold.

His mobile phone gave a shrill ring. It was the shipping agent with a weather report. It would likely rain steady for a few days, forcing the ship to stay in port through the weekend.

Capt. Kacrzarksi turned to Clark. "American football," he asked, "How much are the tickets?"

Cleveland.com





Buffalo Maritime Festival begins Friday

9/17 - Buffalo, N.Y. – The Buffalo Maritime Festival will open a three-day festival at Canalside at 3 p.m. Friday with a boat parade and the arrival of the U.S. Brig Niagara, a majestic sailing vessel.

There will be historic and educational displays, guide tours, kids activities, a chowder competition, artisan’s market, beer garden and food trucks offering seafood.

“It’s wonderful to see the Buffalo Maritime Festival becoming an annual autumn tradition, bringing people of all generations down to our remarkable waterfront to experience a great variety of activities, food, music and of course, boats,” said Robert Gioia, chairman of Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp.

Admission is free, with deck tours of the Brig Niagara costing $7, $5 for children under 12. Deck tours of the Tug DeWitt Clinton are free. For more information, go to www.buffalomaritimefestival.com.

Buffalo News





Lookback #304 – Tragic Noronic blaze broke out at Toronto on Sept. 17, 1949

9/17 - Growing up in Toronto, I well remember the sirens that wailed throughout the night air of Sept. 17, 1949. Our family had no idea of what was going on and, as a youngster, I found it pretty scary. It was not until the next morning that we had learned that the Canada Steamship Lines passenger and freight carrier Noronic had burned as a total loss on the waterfront with a devastating loss of life.

The 385 foot long passenger ship was on an end-of-season cruise when the blaze broke out in a linen closet and quickly spread throughout the beautiful, but wooden decked, ship. It was a total loss and 118 lives were ended. The casualty rate might have been higher save for the fact that a number of passengers and crew were still ashore enjoying the night life of Toronto.

Noronic was built at Port Arthur, ON in 1913 and joined the newly formed Canada Steamship Lines as part of their Northern Navigation Division. This vessel was confined to the upper lakes until the advent of the Fourth Welland Canal allowed service east to Lake Ontario. The ship made its first trip down through the yet uncompleted waterway on June 8, 1931, and soon offered late season cruises to the beautiful Thousand Islands region before reverting to freight only service to conclude the year.

Tons of water were pumped aboard Noronic to quell the flames 65-years ago today and the ship sank at the dock. It was refloated on Oct. 29, 1949, and following a sale for scrap, towed to Hamilton in November for dismantling by the Steel Company of Canada.

On Sept. 17, 1999, a plaque recognizing the tragedy was unveiled at Toronto and a number of survivors of that awful night were on hand for the ceremony.

Skip Gillham





Updates - September 17

News Photo Gallery
Saltie Gallery updated with pictures of the Adfines Star, Ebony Ray, Edzard Schulte, Exeborg, Floragracht, HHL Mississippi, HR Maria, Merwedegracht, Morgenstond I, and North Contender.





Today in Great Lakes History - September 17

On September 17, 1898, KEEPSAKE (2-mast wooden schooner, 183 foot, 286 gross tons, built in 1867, at Newport [Marine City], Michigan) was carrying coal from Ashtabula when she was struck by a terrible storm on Lake Erie. Her rudder was damaged, a sail torn away and her bulwarks were smashed. The CITY OF ERIE saw her distress signals at 3:30 a.m. and came to help. With the CITY OF ERIE's searchlight shining on the doomed schooner, a huge wave swept over the vessel taking away everything on deck and snapping both masts. The crew, some only half dressed, all managed to get into the lifeboat. They rowed to the CITY OF ERIE and were all rescued. Three days later, the other lifeboat and some wreckage from the KEEPSAKE were found near Ashtabula by some fishermen.

GRIFFON (Hull#18) was launched September 17, 1955, at St. Catharines, Ontario by Port Weller Drydocks Ltd. for Beaconsfield Steamship Ltd., Montreal, Quebec. Renamed b.) FRANQUELIN in 1967, c.) EVA DESGAGNES in 1987. Sold foreign in 1989, renamed d.) TELCHAC, scrapped at Tuxpan, Mexico, in 1992.

On September 17, 1985, PATERSON suffered a crankcase explosion as she was bound for Quebec City from Montreal. She was repaired and cleared on September 21. Renamed b.) PINEGLEN in 2002.

On September 17, 1830, WILLIAM PEACOCK (wood side wheel steamer, 102 foot, 120 tons, built in 1829, at Barcelona, New York) suffered the first major boiler explosion on Lake Erie while she was docked in Buffalo, New York. 15 - 30 lives were lost. She was rebuilt two years later and eventually foundered in a storm in 1835, near Ripley, Ohio.

On September 17, 1875, the barge HARMONY was wrecked in a gale at Chicago, Illinois, by colliding with the north pier, which was under water. This was the same place where the schooner ONONGA was wrecked a week earlier and HARMONY came in contact with that sunken schooner. No lives were lost.

On September 17, 1900, a storm carried away the cabin and masts of the wrecked wooden 4-mast bulk freight barge FONTANA. The 231-foot vessel had been wrecked and sunk in a collision at the mouth of the St. Clair River in the St. Clair Flats on August 3,1900. She had settled in the mud and gradually shifted her position. She eventually broke in two. After unsuccessful salvage attempts, the wreck was dynamited.

Tragedy struck in 1949, when the Canada Steamship Lines cruise ship NORONIC burned at Pier 9 in Toronto, Ontario. By morning the ship was gutted, 104 passengers were known to be dead and 14 were missing. Because of land reclamation and the changing face of the harbor, the actual site of Noronic's berth is now in the lobby of the Harbour Castle Westin hotel.

1909: The towline connecting the ALEXANDER HOLLEY and SIR WILLIAM FAIRBAIRN broke in a Lake Superior storm and the former, a whaleback barge, almost stranded on Sawtooth Shoal. The anchors caught in time and it took 5 hours to rescue the crew.

1980: HERMION began Great Lakes trading shortly after entering service in 1960. The vessel stranded as d) AEOLIAN WIND, about a half mile from Nakhodka, USSR, during a voyage from North Vietnam to Cuba. The ship was refloated on October 8, 1980, and scrapped in 1981 at Nakhodka.