Today in Great Lakes History

[yachtsmanwilly]

Port Reports - November 19

Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey
The Olive L. Moore - Lewis J. Kuber were back on the Saginaw River Tuesday morning, with the pair traveling all the way to the end of the commercial shipping channel to unload at the Lafarge Stone dock in Saginaw. The Moore-Kuber finished unloading by the late afternoon and were outbound for the lake Tuesday evening.

Prescott, Ont. – Joanne N. Crack
The upbound Nogat cleared at 8:30 a.m. and proceed into Prescott anchorage. She remained there into Tuesday night due to severe winds. Next was the upbound Algoma Progress at 2:13 p.m., followed closely Flinter America at 2:17 p.m. Both ships dropped anchor at Prescott anchorage just above the CCG base. Algoma Progress didn’t remain at anchor long, heading upbound in the St. Lawrence River Tuesday night. Flinter America remained in the Prescott anchorage Tuesday night. Skawa remained at anchor near Butternut Bay after losing engine power and awaiting repair. Most downbound traffic was anchored Tuesday, out of the way of the winds and storms.





Marinette-built USS Fort Worth heads to Far East

11/19 - San Diego, Ca. – The second Littoral Combat Ship built at Marinette Marine Corp. is headed to the Far East for a 16-month deployment.

The USS Fort Worth set sail Monday from San Diego for Singapore, where the ship is expected to work with regional navies. The ship will swap crews every four months, allowing it to deploy about six months longer than USS Freedom, according to the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet.

This is the second deployment for a Littoral Combat Ship built at Marinette Marine Corp. USS Freedom deployed to Singapore in 2013 for a 10-month operation that, in part, laid some of the foundation for the operational use of the new ships.

The Littoral Combat Ship is designed to carry out a number of missions — including surface warfare and anti-submarine operations — in shallower coastal waters.

Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor on the ships built at Marinette. Another design of the ship is being built by Austal USA in Alabama.

Green Bay Press Gazette





Coast Guard rescues 66-year-old duck hunter near Catawba Island in Lake Erie

11/19 - Cleveland, Ohio – Coast Guard crews rescued a 66-year-old man who became lost while duck hunting on Catawba Island, Ohio, Monday evening.

Around 7 p.m., the hunter's wife reported to the watchstander at Coast Guard Station Marblehead, Ohio, that her husband called her to tell her he was lost. She said his boat got stuck in the mud and he tried to walk out of the marsh toward land. After wading through the muddy marsh water in 12-foot high reeds for several hours, the hunter became wet, disoriented and unable to provide his exact location.

Sector Detroit directed the launch of Station Marblehead’s crew aboard a 20-foot airboat and also diverted an Air Station Detroit crew that was conducting training aboard a Dolphin helicopter. Local emergency response agencies also assisted in the search.

Just after 8:30 p.m. the hunter used a flashlight to signal rescuers, who were able to locate and hoist him. The aircrew transported him to the Port Clinton Airport where EMS and his family were waiting. The hunter was wearing waders and a life jacket, along with winter weather clothing.

“Being dressed for cold air temperatures is not the same thing as being prepared for cold water temperatures,” said Lt. Cmdr. Jillian Lamb, the command center chief at Coast Guard Sector Detroit. “Rather than trying to wade through frigid waters, having a marine radio and a personal locator beacon can expedite rescue and avoid making the situation worse.”

The air temperature was 21 degrees, the water temperature was 39 degrees, and the wind speed was 23 mph.

USCG Release





Remembering the loss of the Carl D. Bradley

11/19 - (Editor’s note: The following is a factual account of known events surrounding the sinking of the Steamer Carl D. Bradley, and is based on information from the survivors and first-hand accounts of testimony given to the Coast Guard Board of Inquiry.)

At approximately 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 1958, all was well aboard the steamer. Carl D. Bradley, heading toward her home port of Calcite, Mich. Captain Roland O. Bryan had asked the cooks to serve an early dinner. He knew the turn from Lake Michigan to Lake Huron would put the heavy weather broadside of the ship, and he wanted to give the mess crew an opportunity to clean up and secure prior to this turn.

The crew messroom was full of joking, talking crewmen, eager as always to be returning home.

The lake was extremely rough and the winds were high, but no rougher or higher than in many other storms which the Bradley had encountered in her 31-year history. Besides, it was a following sea.

The giant vessel rode the heavy seas through upper Lake Michigan with no hint of laboring. So evenly did she ride the great waves that her forward crewmembers walked the deck to the dining room in the after end, disdaining the tunnel, which is normally used as a precautionary measure in rough weather.

Suddenly, there was a “loud thud” and, within a few minutes, the great ship slid beneath the water. Despite the fact that it is believed time was sufficient for all hands to abandon ship before she plunged downward, 33-crew members met death in the murky waters.

There were but two fortunate survivors. That day will long be remembered as the most disastrous in the history of Rogers City.

At 5:28 that afternoon, a distress call from the ill-fated steamer broke the air and was heard by the Charlevoix Coast Guard Station. “The ship is breaking in half. We are going down. We are 12 miles southwest of Gull Island.”

That was all.

Only minutes before, a routine message had been transmitted to the Bradley by Central Radio Telegraph at Rogers City. She was then possibly 50 miles north and east of Charlevoix.

The Bradley, second largest of the Bradley Transportation Line fleet of nine vessels, was upbound from Gary, Ind., in ballast.

First Mate Elmer Fleming — who with Frank Mays alone survived — had walked the deck to the dining room aft, had eaten and returned. He noticed nothing amiss. Mays, after finishing his dinner, had performed several routine chores. He had gone to the tunnel under the cargo to operate the pump in the sump. He returned forward through the tunnel, detecting no hint of the terror that was to come.

He told a Coast Guard Board of Inquiry that later he was below deck in the conveyor room with deckhand Gary Price when the “loud thud” warned them of danger. They raced topside.

Meanwhile, Captain Bryan and Fleming, on watch in the pilothouse, also heard the same sickening sound.

“We turned to see what it was and it wasn’t hard to see we were in trouble,” Fleming said. “The stern of the ship was sagging. I knew right then we were going to sink.”

First Mate Fleming grabbed the radio-telephone, shouted the “mayday” warning repeatedly, and gave the boat’s position. “The ship is breaking in half,” he called frantically: “We’re going down.”

Instantly, Captain Bryan sounded the general alarm, grabbed the Chadburn to signal the stopping of the ship and blew the whistle to abandon ship. Fleming and Mays later told the Coast Guard the vessel broke in two and sank within a matter of minutes.

Fleming suddenly realized that he had no life jacket. He raced to his stateroom two decks below, picked up a life jacket and returned to the deck of the pilot house where the life raft was located.

He could see the captain and some other man pulling themselves along the railing to the high side of the bow section which was now listing to port. The winches on the main deck were awash when suddenly the ship lurched, throwing Fleming into the water.

When he came up, the bow was gone; he was near the raft, and he saw the stern of the ship swing to port, and then, with propeller high in the air, plunge to her grave, with lights burning. As the stern plunged, an explosion and flash of flame indicated that the water had reached the fire in the boilers.

He and Mays reached the raft and climbed on as it tossed about.

Two other men reached the raft. They were Gary Strzelecki, of Rogers City, a deckwatchman, and Dennis Meredith, deckhand, of Metz. During the night of terror, filled with mountainous waves and howling winds, the raft was upset on several occasions. The four became two.

‘I can’t remember how many times I fell from the raft,” said Fleming. “I swallowed a lot of water but I always managed to get back to it.”

Mays said, “There was never any doubt in my mind that someone would find us if we could last through the night. I prayed every minute of the time. I got pretty scared when I found there was ice forming in my hair and there was ice encrusted on my jacket; but I still felt that if we were still on the raft by morning, someone would surely find us. When I was on the raft, I laid face down and gripped the sides of it with my hands.”

Mays and Fleming were picked up the next morning near High Island, some 20 miles from the spot where the Bradley went down 14 hours before. They were exhausted but, according to doctors who examined them, in amazingly good physical condition considering their ordeal.

The Coast Guard had responded to the Bradley’s distress call immediately. The 180-foot cutter Sundew raced to the disaster area and searched all night. At one time, according to the survivors, a searching vessel passed within half a mile of the raft, but the roar of the wind and sea made their shouts for help futile and the vessel plowed on.

Soon after dawn on the day after the tragedy, word was flashed that two survivors aboard a raft had been picked up by the Sundew. Elmer Fleming and Frank Mays had miraculously survived. Corpsmen ministered to the men while the Sundew continued her search.

The Sundew and the other rescue vessels arrived at Charlevoix after dark with the two survivors — the only men to survive the tragedy on the lake.

Presque Isle County Advance





Lookback #367 – The first Philip Minch destroyed by fire in Lake Erie on Nov. 19, 1904

It was 110 years ago today that fire ended the sailing career of the first Philip Minch. The wooden bulk freighter caught fire about eight miles off Marblehead, Ohio, and due south of Point Pelee.

The vessel, en route between the Ohio communities of Fairport and Sandusky, was a total loss and the remains of the vessel sank in the navigation channel.

The captain and the 17 members of the crew took to the lifeboat and rowed to Sandusky and safety. Their ship, a member of the Minch fleet, was considered a hazard to navigation and it was dynamited in 1906. The remains of the ship have been found by modern wreck hunters and the old engine still rises almost 30 feet off the bottom of the lake.

The first Philip Minch was built in 1888 and measured 290 feet in overall length. A second Philip Minch was built for the Kinsman Transit Co. in 1905. This 500-foot-long steel bulk carrier served the company through the 1968 season and was scrapped at Santander, Spain, in 1969.

Skip Gillham





Today in Great Lakes History - November 19

On this day in 1939, in a 24-hour-period, there were 132 transits of the Soo Locks. There were 71 upbound passages and 61 downbound passages.

On this day in 1952, Mrs. Ernest T. Weir smashed a bottle of champagne against the hull of the largest freighter built on the Great Lakes and the 690-foot ERNEST T. WEIR slid down the ways at the Lorain yard of American Ship Building Company. The new vessel had a crew of 38 under the command of Captain W. Ross Maitland and Chief Engineer C. F. Hoffman.

On 19 November 1897, NAHANT (wooden propeller freighter, 213 foot, 1,204 gross tons, built in 1873, at Detroit, Michigan) caught fire while docked near Escanaba, Michigan. Firefighters were hampered by sub-zero temperatures, and she burned to a total loss. The fire jumped to the dock and did $300,000 worth of damage. Two of the crew were burned to death. The wreckage of the vessel was still visible from the Escanaba lighthouse 100 years later.

American Steamship's SAM LAUD (Hull#712) was launched on this date in 1974 at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.

The keel for JOHN T. HUTCHINSON (Hull#1010) was laid November 19, 1942, at Cleveland, Ohio for the U.S. Maritime Commission.

The Kinsman Transit Co.'s steamer MERLE M. McCURDY was laid up for the last time at Buffalo, New York, on November 19, 1985. She was scrapped at Port Colborne, Ontario, in 1988.

On 19 November 1842, the wooden schooner BRANDYWINE was carrying flour in a storm on Lake Erie when she capsized and then drifted to the beach near Barcelona, New York. One passenger's body was found in the cabin, but the entire crew of 6 was lost.

More incidents from the terrible storm swept the Lakes in mid-November 1886. On 18-19 November of that year, The Port Huron Times listed the vessels that were known to have foundered in that storm. Here is the list of vessels that foundered as it appeared on 19 November 1886. "The barge EMERALD near Kewaunee, 5 lost. The barge F M DICKINSON near Kewaunee, 3 lost. Two unknown schooners (one supposed to be the HELEN) near Port Sherman. One unknown schooner near Hog Island Reef. The barge NORTH STAR near East Tawas, the fate of the crew is unknown." The list then continues with vessels ashore. "The barge WALLACE and consort on Choclay Beach, east of Marquette. The schooner SOUTH HAVEN near Pt. Sherman. The schooner MARY near Blenheim, Ontario. The schooner PATHFINDER near Two Rivers, the cargo and vessel are a total loss. The schooner CUYAHOGA and two scows in North Bay. The schooner P S MARSH and an unknown schooner at St. Ignace. The schooner HARVEY BISSELL near Alpena. The propeller CITY OF NEW YORK near Cheboygan. The schooner KOLFAGE near Goderich, Ontario has broken up. The propeller NASHUA on Grass Island, Green Bay. The barge BISSELL near Kewaunee. The schooner GOLDEN below China Beach. The propeller BELLE CROSS and barges across from China Beach. The schooner FLORIDA on Marquette Beach is a total loss. And the barges BUCKOUT, MC DOUGALL, BAKER, GOLDEN HARVEST near East Tawas.

The schooner HATTIE JOHNSTON sailed from Milwaukee loaded with 26,000 bushels of wheat on the night of 19 November 1879, and then a severe gale swept Lake Michigan. After two weeks, she was presumed lost with all hands. Aboard were Capt. D. D. Prouty, his wife and 8 crewmen.

On 19 Nov 1886, the steamer MANISTIQUE was towing the schooner-barges MARINETTE and MENEKAUNEE, all loaded with lumber, in a NW gale on Lake Michigan. The gale lasted three days. The barges broke loose after a long fight against the elements and both were wrecked near Frankfort, Michigan. Six of the seven aboard the MARINETTE were lost including the woman cook and her 13-year old daughter. MENEKAUNEE broke up before the Lifesaving Service could get to her and all seven aboard died. When the Lifesaving Service arrived on the beach, they found a jumbled mass of lumber and gear and the ship's dog keeping watch over the dead bodies. The dog also died soon after the Lifesaving crew arrived.

EMPIRE MALDON (steel tanker, 343 foot, 3,734 gross tons) was launched on 19 November 1945, by Sir James Laing & Sons, Ltd., at Sunderland, United Kingdom for the British Ministry of War Transport She was sold to Imperial Oil Co. of Canada in 1946, and renamed IMPERIAL HALIFAX and served on the Maritime Provinces-East Coast trade. In 1969, she was purchased by Johnstone Shipping, Ltd., of Toronto and served on the Great Lakes. She lasted until 1977, when she was scrapped by United Metals, Ltd. in Hamilton, Ontario.

On Friday morning, 19 Nov 1999, shortly after leaving the ADM dock in Windsor, the salty AVDEEVKA lost power in the Fighting Island Channel of the Detroit River. The main engine on the vessel quit while she was abreast of Grassy Island and she began drifting downstream. The stern anchor was dropped and then the port side bow anchor. She began swinging towards the middle of the channel with her stern outside the channel when the main engine was restarted and she headed back upstream for the Belle Isle anchorage. Once in the anchorage a team from the U.S. Coast Guard boarded the vessel to investigate. She was released the next day. It is reported that the vessel lost power due to main fuel valve being left closed after routine maintenance during her stay at the ADM dock.

1904: PHILIP MINCH caught fire 8 miles off Marblehead, Ohio, and sank in the navigation channel. All on board got off safely and rowed to Sandusky in the lifeboat. The remains were dynamited in 1906.

1914: C.F. CURTIS foundered in Lake Superior, 7 miles east of Grand Marais, with the loss of 14 lives. The towing barges ANNIE PETERSON and SHELDON E. MARVIN also went down after the trio ran into high winds and snow.

1956: The year old West German freighter WOLFGANG RUSS was beached in the St. Lawrence near Ile d'Orleans after a collision with the Cunard Line vessel ASIA. The former was inbound for Sorel and had to lightered and taken to Lauzon for repairs to the large hole in the side of the hull. The vessel began Great Lakes visits with the opening of the Seaway in 1959 and made 28 inland trips to the end of 1967. It arrived off Gadani Beach, Pakistan, for scrapping as b) KOTRONAS BEACH on Feb. 4, 1980.

1977: The Canada Steamship Lines self-unloader FRONTENAC grounded off Grassy Island in the St. Lawrence and about 5,000 tons of ore had to be lightered to the SAGUENAY to float free.

1979: The Liberian freighter DANILA was damaged when it struck the west pier while inbound at Port Weller in fog. The vessel first visited the Seaway as a) MAERSK CAPTAIN in 1976 and was back as b) DANILA in 1979. The ship was scrapped at Alang, India, as d) JAY BHAVANI in 1991-1992.

[yachtsmanwilly]

Seaway, Soo Locks closing dates listed

11/20 - Weather permitting, St Lawrence Seaway will close at 11:59 p.m. December 24. The Welland Canal will close at 11:59 p.m. December 26, and the Soo Locks will close at 11:59 p.m. January 15, 2015. Vessels will be allowed to complete transits of the Montreal-Lake Ontario section and the Welland Canal until 4 p.m. on Dec 31.

Peter Bowers





Great Lakes coal up 9 percent in October

11/20 - Cleveland, Ohio – Coal shipments on the Great Lakes topped 3 million tons in October, an increase of 9 percent compared to a year ago. Shipments also outpaced the month’s long-term average by 75,000 tons.

Shipments from Lake Superior ports totaled 1.7 million tons, an increase of 3.5 percent compared to a year ago, and a slight increase over the month’s long-term average.

Loadings on Lake Michigan totaled 267,000 tons, a decrease of 35 percent compared to a year ago, and 24.2 percent below the month’s long-term average.

For the second month in a row, loadings at Lake Erie ports topped 1 million tons, an increase of nearly 50 percent compared to a year ago, and 12.8 percent better than the month’s long-term average.

Despite the increases of the past two months, the trade’s end-of-October total – 18.8 million tons – still represents a decrease of 5.1 percent compared to a year ago. As was the case with other commodities, coal was severely impacted by the brutal winter of 2013/2014. At the end of April, shipments were down by nearly 50 percent. Ice is already forming on the Lakes, so industry will need the U.S. and Canadian Coast Guards to keep the shipping lanes open once ice formations become formidable.

Lake Carriers’ Association





High winds trap at least four ships in Hamilton harbor

11/20 - Hamilton, Ont. – Hamilton Port Authority spokesperson Larissa Fenn said in an e-mail Tuesday evening four vessels were in the harbor but are unable to dock because of weather condition.

The city was hit with high winds throughout the day Tuesday and as of 9 p.m., winds were gusting at 50 km/h according to Environment Canada.

Fenn said the harbormaster is monitoring the situation and "will give the signal for the vessels to proceed to berth as soon as the weather settles."

The four ships inside the harbor are waiting for permission to dock. Fenn did not say how many vessels are outside the lift bridge although they are mostly outbound.

"Today's traffic might be more than people are generally used to seeing," she said. "This is a time in the shipping season when vessel traffic peaks, with import terminals stocking up for the winter months, at the same time as grain exports are very active."

Hamilton Spectator





Port Reports - November 20

Various ports – Andre Blanchard
Several vessels were visiting various anchorages due to bad weather Tuesday night. Wednesday morning many of those vessels were still anchored. Here are some of the details (Note: those marked with * means they are at a dock):

Port Dover, Ont.: Algoma Hansa, ARA Rotterdam, Algoeast, Midewie, Muntgracht, Solina, Pochard S and Volgaborg.

Hamilton, Ont.: Cornelia, Dimitrios K, Federal Oshima, Salvor, Algolake, Sarah Desgagnes, Robert S. Pierson, Manitoba*, Labrador*, Wilfred M. Cohen*, Kom* and Federal Kumano*

Prince Edward Bay, Ont.: Federal Asahi, Adfines Star, CSL Niagara (seen Tuesday night but may be on the move now)





Low iron ore prices push Cliffs Natural to close Eastern Canadian operations

11/20 - Montreal, Que. – Cliffs Natural Resources, facing low ore prices, plans to close its Bloom Lake iron ore mine in Quebec and exit Eastern Canada after failing to find investment partners to share the cost of a $1.2-billion expansion required to make the operation viable.

"We don't have a time frame set in stone but it's a process that we have already started so right now it's just execution time," chairman and CEO Lourenco Goncalves said in an interview Wednesday.

The mine, about 975 kilometres northeast of Quebec City and 30 kilometres southwest of Labrador City, N.L., is in an area known for iron ore deposits.

Shares in Cliffs (NYSE:CLF) closed down $2.04 or just under 20 per cent at $8.17 Wednesday in New York. The stock has had a 52-week range of between $7 and $28.23 per share.

Goncalves said falling iron ore prices made Bloom Lake unprofitable, forcing the need for a capacity expansion. Even if metal prices unexpectedly rose, it wouldn't be enough to save the mine, he said.

"You cannot have a business that is only viable when iron ore prices are high because the overall business is cyclical. So even if iron ore prices next month go through the roof there's no assurance that they will not go down again."

Closing the mine would cost an estimated US$650 million to US$700 million over five years, mainly from three years of costs required to be paid to the Quebec North Shore and Labrador Railroad owned by Rio Tinto subsidiary Iron Ore Company of Canada.

According to the company's website, the mine had 539 fly-in workers and 40 local staff as of the end of 2013.

In asking the provincial government to intervene, the union representing workers said the closure marks the "death of the Northern Plan" for Fermont, where the mine is located.

"If this miner is not able to invest ... we ask that it sell the installation to anyone to complete the second phase," Steelworkers representative Dominic Lemieux told a news conference.

Goncalves conceded that Bloom Lake's closure imperils the government's economic project to develop the resource-rich region of the province.

Cliffs acquired majority ownership of Bloom Lake — a new mine that began production in 2010 — as part of its takeover of Consolidated Thompson Iron Mines Ltd. in a $4.9-billion deal that closed in 2011.

The company announced two years ago, in November 2012, that it would delay Phase 2 and idle some of its U.S. iron ore operations in Minnesota and Michigan.

Two months later, in January 2013, it said the value of its Consolidated Thompson acquisition would be written down by about US$1 billion because of reduced anticipated long-term volumes and higher projected costs but continued to say the Phase 2 construction would be complete by early 2014.

Then, in third-quarter results issued Oct. 27, Cliffs said it had written down its Bloom Lake long-lived assets by a further US$4.5 billion and that it wouldn't provide 2015 guidance for sales tonnage from the mine because the company hadn't made a definitive decision on its future.

Bloom Lake has an annual capacity to produce seven million tonnes of ore. A phase 2 expansion would have raised that to 14 million tonnes, with plans for a further upgrade to push capacity to 21 million tonnes.

The company targeted three more equity partners to each buy a 10 per cent stake by the end of 2014. Among them was Nucor, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

Goncalves said any hope of finding investors evaporated when one of the three said it couldn't meet his deadline to make a decision by year-end. "It's three or nothing," he said.

Cliffs also disclosed Wednesday that its Quebec subsidiary and Bloom Lake partners recently lost an arbitration claim against a former customer, which had terminated a sales agreement in August 2011. The arbitrator awarded the former customer more than $71 million in compensation and other fees.

Analysts said the closure costs are higher than they had forecast.

Brian Yu of Citi said it was unclear if Cliffs can "ring-fence Canada" as it previously stated — suggesting it hoped to isolate the problem without affecting other global operations. "While today's announcement is specific to Bloom Lake, the company's Australia mines are also at risk of closure," Yu wrote in a report.

He reiterated his sell rating based on a forecast for iron ore prices to average US$65 per tonne in 2015-2016. However, Yu doesn't foresee Cliffs breaching its lending covenants over the next two years, assuming the company ends its dividend.

Low iron ore prices have disrupted operations in the Labrador Trough region of Quebec.

Toronto-based Labrador Iron Mines (TSX:LIM) has suspended all operations at its mines for the year. The company said Tuesday that it needs a financial restructuring and new creditor agreements while it waits out a market downturn that has cut iron ore prices.

LIM is seeking to negotiate support from an existing creditor and offtake partner, RBRG Gerald Metals, but expects that could require a filing under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act and more favorable commercial terms on supply and service contracts.

Cliffs previously idled its other two operations in Eastern Canada — Wabush Mine in Newfoundland and Labrador earlier this year affecting 500 employees — and Pointe Noire near Sept-Iles in 2013, affecting 165 workers.

Montreal Gazette



Lookback #368 – Lakes built Johan Mjelde captured at sea by U-151 on Nov. 20, 1917

The Johan Mjelde was built by the American Shipbuilding Co. and completed at Cleveland, Ohio, in July 1916. The 251-foot-long, 2049-gross-ton cargo carrier had a very brief career.

The steam-powered ship was first owned by N. Mjeldes Rederi and registered in Norway. It was sold later in the first year and worked under the banner of A/S Storo and then A/S Birk. All retained Norwegian registry.

On Nov. 20, 1917, the vessel was captured by U-151 in the Atlantic off the Azores. The seized ship was on a voyage from New York, NY and bound for Genoa, Italy, with general cargo (including some salmon) and bulk copper. The latter was very attractive to the captors and they began to remove 22 tons of the mineral.

They got help when the sailing vessel Tijuca passed by on November 22. This ship was shelled and the crew captured before their vessel was torpedoed. These sailors joined the work force helping to transfer the copper from the Johan Mjelde to the submarine.

This task took time but when it was finally completed on Nov. 26, the lakes-built freighter was scuttled by the enemy in position 36.19 N /19.45 W. All of the captured sailors were returned to their lifeboats and they all made it some 200 miles to the safety of the island of Madeira.

Skip Gillham





Today in Great Lakes History - November 20

In 1948, the ROBERT HOBSON was blown against the Duluth-Superior breakwall as she tried to enter the harbor during a 68-mph gale. Damage to the vessel was kept to a minimum when Captain John Mc Nellis ordered the seacocks opened to settle the HOBSON on a sandbar. Renamed b.) OUTARDE in 1975, she was scrapped at Port Colborne, Ontario in 1985.

On 20 November 1854, BURLINGTON (2-mast wooden brig, 80 foot, 117 tons, built in 1842, at Cleveland, Ohio) was driven hard aground near Port Bruce, Ontario, on Lake Huron while trying to assist the stranded Canadian bark GLOBE.

SAGINAW was christened at the Government Dock in Sarnia, Ontario, in 1999. Bonnie Bravener and Wendy Siddall broke the traditional bottle of champagne adding the second vessel to Lower Lakes Towing's fleet. The company then opened the vessel for tours to all those in the large crowd that had gathered to witness the event. She was built in 1953 as a.) JOHN J. BOLAND.

Hall Corporation of Canada's EAGLESCLIFFE HALL was launched in 1956, at Grangemouth, Scotland. Sold off the lakes, renamed b.) EAGLESCLIFFE in 1974, she sank two miles east of Galveston, Texas, on February 9, 1983.

The ferry WOLFE ISLANDER was christened on November 20, 1946, at Marysville, Wolfe Island. The new ferry was the unfinished OTTAWA MAYBROOK which was built to serve the war effort in the south Pacific Ocean. She replaced two landing barges which were pressed quickly into service following the condemned steamer WOLFE ISLANDER, a.) TOM FAWCETT of 1904, which had served the community for 42 years. Officially christened WOLFE ISLANDER by Mrs. Sarah Russell, it took five tries before the champagne bottle finally broke on her port side.

Pittsburgh Steamship's steamer RALPH H. WATSON (Hull#285) was launched in 1937, at River Rouge, Michigan, by Great Lakes Engineering Works.

On 20 November 1872, the side wheel steamer W. J .SPICER was finally laid up and the crew dismissed. She had served for many years as the Grand Trunk ferry at Fort Gratiot on the St. Clair River.

On 20 November 1880, BAY CITY (wooden barge, 199 foot, 480 tons, built in 1852, at Trenton, Michigan as the sidewheeler FOREST CITY) was carrying coal when she was cast adrift east of Erie, Pennsylvania by the steamer JAMES P. DONALDSON in a storm. She was driven ashore and wrecked. Her crew was saved by the U.S. Lifesaving Service using breeches' buoy. November 20, 1898. ANN ARBOR #3 left Cleveland, Ohio for Frankfort, Michigan, on her maiden voyage.

November 20, 1924 - Pere Marquette fleet engineer Finlay MacLaren died after 42 years with the railroad. He was succeeded by his brother Robert until Leland H. Kent was named fleet engineer in 1925.

On 20 Nov. 1871, the schooner E. B. ALLEN was sailing from Chicago to Buffalo with a load of corn when she crossed the bow of the bark NEWSBOY about six miles off the Thunder Bay Light on Lake Huron. The NEWSBOY slammed her bow deep into the schooner's hull amidships and the ALLEN sank in about 30 minutes. The crew escaped in the yawl. The NEWSBOY was badly damaged but did not sink.

On 20 Nov. 1999, the Bermuda-flag container ship CANMAR TRIUMPH went aground on the St. Lawrence River off Varennes about 15 kilometers downstream from Montreal. She was the third vessel to run aground in the St. Lawrence River that autumn. The Canadian Coast Guard reported that she was having engine problems and the CBC News reported that the vessel's rudder was damaged in the grounding.

On Saturday morning, 20 Nov. 1999, Marinette Marine Corporation of Marinette, Wisconsin, launched the 175-foot Coast Guard Cutter HENRY BLAKE. The BLAKE was one of the "Keeper" Class Coastal Class Buoy Tenders. Each ship in the "Keeper" class is named after a famous American lighthouse keeper. 1917: JOHAN MJELDE, built at Cleveland in 1916, was sailing as b) STORO when captured by the German submarine U-151 near the Azores and, after 22 tons of copper were removed, the ship was scuttled on November 26.

1920: J.H. SHEADLE ran aground on the rocks at Marquette when the steering failed while backing from the dock. The ship was badly damaged. It last sailed in 1979 as e) PIERSON INDEPENDENT.

1943: The former LAKE FINNEY, later a Pre-Seaway trader in the 1930s as SANTA EULALIA, was torpedoed and sunk by British forces as the enemy ship c) POLCEVERA off Carlovassi, Italy.

1966: The Liberty ship MOUNT EVANS made two trips through the Seaway in 1961. It stranded off Mapingil, Philippines as h) EASTERN ARGO on this date in 1966. The hull was refloated with damage and then towed to Taiwan for scrapping in 1967.

1990: GINA, a Lebanese freighter, began leaking at Varna, Bulgaria. The ship was later taken to Piraeus, Greece, and laid up. The superstructure was removed and installed on a fire damaged vessel while the hull was towed to Aliaga, Turkey, in October 1991 and dismantled. GINA had been a Great Lakes trader as a) MARCOSSA-I in 1972

[yachtsmanwilly]

Port Reports - November 21

Marquette, Mich. - Rod Burdick
A busy Thursday afternoon at the harbors in Marquette found Paul R. Tregurtha unloading coal and Michipicoten waiting to load ore at the Upper Harbor, fleet mates Herbert C. Jackson and Kaye E. Barker at anchor off the Upper Harbor, loaded with ore, and waiting on winds before departure, and Tug and Barge Joyce L. VanEnkevort and Great Lakes Trader unloading stone at the Lower Harbor.

Cedarville, Mich. - Jake H.
On Thursday, the Wilfred Sykes arrived and began loading.

Calcite, Mich. - Jake H.
On Thursday, the Arthur M Anderson arrived at the South Dock and began loading.

Stoneport, Mich. - Jake H.
On Thursday, the Joseph H Thompson Jr. and her barge Joseph H Thompson arrived and began loading. Inbound later in the day was the Philip R Clarke.

Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey
Manitowoc was inbound on the Saginaw River Thursday morning, calling on the GM Dock in Saginaw to unload. She was back outbound for the lake early Thursday evening. Olive L. Moore - Lewis J. Kuber were inbound Thursday afternoon carrying a split load. The pair dropped a partial cargo at the Wirt Stone dock in Bay City, then continued upriver to finish unloading at the Wirt Stone dock in Saginaw. The Moore-Kuber were expected to be outbound early Friday morning.





Cheboygan River dredging to begin next week

11/21 - Cheboygan, Mich. - A dredging project in the Cheboygan River should begin next week, according to interim city manager Tom Eustice.

The work has been rescheduled a couple of times due to crews being delayed at other jobs. However, Eustice said Luedtke Engineering Company of Frankfort, Mich., is scheduled to begin on Monday, Nov. 24 and crews should be able to complete the project in two weeks or so.

“They plan to work around the clock, weather permitting,” Eustice explained. “A lot of the work is outside the breakwall of the river, and wind could slow them down.”

He said the dredging outside the river's breakwall will help the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw, which has been having difficulty entering and exiting the river there. Dredging will also take place further down the river, including as far south as Plaunt Transportation, which operates ferry service to and from Bois Blanc Island.

Eustice said there will also be an attempt to remove a large I-beam that is embedded in the bank and river near the Plaunt dock. In an earlier report to the Cheboygan City Council, Eustice said the dredging material that is removed from the river bottom is slated to be dumped in Lake Huron at an 80-foot-deep disposal area that is about two miles straight out from the river.

The dredging project was made possible in part by the 2014 Consolidated Appropriations Act, from which $610,000 was allotted by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, for the dredging of the harbor.

Cheboygan Daily Tribune





Lookback #369 – Edward E. Loomis and W.C. Franz collided on Nov. 21, 1934

11/21 - A collision between the W.C. Franz and Edward E. Loomis on Nov. 21, 1934, ended the careers of both ships. The former sank to the bottom of Lake Huron while the latter was too badly damaged to warrant repair in the era of the Great Depression.

The accident occurred at night as the W.C. Franz was upbound and light for Fort William after unloading a cargo of grain at Port Colborne. The vessel was hit on the port bow but remained afloat for two hours before sinking bow first. While there were 16 survivors, another four sailors were lost.

Edward E. Loomis survived the collision but was heavily damaged. The ship tied up at Buffalo without receiving more than a cement patch to keep it afloat. The steel package freighter, built at Buffalo as Wilkesbarre in 1901, was sold for scrap, towed to Hamilton in 1940 and broken up.

W.C. Franz also dated from 1901. It had been launched at Wyandotte, Mich., as Uranus and was initially part of the Gilchrist fleet. It joined the Algoma Central Railway fleet in 1913. The ship is remembered for having spotted the ill-fated Leafield just before it was lost with all hands and rescuing the sole survivor of the Myron off Whitefish Point. A problem with launching the starboard lifeboat tossed 10 sailors into the water 80 years ago tonight and four disappeared in the darkness.

One of the survivors had been reported as missing and presumed lost. He certainly startled his family when he showed up at their Port Dalhousie home.

Skip Gillham





Today in Great Lakes History - November 21

In 1934, the package freighter EDWARD L. LOOMIS, Captain Alex McKenzie, collided with the W. C. FRANZ, Captain Alex McIntyre, about 30 miles southeast of Thunder Bay Island, Lake Huron. Four crewmen on the FRANZ drowned when the lifeboat turned over while being lowered.

On 21 November 1861, ENTERPRISE (2-mast wooden scow-schooner, 64 foot, 56 tons, built in 1854, at Port Huron, Michigan) was driven ashore near Bark Shanty at the tip of Michigan's thumb on Lake Huron. The storm waves pounded her to pieces. Her outfit was salvaged a few days later.

On the evening of 21 November 1890, the scow MOLLIE (wooden scow-schooner, 83 foot, 83 gross tons, built in 1867, at Fairport, Ohio) left Ludington, Michigan, with a load of lumber. About 8:00 p.m., when she was just 25 miles off Ludington, she started to leak in heavy seas, quickly becoming waterlogged. Capt. Anderson and his two-man crew had just abandoned the vessel in the yawl when the steamer F & P M NO 4 showed up, shortly after midnight. The rough weather washed Capt. Anderson out of the yawl, but he made it back in. At last a line from the F & P M NO 4 was caught and made fast to the yawl and the crew made it to the steamer. The men had a narrow escape, for the MOLLIE was going to pieces rapidly, and there was little likelihood of the yawl surviving in the gale.

PATERSON (Hull#113) was launched November 21, 1953, at Port Arthur, Ontario, by Port Arthur Ship Building Co. Ltd.

In 1924, MERTON E. FARR slammed into the Interstate Bridge that linked Superior, Wisconsin, with Duluth, Minnesota, causing extensive damage to the bridge. The bridge span fell into the water but the FARR received only minor damage to her bow.

On 21 November 1869, the ALLIANCE (wooden passenger sidewheeler, 87 foot, 197 gross tons, built in 1857, at Buffalo, New York) slipped her moorings at Lower Black Rock in the Niagara River and went over the falls. She had been laid up since the spring of 1869.

November 21, 1906 - The PERE MARQUETTE 17 encountered one of the worst storms in many years while westbound for the Wisconsin Central slip in Manitowoc. Wisconsin. She made port safely, but the wind was so high that she could not hold her course up the river without assistance. The tug ARCTIC assisted, and as they were proceeding through the 10th Street Bridge, a gust of wind from the south drove the ferry and tug against the north pilings of the 10th Street Bridge. The ARCTIC, pinned between the ferry and the bridge, was not damaged, but she crushed the hull of a fishing tug moored there, sinking her, and inflicted damage of a few hundred dollars to the bridge.

November 21, 1923 - Arthur Stoops, the lookout on the ANN ARBOR NO 6, was drowned while stepping from the apron onto the knuckle to cast off the headline.

On the night of 21 November 1870, C.W. ARMSTRONG (wooden propeller steam tug, 57 foot, 33 tons, built in 1856, at Albany, New York) burned at her dock at Bay City, Michigan. No lives were lost.

More incidents from the Big Gale of 1879. On 21 November 1879, The Port Huron Times reported "The schooner MERCURY is ashore at Pentwater. The schooner LUCKY is high and dry at Manistee; the schooner WAUBASHENE is on the beach east of Port Colborne. The schooner SUMATRA is on the beach at Cleveland; the large river tug J P Clark capsized and sunk at Belle Isle in the Detroit River on Wednesday [19 Nov.] and sank in 15 minutes. One drowned. The schooner PINTO of Oakville, Ontario, stone laden, went down in 30 feet of water about one mile down from Oakville. At Sand beach the barge PRAIRIE STATE is rapidly going to pieces.

1883: The boiler exploded aboard the salvage tug ERIE BELLE while working to free the schooner J.N. CARTER in the Kincardine area of Lake Huron. The former was wrecked but the boiler is still on what has become known as “Old Boiler Beach”.

1902: BANNOCKBURN disappeared on Lake Superior without a trace. Its final resting place has never been found. 1906: The wooden steamer RESOLUTE anchored off the Eastern Gap at Toronto to ride out a storm but the wind switched battering the vessel until it sank. The hull was salvaged in October 1907 and rebuilt as the JOHN ROLPH.

1936: HIBOU was lost in Owen Sound Bay within two miles of the dock and seven perished. The hull was refloated in 1942.

1941: HENRY C. DARYAW, requisitioned for war and on its delivery voyage stranded on rocks in the Brockville Narrows, rolled over and slid off into deep water and sank. It was to have been used on the east coast as a tender for ocean ships. One life was lost.

1957: MONTFAUCON was built at Wyandotte, MI in 1920 and later operated on the Great Lakes as b) E.M. BUNCE. It was at Naples, Italy, as g) ANNA MARIA IEVOLI when an internal explosion caused damage that led to the ship being scrapped.

1959: MOSES GAY was built at Duluth in 1943. It was severely damaged as e) HEANGURA in a storm at Ostra Kvarken, Sweden, and went aground. While salvaged, the ship was tied up at Turku, Finland, and sold for scrap in January 1960.

1961: The British freighter RAPALLO was anchored at Istanbul, Turkey, when struck and damaged by two different freighters, both out of control due to high winds. The vessel was repaired and began Seaway trading in 1963 for the Ellerman Wilson Line.

1961: The former Paterson canaller GANANDOC left the Great Lakes as b) SUGARLAND in October 1961. It had a brief career in the south and went aground at Arcas Reef, Bay of Campeche, while inbound for Coatzacoalcos, Mexico with 2,877 tons of phosphoric rock from Tampa. The ship was abandoned on November 26 as a total loss.

1962: BRO, a Norwegian pre-Seaway visitor as early as 1953, was abandoned by the crew after taking a severe list en route from Seville, Spain, to Rotterdam, Netherlands. The ship was taken in tow, reached Lisbon, Portugal, and was repaired.

1982: CAPTAIN PANAGOS D.P. went aground at Farasan Island in the Red Sea en route from Trois Rivieres, QC to Bandar Abbas, Iran. Fire broke out in the engine room and the ship was gutted. The hull was refloated and was noted lying off Qatar “derelict” in December 1986 and finally scrapped at Gadani Beach, Pakistan, as c) JENNY in 1988. The vessel first came through the Seaway as PANAGOS D. PATERAS in 1977 and returned as CAPTAIN PANAGOS D.P. in 1980.

1994: The Russian freighter FASTOV, upbound for Green Bay with pulpwood on its first trip to the Great Lakes, lost power and struck the Shell dock at Corunna, ON, resulting in considerable damage to the structure. The vessel returned inland as d) EVANGELOS in 1999 and was scrapped at Aliaga, Turkey, as f) JONA in 2011.

2007: The engine aboard the Lake Erie passenger ship JIIMAAN became disabled after the vessel snagged a fish net off Kingsville and the vessel grounded briefly.

[yachtsmanwilly]

Today in Great Lakes History - November 24

On this day in 1966, Hjalmer Edwards became ill while working as a second cook on the steamer DANIEL J. MORRELL. He was transferred to the hospital at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan when the MORRELL transited the locks for the last time on Thanksgiving Day. Five days later, the DANIEL J. MORRELL sank during a severe storm on Lake Huron with just Dennis Hale as its lone survivor.

On 24 November 1945, SCOTT E. LAND (steel propeller C4-S-A4 cargo ship, 496 foot, 10,654 gross tons) was launched at Kaiser Corporation (Hull #520) in Vancouver, Washington for the U.S. Maritime Commission. She was converted to a straight-deck bulk freighter at Baltimore, Maryland in 1951, and renamed TROY H. BROWNING. In 1955, she was renamed THOMAS F. PATTON. After serving on the Great Lakes, she was scrapped in Karachi, Pakistan, in 1981.

On November 24, 1950, while bound for South Chicago with iron ore, the ENDERS M. VOORHEES collided with the up bound steamer ELTON HOYT II (now the ST. MARYS CHALLENGER) in the Straits of Mackinac during a blinding snowstorm. Both vessels received such serious bow damage that they had to be beached near McGulpin Point west of Mackinaw City to avoid sinking.

ROSEMOUNT, stored with coal, sank alongside CSL's Century Coal Dock at Montreal, Quebec, on November 24, 1934.

Paterson's PRINDOC (Hull#657) was launched November 24, 1965, at Lauzon, Quebec, by Davie Shipbuilding Co. Ltd.

November 24, 1892 - The ANN ARBOR NO 1 ran aground on her first trip just north of the Kewaunee harbor.

On 24 Nov 1881, LAKE ERIE (wooden propeller canaller, 136 foot, 464 gross tons, built in 1873, at St, Catharine's, Ontario) collided with the steamer NORTHERN QUEEN in fog and a blizzard near Poverty Island by the mouth of Green Bay. LAKE ERIE sank in one hour 40 minutes. NORTHERN QUEEN took aboard the crew but one man was scalded and died before reaching Manistique.

The CITY OF SAGINAW 31 entered service in 1931.

On 24 November 1905, ARGO (steel propeller passenger/package freight, 174 foot, 1,089 tons, built in 1896, at Detroit, Michigan) dropped into a trough of a wave, hit bottom and sank in relatively shallow water while approaching the harbor at Holland, Michigan. 38 passengers and crew were taken off by breeches' buoy in a thrilling rescue by the U.S. Lifesaving Service.

NEPTUNE (wooden propeller, 185 foot, 774 gross tons, built in 1856, at Buffalo, New York) was laid up at East Saginaw, Michigan, on 24 November 1874, when she was discovered to be on fire at about 4:00 a.m. She burned to a total loss.

The ANN ARBOR NO 1 left Frankfort for Kewaunee on November 24, 1892. Because of the reluctance of shippers to trust their products on this new kind of ferry it was difficult to find cargo for this first trip. Finally, a fuel company which sold coal to the railroad routed four cars to Kewaunee via the ferry.

1905: ARGO missed the entrance to the harbor at Holland, MI while inbound from Chicago and went aground. All on board, an estimated 72 passengers and crew, were rescued by breeches buoy in a very challenging task. The ship was salvaged in January 1906.

1938: The idle former passenger ship CITY OF BENTON HARBOR was gutted by a fire at Sturgeon Bay.

1970: C.W. CADWELL hit a submerged rock in the Niagara River near Queenston and was stranded.

1988: KATIA was abandoned off Nova Scotia, enroute from Brazil to Carleton, QC, and all 27 on board were taken off by rescue helicopter. Despite salvage efforts, the listing ship sank November 26. It had been through the Seaway earlier in 1987 after previous inland voyages as c) TIMI in 1978 and d) HAPPY MED in 1981.



New storm may rival Edmund Fitzgerald level

11/24 - Toledo, Ohio – A powerful November storm developing over the Ozarks and Great Plains will bring very strong winds to southeastern Michigan and northwest Ohio Monday afternoon and Tuesday. Computer models are showing wind gusts higher than 50 mph throughout the afternoon and for the whole area.

The Edmund Fitzgerald storm was nearly 40 years ago, when weather technology and science was growing. Meteorologists found the central pressure of the Great Lakes low to be roughly 978 mb, very strong in any season. The storm developing over the next few days will have a similar, if not lower, pressure.

Here's what this models all do with the pressure at 1 p.m. Monday. Keep in mind the pressure could drop even more between hours.

Canadian model: 973 mb over Lake Michigan
European model: 980 mb farther northeast
GFS (one American) model: 972 mb near Sault Ste Marie
NAM model: 980 mb also near Sault Ste Marie

Meanwhile, a high wind watch is in effect for southeast Michigan on Monday, with winds possibly gusting 50 to 60 mph, the National Weather Service in White Lake Township said Sunday.

A powerful cold front will move through the region Monday afternoon. Southwest wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph are possible from Monday afternoon through Monday evening, according to the weather service.

There is also a potential for wind gusts near 50 mph with rain showers just along and ahead of the front, which could begin by late morning.

Here’s the lake-by-lake forecast:

Lake Superior: Gale warning in effect from Monday afternoon through Monday evening north gales to 40 knots. A slight chance of rain in the morning. Snow. Waves building to 9 to 12 feet.

Lake Huron: Gale watch in effect from Monday afternoon through Tuesday morning, then becoming southwest 15 to 20 knots, with gusts to 35 knot gales by afternoon. Waves 5 to 7 feet, occasionally around 10 feet.

Lake Michigan: Gale watch in effect from Monday afternoon through late Monday night. Northwest gales to 35 knots. Snow showers. Waves 6 to 9 feet, occasionally to 11 feet.

Lake Erie: Gale warning in effect from Monday morning through Tuesday morning. Southwest gales to 40 knots, diminishing to 35 knots overnight. Waves 6 to 9 feet. A low water advisory is in effect from 3 pm Monday to 4 pm Tuesday.

Lake Ontario: Gale warning in effect from Monday afternoon through Tuesday evening. Monday night, southwest gales to 35 knots, with waves forecast to reach 9 to 13 feet on Tuesday.

ABC 13, Detroit Free Press





Port Reports - November 24

Sturgeon Bay, Wis. – Jim Stiefvater
On Friday, Bay Shipbuilding launched the new two-hulled petroleum / chemical barge Texas. The barge will eventually enter service on saltwater.

Cedarville, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Buffalo was due to arrive on Sunday during the early afternoon, however she was also listed on the Calcite loading dock lineup. Joseph L. Block is due to arrive on Monday in the early morning and Wilfred Sykes will be arriving Tuesday in the early morning.

Calcite, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Buffalo was expected to arrive on Sunday during the hours for the South Dock. Adam E. Cornelius was expected on Sunday in the late morning, also for the South Dock. There are no vessels scheduled for Monday. John G. Munson is due on Tuesday during the early morning for the North Dock.

Stoneport Mich. – Denny Dushane
Lewis J. Kuber arrived on Saturday and was due to depart Sunday around 6:30 a.m. There are three vessels scheduled on Monday with the Cuyahoga arriving first in the morning followed by the Pathfinder and the Joseph H. Thompson, both in the late afternoon. Lewis J. Kuber returns to load on Tuesday in the mid-afternoon.

St. Clair, Mich. – Bob Markus
On Sunday, the American Century departed St. Clair after unloading coal at the DTE Power Plant and headed upriver. Walter J. McCarthy Jr. moved into the dock following the departure of American Century.

Toledo, Ohio – Denny Dushane
Saginaw was expected to arrive at the Midwest Terminal Stone Dock on Sunday in the mid-afternoon. Vessels due at the CSX Coal Dock include the Saginaw on Monday just after midnight, Michipicoten on Monday in the late afternoon, James L. Kuber on Thursday in the morning and Algosoo on Friday during the late afternoon. Vessels due at the Torco Dock include the James L. Kuber on Wednesday in the early evening, Manitowoc on Friday in the early afternoon and the John J. Boland on Saturday at noon. Other vessels in port included the tug Rebecca Lynn and a barge headed out of Toledo, while the tug Paul L. Luedtke remained in port. Algoma Olympic was heading in from Hamilton to load, while the saltwater vessel Mandarin of Cyprus registry was still loading grain upriver. The tug Evans McKeil remains in port near the American Fortitude, which is expected to be towed for scrapping soon.

Lorain, Ohio – Phil Leon
Joseph H. Thompson got in about 6 a.m. Sunday and went to Jonick dock 3. She left about 5 p.m.

Rochester, N.Y. – Billy Allan
Stephen B. Roman pulled out of Rochester on Sunday at 7 a.m.

Seaway - Ron Walsh
Sunday at 6:32 p.m. the tug victorious with barge reported to Seaway Clayton that they were going to the north side of the channel, near Quebec Head, to investigate a black out. Seaway Clayton asked if there was any danger to the crew and the Victorious replied no. They said they had someone standing by the anchor and would call when they are secured. Iryda, Thunder Bay and Algoma Montrealais, all upbound, were advised of the situation. The Kaministiqua, downbound, was also advised. The Seaway does not want ships passing the Victorious until she was secured. At 7 p.m. the Victorious reported she was anchored and ships may pass. The Deltuva anchored near Quebec Head waiting for a pilot at Cape Vincent. The English River was approaching Bath 6:20 p.m. for a 12 hour load of cement for Oswego. The Petite Forte and barge were loading in Picton. The CCGS Griffon was westbound with a destination of the Prince Edward Point ODA.





Lookback #372 – C.W. Cadwell sank in the Niagara River off Queenston on Nov. 24, 1970

Residents of the lower Niagara River were very familiar with the sand sucker C.W. Cadwell. The vessel often drew sand from the mouth of the river and delivered the cargo to a variety of ports including Queenston as well as north shore Lake Ontario cities and towns.

The C.W. Cadwell was not always a popular caller, as it burned coal and was the recipient of the occasional fine for air pollution.

It was 44 years ago today that the C.W. Cadwell hit a submerged rock in the Niagara River and settled on the bottom close to the Queenston sand dock. The ship was salvaged and repaired for a return to service on May 18 1971.

The vessel was idle in 1972, repowered in 1973 with a cleaner diesel engine but never resumed trading despite additional work at Hamilton in the late 1970s.

It became a floating drydock at Hamilton and, following a sale in 1997, was towed to Port Maitland in August by the tugs Glenevis and Lac Erie.

I believe that what remains of the now 103-year old hull continue to serve as a floating drydock for small craft at that Grand River community.


AND THEN... still outbound around the Seaway by now...

[yachtsmanwilly]

Great Lakes ice cover developing: Earliest in over 40 years

11/25 - Ice is already starting to develop on Michigan's Great Lakes. This is the earliest ice on some of the Great Lakes in at least 40 years.

According to the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, on November 20, three of Michigan's Great Lakes had ice starting to form. Lake Superior and Lake Michigan were one-half percent ice covered, while Lake Huron had one percent ice. Lake Erie was not reporting any ice as of Nov. 20.

Decent early season ice coverage records date back to 1973. Last Friday was the earliest date that all three Great Lakes already had ice since the better reporting of early season ice began.

Lake Superior actually had ice forming on November 15th of this year. That is the earliest ice on Lake Superior in the good data set. Lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron had ice 10 days earlier this year than last year. Lake Superior only had five and a half months without any ice on the lake.

M Live





Port Reports - November 25

Prescott, Ont. – Joanne N. Crack
Sunday evening and night saw Claude A. Desgagnes and Kaministiqua downbound and Spruceglen upbound. Monday at 3:23 am the Blue Phoenix sailed through heading up to Hamilton, Ont. At 9:53 am the Federal Nakagawa went down headed to Montreal. Next was the Zealand Deliah heading to Montreal at 1:05 pm followed by Algoma Spirit heading to Baie Comeau at 1:48 pm. The upbound Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin headed through at 2:45 pm. CSL’s Mapleglen departed the Port of Johnstown at 4:20 pm with a load of soybean for Montreal. She headed upbound at 4:36 pm to make her turn above the CCG base. She completed her turn at 4:50 pm and was back down through to Quebec at 5:07 pm. Expected just before midnight Monday is upbound Federal Welland. The upbound Barnacle, Juno and Thalassa Desgagnes are expected through in the very early morning Tuesday. The downbound Victorious tug with Norman McLeod barge went into the anchorage at Long Point Sunday evening. They remained there all of Monday and into Monday night.

Ship Movements in Quebec/Montreal to Great Lakes – Andre Blanchard
Ships expected in Quebec then heading for Seaway/Great Lakes
Claude A. Desgagnes is due Nov. 25, for Toledo, OH
Hafnia Nordica due Nov. 26, then on to Montreal, QC
Maria Desgagnes Nov. 28, for Hamilton, ON
Federal Mattawa Nov. 29, for Burns Harbor, IN
High Nefeli Dec. 2, then on to Montreal, QC
Maria Desgagnes due Dec. 12 for Hamilton, ON
Gotland Marieann Dec. 6, then on to Montreal, QC

Ships in Montreal then heading to Seaway/Great Lakes
Triton Seagull due Nov. 30, then on to Quebec, QC
Federal Yakina will be heading to Cleveland, OH
Federal Skeena for Quebec, QC
Puffin heading to Oshawa, ON (AIS currently suggests it will be in Oshawa Nov. 25)
Eider heading to Windsor, ON.
Everlast/Norman McLeod Nov. 25, then on to Hamilton, ON
Algoeast Nov. 24, then on to Sarnia currently near Sorel, QC
Maersk Katalin will be heading to Quebec, QC.
Jana Desgagnes Nov. 26, then on to Sarnia
Bremen Nov. 25, then on to Sorel, QC
Vancouverborg will be heading to Hamilton, ON

Ships expected in Montreal then heading to Seaway/Great Lakes
Sea Racer due Nov. 25, then on to Milwaukee, WI
London Star Nov. 25, then on to Quebec, QC





Lookback #373 – Thousand Islander sank in Lake Huron on Nov. 25, 1927

A new life was ahead for the passenger steamer Thousand Islander. The ship had been built at Toledo in 1912 and served the St. Lawrence Steamboat Co. out of Cape Vincent, N.Y. The 172-foot, 9-inch-long steamer took cruises through the beautiful Thousand Islands and could accommodate up to 1,000 guests per trip.

The ship joined in the formation of Canada Steamship Lines in 1913 and saw service between Cape Vincent, Alexandria Bay, Clayton and Kingston. It came to the Great Lakes in 1918 and ran between Detroit, Chatham and Wallaceburg with sunset cruises on Saturdays.

But patronage declined due to the automobile and it made its last run on July 20, 1927, before going into lay-up at Sarnia. The vessel was sold to the Georgian Bay Tourist Co. later in the year for a reported $50,000 and was slated to cruise among the 30,000 Islands.

The bulk carrier Collingwood left Sarnia for Midland with the Thousand Islander in tow on Nov. 25, 1927, but encountered a storm out on Lake Huron. Waves smashed the windows and flooded the cabins and the vessel went down 87 years ago today.

The 11 sailors on the Thousand Islander were able to able to climb aboard the Collingwood before the Thousand Islander foundered in Lake Huron.

Skip Gillham





Today in Great Lakes History - November 25

In 1890, the WESTERN RESERVE delivered a record cargo of 95,488 bushels of wheat from Duluth to Buffalo.

In 1913, the schooner ROUSE SIMMONS, Captain August Schuenemann, departed Thompson Harbor (Michigan) with a load of fresh cut Christmas trees bound for Chicago. Somewhere between Kewaunee and Two Rivers, Wis., the SIMMONS was lost with all hands.

On 25 November 1857, ANTELOPE (wooden schooner, 220 tons, built in 1854, at Port Robinson, Ontario) was driven ashore by a gale near St. Joseph, Michigan. Five lives were lost. She was recovered the next year and rebuilt.

INCAN SUPERIOR was withdrawn from service after completing 2,386 trips between Thunder Bay and Superior and on November 25, 1992, she passed down bound at Sault Ste. Marie for service on the Canadian West Coast. Renamed PRINCESS SUPERIOR in 1993.

ROBERT C. STANLEY was laid up for the last time November 25, 1981, at the Tower Bay Slip, Superior, Wisconsin. She was scrapped at Aliaga, Turkey in 1989.

CITY OF MILWAUKEE (Hull#261) was launched November 25, 1930, at Manitowoc, Wisconsin, by Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co. She was sponsored by Mrs. Walter J. Wilde, wife of the collector of customs at Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She entered service in January of 1931.

On 25 November 1866, F. W. BACKUS (wooden propeller, 133 foot, 289 tons, built in 1846, at Amherstburg, Ontario) was carrying hay, horses and cattle off Racine, Wisconsin. She was run to the beach when it was discovered that she was on fire. Her crew and passengers disembarked. The tug DAISY LEE towed her out while she was still burning, intending to scuttle her, but the towline burned through and she drifted back to shore and burned to the waterline. Her live cargo was pushed overboard while she was still well out and they swam to shore.

On 25 November 1874, WILLIAM SANDERSON (wooden schooner, 136 foot, 385 gross tons, built in 1853, at Oswego, New York) was carrying wheat in a storm on Lake Michigan when she foundered. The broken wreck washed ashore off Empire, Michigan, near Sleeping Bear. She was owned by Scott & Brown of Detroit.

During a storm on 25 November 1895, MATTIE C. BELL (wooden schooner, 181 foot, 769 gross tons, built in 1882, at E. Saginaw, Michigan) was in tow of the steamer JIM SHERRIFS on Lake Michigan. The schooner stranded at Big Summer Island, was abandoned in place and later broke up. No lives were lost.

On 25 Nov 1947, the CAPTAIN JOHN ROEN was renamed c.) ADAM E. CORNELIUS by the American Steamship Co. in 1958, CORNELIUS was renamed d.) CONSUMERS POWER. Eventually sold to Erie Sand, she was scrapped at Kaohsiung, Taiwan in 1988. Built in 1927, as a.) GEORGE M. HUMPHERY.

On 25 Nov 1905, the JOSEPH G. BUTLER JR (steel straight-deck bulk freighter, 525 foot, 6,588 gross tons) entered service, departing Lorain, Ohio, for Duluth on her maiden voyage. The vessel was damaged in a severe storm on that first crossing of Lake Superior, but she was repaired and had a long career. She was renamed DONALD B GILLIES in 1935, and GROVEDALE in 1963. She was sunk as a dock in Hamilton in 1973, and finally sold for scrap in 1981.

1904: B.W. BLANCHARD stranded near Alpena, MI and was wrecked. The ship had become unmanageable in heavy weather while enroute to Detroit with a cargo of lumber and was a total loss.

1908: NORTH STAR sank in Lake Huron off Port Sanilac after a collision with NORTHERN QUEEN. The accident occurred in dense fog and the ship went down quickly. All were saved.

1927: THOUSAND ISLANDER cleared Sarnia for Midland under tow of C.S.L. fleetmate COLLINGWOOD and they encountered heavy weather on Lake Huron. The ship was overwhelmed southeast of Thunder Bay Island and sank.

1950: The cargo of steel and package freight aboard the C.S.L. steamer WEYBURN shifted on Lake Ontario in a wild fall storm and the ship took on a precarious list and almost capsized. The ship was escorted to Toronto by RENVOYLE where the problem was corrected.

1971: The Greek freighter ESTIA sank on the Caribbean north of French Guiana after a violent engine room explosion. The ship was bound for Brazil with phosphates and all on board were saved. The vessel had been a Great Lakes visitor as MANCHESTER SPINNER beginning in 1963.

2003: The yacht ALISON LAKE, rebuilt at Toronto from the U.S. Coast Guard ship SAUK, hit a submerged object and sank in very deep water south of Key West, FL. All on board were rescued.

[Avenger]

Today in Great Lakes History - November 26

In 1952, the PHILIP R. CLARKE was launched at the American Ship Building yard at Lorain, Ohio. The 647- foot-long freighter became the flagship of the Pittsburgh Steamship Company. She was lengthened by 120 feet in 1974 and converted to a self-unloader in 1982.

On 26 November 1856, CHEROKEE (2-mast wooden schooner, 103 foot, 204 tons, built in 1849, at Racine, Wisconsin) foundered in a gale 7 miles south of Manistee, Michigan, on Lake Michigan. All aboard (estimates range from ten to fourteen persons) were lost.

The U.S.C.G.C. MESQUITE departed Charlevoix and locked through the Soo on November 26, 1989, to begin SUNDEW's normal buoy tending duties on Lake Superior.

The ELIZABETH HINDMAN was launched November 26, 1920, as a.) GLENCLOVA (Hull#9) at Midland, Ontario, by Midland Shipbuilding Co. Ltd.

On 26 November 1872, the steamer GEO W. REYNOLDS burned at 1 in the morning at the dock in Bay City. The fire supposedly originated in the engine room. She was owned by A. English of East Saginaw.

On 26 November 1853, ALBANY (wooden side wheel passenger/package freight, 202 foot, 669 tons, built in 1846, at Detroit, Michigan) was carrying passengers and miscellaneous cargo in a storm on Lake Huron.. She was making for the shelter of Presque Isle harbor when the gale drove her over a bar. Her crew and 200 passengers came ashore in her boats. Plans were made to haul her back across the bar when another storm wrecked her. Her boiler and most of her machinery were recovered the following year.

LAKE BREEZE (wooden propeller, 122 foot, 301 gross tons, built in 1868, at Toledo, Ohio) burned at her dock in Leamington, Ontario, on 26 November 1878. One man perished in the flames. She was raised in 1880, but the hull was deemed worthless. Her machinery and metal gear were removed in 1881, and sold to an American company.

The ANN ARBOR NO 5 (steel carferry, 359 foot, 2,988 gross tons) was launched by the Toledo Ship Building Company (Hull #118) on 26 Nov 1910. She was the first carferry to be built with a sea gate, as a result of the sinking of the PERE MARQUETTE 18 in September of 1910.

On 26 Nov 1881, JANE MILLER (wooden propeller passenger-package freight coaster, 78 foot, 210 gross tons, built in 1878, at Little Current, Ontario) departed Meaford, Ontario, for Wiarton - sailing out into the teeth of a gale and was never seen again. All 30 aboard were lost. She probably sank near the mouth of Colpoy's Bay in Georgian Bay. She had serviced the many small ports on the inside coast of the Bruce Peninsula.

HIRAM W. SIBLEY (wooden propeller freighter, 221 foot, 1,419 gross tons, built in 1890, at E. Saginaw, Michigan) was carrying 70,000 bushels of corn from Chicago for Detroit. On 26 Nov 1898, she stranded on the northwest corner of South Manitou Island in Lake Michigan during blizzard. (Some sources say this occurred on 27 November.) The tugs PROTECTOR and SWEEPSTAKES were dispatched for assistance but the SIBLEY refloated herself during the following night and then began to sink again. She was put ashore on South Fox Island to save her but she broke in half; then completely broke up during a gale on 7 December 1898.

During the early afternoon of 26 Nov 1999, the LOUIS R. DESMARAIS suffered an engine room fire while sailing in the western section of Lake Ontario. Crews onboard the DESMARAIS put out the fire and restarted her engines. The DESMARAIS proceeded to the Welland Canal where she was inspected by both U.S. and Canadian investigators. No significant damage was noted and the vessel was allowed to proceed.

1924: The wooden steamer J.C. FORD was destroyed by a fire while on the St. Marys River near DeTour.

1940: The coal-laden CHEYENNE went aground in a storm near Port Colborne while enroute to Montreal. The ship was released on December 1. It last sailed as c) SORELDOC (ii) in 1965 before being scrapped at Hamilton.

1942: L.E. BLOCK went aground in the Straits of Mackinac during a snowstorm.

1951: JOHN H. PRICE was at Ste. Anne des Monts to load pulpwood when a storm swept the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The ship broke loose early the next day, drifted to shore and was pounded on the rocks. All on board were saved and the vessel was refloated May 30, 1952.

1964: The Norwegian tanker STOLT DAGALI, a Seaway caller as a) DAGALI in 1960-1962, was sliced in two by the passenger vessel SHALOM about 28 miles southeast of the Ambrose Channel Light Vessel. The stern of the tanker sank but the bow was rebuilt using the stern of the C.T. GODSTAD that had grounding damage. The rebuilt ship resumed sailing as STOLT LADY.

1979: Despite clear visibility, PIERSON DAUGHTERS and JABLANICA collided off Alexandria Bay, NY, and both ships were damaged. The latter went aground on Broadway Shoal and had to be lightered before being released. It was a regular Seaway trader and was also back as b) ELLIE beginning in 1993. The ship was scrapped at Alang, India, as d) PINE TRADER in 2009.

1981: EURO PRINCESS, a Seaway trader beginning in 1976, went aground in the Atlantic near Sable Island and the crew of 26 was airlifted to safety. Despite a cracked hull, the ship was refloated and was back on the Great Lakes as c) EUROPEGASUS in 1985 and survived until scrapping in India in 1997-1998.

2000: The former BALSA I, a Seaway trader beginning in 1981, reported taking water off Hainan Island in the South China Sea and sank. The crew was saved by a passing freighter.

[Avenger]

Today in Great Lakes History - November 27

At 4:00 a.m. on 27 November 1872, the wooden schooner MIDDLESEX was struck by a terrible winter storm on Lake Superior. The winds caught the vessel with such force that she listed at a 45 degree angle and her cargo shifted. In danger of sinking, the crew jettisoned much of the cargo and the ship righted herself. Her lifeboat and much of her rigging and sails were washed away. She limped into Waiska Bay and anchored to ride out the storm. However, she had developed a leak and it was so cold that her pumps had frozen. To save the vessel, she was run ashore and sank in shallow water. The crew climbed into her rigging until the tug W. D. CUSHING rescued them.

ALGOSEA entered Lake service as a self-unloader for the first time with salt loaded at Goderich, Ontario and passed down bound in the Welland Canal November 27, 1976, for Quebec City.

AVONDALE was condemned and was not allowed to carry cargo after she arrived at Toledo, Ohio on November 27, 1975, to load soybeans.

The steam barge CHAUNCY HURLBUT was launched at the shipyard of Simon Langell at St. Clair, Michigan on Thanksgiving Day, 27 November 1873. She was built for Chandler Bros. of Detroit.

On 27 November 1886, COMANCHE (wooden schooner, 137 foot, 322 tons, built in 1867, at Oswego, New York) was carrying corn in a storm on Lake Ontario when she ran on a shoal and sank near Point Peninsula, New York. A local farmer died while trying to rescue her crew of 8. His was the only death. She was later recovered and rebuilt as THOMAS DOBBIE.

The PERE MARQUETTE 22 collided with the WABASH in heavy fog in 1937.

In 1966, the CITY OF MIDLAND 41 ran aground at Ludington, Michigan in a storm. Stranded on board were a number of passengers and 56 crewmen. Ballast tanks were flooded to hold the steamer on until the storm subsided. She was pulled off four days later by the Roen tug JOHN PURVES.

The propeller MONTGOMERY, which burned in June 1878, was raised on 27 November 1878. Her engine and boiler were removed and she was converted to a barge. She was rebuilt at Algonac, Michigan in the summer of 1879.

On 27 November 1866, the Oswego Advertiser & Times reported that the schooner HENRY FITZHUGH arrived at Oswego, New York with 17,700 bushels of wheat from Milwaukee. Her skipper was Captain Cal Becker. The round trip took 23 days, which was considered "pretty fast sailing".

The CITY OF FLINT 32 was launched in Manitowoc on 27 Nov 1929. Cut down to a rail barge at Nicholson's, Ecorse in 1970, renamed b.) ROANOKE.

On Monday, 27 Nov 1996, the Cyprus flag MALLARD of 1977, up bound, apparently bounced off the wall in the Welland Canal below Lock 1 and into the path of the CANADIAN ENTERPRISE. It was a sideswipe rather than a head on collision. The ENTERPRISE was repaired at Port Weller Dry Docks. The repairs to the gangway and ballast vent pipes took six hours. The MALLARD proceeded to Port Colborne to be repaired there.

At 10:20 p.m. on Monday, 27 Nov. 2000, CANADIAN TRANSFER radioed Soo Traffic to report that the vessel was aground off Algoma Steel and "taking on water but in no danger." The crew reported that they had two anchors down and one line on the dock. Purvis Marine was contacted.

1905: LAFAYETTE stranded at Encampment Island, Lake Superior, broke in two and was a total loss. MANILA, its consort barge, also came ashore but was later salvaged.

1942: JUDGE HART stranded at Fitzsimmons Rock, Ashburton Bay, Lake Superior, enroute to Toronto with 101,500 bushels of grain. All on board were rescued and the ship later slid off the rocks, drifted and sank.

1981: LOUKIA, a Greek flag visitor to the Great Lakes in 1976, arrived at Monrovia, Liberia, as f) DESPOULA and was abandoned. The vessel was looted before being sold for scrap. On September 2, 1982, while under tow for Yugoslavia for dismantling, the vessel broke loose in heavy seas and grounded about 14 miles north of Monrovia.

2006: SPAR OPAL had mechanical problems and ran aground near the Iroquois Lock. It was released on November 29. It did not return through the Seaway in 2007 but was back for two final trips in 2008. The ship was renamed h) ARWAD PRINCESS in 2012 and re-registered in Belize.

[Avenger]

Today in Great Lakes History - November 28

In 1949, sea trials for the largest freighter built on the Great Lakes, the WILFRED SYKES, were held off Lorain, Ohio. SYKES was converted to a self-unloader in 1975.

In 1942, the Canadian grain carrier JUDGE HART grounded and then sank in Ashburton Bay, Lake Superior. The entire crew of the JUDGE HART was rescued by the JAMES B. EADS, Captain Stanley J. Tischart, and the whaleback JOHN ERICSSON, Captain Wilfred E. Ogg.

On 28 November 1867, MARQUETTE (wooden bark, 139 foot, 426 tons, built in 1856, at Newport [Marine City], Michigan) was carrying corn from Chicago to Collingwood, Ontario when she sprang a leak during a storm on Lake Huron. She was run ashore on Hope Island on Georgian Bay.

On November 28, 1905, the Pittsburgh Steamship Company vessel MATAAFA was wrecked as it tried to re-enter the Duluth Ship Canal in a severe storm. The MATAAFA had departed Duluth earlier but had decided to return to safety. After dropping her barge in the lake, the vessel was picked up by waves, was slammed against the north pier and was swung around to rest just hundreds of feet offshore north of the north pier, where it broke in two. Much of the crew froze to death in the cold snap that followed the storm, as there was no quick way to get out to the broken vessel for rescue. The MATAAFA was repaired prior to the 1906, season; she ultimately ended her career as an automobile carrier for the T.J. McCarthy Steamship Company and was sold for scrap in 1965.

The CANADIAN OLYMPIC's maiden voyage was 28 Nov 1976, to load coal at Conneaut, Ohio for Nanticoke, Ontario. Her name honored the Olympic games that were held at Montreal that year.

On November 28, 1983, while up bound after leaving the Poe Lock, the INDIANA HARBOR was in a collision, caused by high winds, with the downbound Greek salty ANANGEL SPIRIT resulting in a 10 foot gash in the laker's port bow.

LANCASHIRE (Hull#827) was launched at Lorain, Ohio on November 28, 1942. She would soon be renamed b) SEWELL AVERY.

CATHY B towed the GOVERNOR MILLER to Vigo, Spain on November 28, 1980, where she was broken up.

BENSON FORD was renamed e) US265808 and departed River Rouge on November 28, 1986, towed by the Sandrin tugs TUSKER and GLENADA bound for Ramey's Bend in the Welland Canal.

FRONTENAC arrived at the Fraser Shipyard, Superior, Wisconsin on November 28, 1979. Her keel, which had hogged four feet, was declared a constructive total loss.

The BRANSFORD stranded on a reef off Isle Royale in Lake Superior during a major storm on 28 November 1905, (the same storm that claimed the steamer MATAAFA). She was recovered.

On her third trip in 1892, the ANN ARBOR NO 1 again ran aground, this time three miles north of Ahnapee (now called Algoma). There was $15,000 damage to her cargo.

In 1906, the ANN ARBOR NO 4 left Cleveland bound for Frankfort on her maiden voyage. The ANN ARBOR NO 4 ran aground off Kewaunee in 1924.

On 28 November 1905, AMBOY (2-mast wooden schooner-barge, 209 foot, 894 gross tons, formerly HELENA) was carrying coal in tow of the wooden propeller GEORGE SPENCER in a gale on Lake Superior. In an effort to save both vessels, AMBOY was cut loose. The SPENCER was disabled quickly and was driven ashore near Little Marais, Minnesota. AMBOY struggled against the gale for a full day before finally going ashore near Thomasville, Ontario on 29 November. No lives were lost from either vessel.

On 28 November 1872, W O BROWN (wooden schooner, 140 foot, 306 tons, built in 1862, at Buffalo, New York) was carrying wheat in a storm on Lake Superior when she was driven ashore near Point Maimanse, Ontario and pounded to pieces. Six lives were lost. Three survivors struggled through a terrible cold spell and finally made it to the Soo on Christmas Day.

On 28 Nov 1874, the propeller JOHN PRIDGEON JR was launched at Clark's shipyard in Detroit, Michigan. She was built for Capt. John Pridgeon. Her dimensions were 235 X 36 X 17 feet. The engines of the B F WADE were installed in her.

On 28 Nov 1923, the Detroit & Windsor Ferry Company and Bob-Lo docks were destroyed by a fire caused by an overheated stove in the ferry dock waiting room. The blaze started at 3 a.m.

CANADIAN TRANSFER underwent repairs most of Tuesday, 28 Nov. 2000, at the Algoma Steel dock at Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. She had run aground the previous night in the Canadian channel approaching Algoma Steel. CANADIAN TRANSFER was freed by two Purvis Marine tugs. The vessel suffered a crack or hole in the hull plating about 10 feet from the bottom along its port side.

1918: The bow section of the former passenger steamer NORTH WEST sank in Lake Ontario. The ship had been cut in two for a tow out of the Great Lakes. The stern was later rebuilt as b) MAPLECOURT.

1923: LINDEN, a wooden bulk carrier, burned as a total loss in Tawas Bay.

1932: The Canadian freighter GEORGIAN stranded at Munising while downbound from Port Arthur to Detroit. The crew was rescued on December 3. The first salvage attempt failed on December 5 and the vessel was not released until May 1933.

1961: IQUITOS, enroute from Callao, Peru, to Manzanillo, Mexico, with fish meal, caught fire off the coast of Mexico and was abandoned by the crew. The vessel first visited the Great Lakes as a) RUTENFJELL in 1936 and returned on numerous occasions. It was back as b) POLYRIVER from 1951 to 1958. The abandoned IQUITOS drifted for months and was finally sunk by a U.S. destroyer as a hazard to navigation about 100 miles southeast of the Christmas Islands, on April 9, 1962.

1966: The Liberty ship TEGEAN ran aground on The Sisters rocks in fog south of Halifax while inbound for bunkers. All on board were saved by Coast Guard and Navy helicopters. The hull broke into 3 pieces and was dynamited by Navy divers as a hazard on December 16, 1966. The vessel had traded through the Seaway as b) ST. MALO in 1962.

1981: LONDON EARL went aground at Pointe aux Trembles while outbound from Thunder Bay to Hamburg, West Germany, with a cargo of wheat. Five tugs released the ship, with only minimal damage, on November 30. The vessel later returned through the Seaway as b) OLYMPIC LIBERTY beginning in 1983, as c) STABERG in 1990 and as d) ITHAKI in 1996. It was scrapped at Alang, India, in 2001.

[Avenger]

Today in Great Lakes History - November 29

In 1953, BENJAMIN F. FAIRLESS, Captain H. C. Buckley, transported the last iron ore of the season through the Soo Locks. The ore originated at Two Harbors and was unloaded at Conneaut. After unloading, the FAIRLESS headed for Monroe, Michigan, for layup.

On 29 November 1886, ALFRED P. WRIGHT (wooden propeller tug, 56 gross tons, built in 1877, at Buffalo, New York) was towing the schooner A J DEWEY in a blizzard and gale in the harbor at Manistee, Michigan. The towline parted and fouled the WRIGHT's propeller. Disabled, she capsized and her crew clung to the overturned hull. One crewman swam 1,000 feet to shore and summoned the U.S. Lifesaving Service. The WRIGHT's and DEWEY's crews were both rescued but three lifesavers were lost in this effort.

On November 29, 1966, the DANIEL J. MORRELL sank approximately 20 miles north of Harbor Beach in Lake Huron. Her nearly identical sistership, the EDWARD Y. TOWNSEND, was traveling about 20 miles behind the MORRELL and made it to the Lime Island Fuel Dock in the St. Marys River where cracks were found in her deck; the TOWNSEND proceeded to Sault Ste. Marie where she was taken out of service. The TOWNSEND sank in the Atlantic on October 7, 1968, while being towed overseas for scrap.

E. B. BARBER was laid up for the last time at Toronto, Ontario, on 29 Nov. 1984.

On November 29, 1903, snow and stormy seas drove the two-and-a-half year old J. T. HUTCHINSON onto an uncharted rock (now known as Eagle River Reef) one-half mile off shore and 10 miles west of Eagle Harbor, Michigan near the northwestern coast of the Keweenaw Peninsula.

On November 29, 1974, the PERE MARQUETTE 21 was loaded with remnants of Port Huron's Peerless Cement Dock, which reportedly were bound for Saudi Arabia, and cleared there in tow of the Great Lakes Towing Co., tugs AMERICA and OHIO.

SYLVANIA was in a collision with the DIAMOND ALKALI in the Fighting Island Channel of the Detroit River on 29 Nov 1968, during a snow squall. SYLVANIA's bow was severely damaged.

The propeller BURLINGTON had barges in tow up bound on Lake Erie when she was damaged by the ice and sank in the Pelee Passage.

On 29 November 1856, ARABIAN (3-mast wooden bark, 116 foot, 350 tons, built in 1853, at Niagara, Ontario) had stranded on Goose Island Shoal, 10 miles ENE of Mackinac Island ten days earlier. She was relieved of her cargo and was being towed to Chicago by the propeller OGONTZ when a gale blew in and the towline parted. ARABIAN made for shore, her pumps working full force and OGONTZ following. During the night they were separated and ARABIAN sank off Point Betsey in Lake Michigan. Her crew escaped in her yawl.

In 1903, the PERE MARQUETTE 19 arrived Ludington on her maiden voyage. Captain John J. Doyle in command.

On 29 November 1881, the 149 foot wooden propeller NORTHERN QUEEN, which had been involved in a collision with the 136 foot wooden propeller canaller LAKE ERIE just five days before, struck the pier at Manistique so hard that she was wrecked. Besides her own crew, she also had LAKE ERIE's crew on board.

On 29 Nov 1902, BAY CITY (1-mast wood schooner-barge, 140 foot, 306 gross tons, built in 1857, at Saginaw, Michigan as a brig) was left at anchor in Thunder Bay by the steamer HURON CITY during a storm. BAY CITY's anchor chain parted and the vessel was driven against the Gilchrist dock at Alpena, Michigan and wrecked. Her crew managed to escape with much difficulty.

1902: The wooden bulk freighter CHARLES HEBARD (i) stranded on the Ontario shore of Lake Superior at Point Mamaise in a snowstorm. The hull broke up but all on board were rescued.

1950: ESSO ROCHESTER, a T-2 tanker, broke in two in heavy weather off Anticosti Island, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence while enroute, in ballast, from Montreal to Aruba. The two sections were taken in tow but the bow had to be cut loose in a storm on December 21, rolled over and was lost. The stern was taken to Newport News, VA and rebuilt. It was a Seaway trader in 1959 and scrapped at Onimichi, Japan, in July 1966.

1959: VILJA went aground in fog while outbound through the Brockville Narrows. The 14-year old ship was refloated on December 13 and had to spend the winter at Prescott. The Norwegian-flag freighter never returned inland and was scrapped at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, as c) SILVER HOPE in 1974.

1960: FRANCISCO MORAZON went aground on the rocks of South Manitou Island, Lake Michigan and the remains of the hull are still there.

1960: CATO II, a small survey vessel, was cut loose by vandals at Port Dalhousie, drifted with the current into Lake Ontario, and stranded on the rocks of the west pier off Port Weller. Despite gale force winds and cold, the hull was salvaged the next day. At last report, the ship was still intact and was owned by Seneca College of Toronto.

1964: The MARIA COSULICH was wrecked at the breakwall at Genoa, Italy, when the engine failed while outbound. The crew was saved but the vessel was a total loss. It had been built at Sturgeon Bay in 1943 as WILLIAM HOMAN.

1985: JALAGODAVARI sliced into the St. Louis road and rail bridge on the Seaway and navigation had to be suspended for seven days. The vessel was removed, taken to Montreal and arrested for damages. The ship was repaired and survived until scrapping as f) BLUE OCEAN in 2000-2001.

[Avenger]

Today in Great Lakes History - November 30

In 1953, BENJAMIN F. FAIRLESS, Captain H. C. Buckley, transported the last iron ore of the season through the Soo Locks. The ore originated at Two Harbors and was unloaded at Conneaut. After unloading, the FAIRLESS headed for Monroe, Michigan, for layup.

On 29 November 1886, ALFRED P. WRIGHT (wooden propeller tug, 56 gross tons, built in 1877, at Buffalo, New York) was towing the schooner A J DEWEY in a blizzard and gale in the harbor at Manistee, Michigan. The towline parted and fouled the WRIGHT's propeller. Disabled, she capsized and her crew clung to the overturned hull. One crewman swam 1,000 feet to shore and summoned the U.S. Lifesaving Service. The WRIGHT's and DEWEY's crews were both rescued but three lifesavers were lost in this effort.

On November 29, 1966, the DANIEL J. MORRELL sank approximately 20 miles north of Harbor Beach in Lake Huron. Her nearly identical sistership, the EDWARD Y. TOWNSEND, was traveling about 20 miles behind the MORRELL and made it to the Lime Island Fuel Dock in the St. Marys River where cracks were found in her deck; the TOWNSEND proceeded to Sault Ste. Marie where she was taken out of service. The TOWNSEND sank in the Atlantic on October 7, 1968, while being towed overseas for scrap.

E. B. BARBER was laid up for the last time at Toronto, Ontario, on 29 Nov. 1984.

On November 29, 1903, snow and stormy seas drove the two-and-a-half year old J. T. HUTCHINSON onto an uncharted rock (now known as Eagle River Reef) one-half mile off shore and 10 miles west of Eagle Harbor, Michigan near the northwestern coast of the Keweenaw Peninsula.

On November 29, 1974, the PERE MARQUETTE 21 was loaded with remnants of Port Huron's Peerless Cement Dock, which reportedly were bound for Saudi Arabia, and cleared there in tow of the Great Lakes Towing Co., tugs AMERICA and OHIO.

SYLVANIA was in a collision with the DIAMOND ALKALI in the Fighting Island Channel of the Detroit River on 29 Nov 1968, during a snow squall. SYLVANIA's bow was severely damaged.

The propeller BURLINGTON had barges in tow up bound on Lake Erie when she was damaged by the ice and sank in the Pelee Passage.

On 29 November 1856, ARABIAN (3-mast wooden bark, 116 foot, 350 tons, built in 1853, at Niagara, Ontario) had stranded on Goose Island Shoal, 10 miles ENE of Mackinac Island ten days earlier. She was relieved of her cargo and was being towed to Chicago by the propeller OGONTZ when a gale blew in and the towline parted. ARABIAN made for shore, her pumps working full force and OGONTZ following. During the night they were separated and ARABIAN sank off Point Betsey in Lake Michigan. Her crew escaped in her yawl.

In 1903, the PERE MARQUETTE 19 arrived Ludington on her maiden voyage. Captain John J. Doyle in command. On 29 November 1881, the 149 foot wooden propeller NORTHERN QUEEN, which had been involved in a collision with the 136 foot wooden propeller canaller LAKE ERIE just five days before, struck the pier at Manistique so hard that she was wrecked. Besides her own crew, she also had LAKE ERIE's crew on board.

On 29 Nov 1902, BAY CITY (1-mast wood schooner-barge, 140 foot, 306 gross tons, built in 1857, at Saginaw, Michigan as a brig) was left at anchor in Thunder Bay by the steamer HURON CITY during a storm. BAY CITY's anchor chain parted and the vessel was driven against the Gilchrist dock at Alpena, Michigan and wrecked. Her crew managed to escape with much difficulty.

1902: The wooden bulk freighter CHARLES HEBARD (i) stranded on the Ontario shore of Lake Superior at Point Mamaise in a snowstorm. The hull broke up but all on board were rescued.

1950: ESSO ROCHESTER, a T-2 tanker, broke in two in heavy weather off Anticosti Island, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence while enroute, in ballast, from Montreal to Aruba. The two sections were taken in tow but the bow had to be cut loose in a storm on December 21, rolled over and was lost. The stern was taken to Newport News, VA and rebuilt. It was a Seaway trader in 1959 and scrapped at Onimichi, Japan, in July 1966.

1959: VILJA went aground in fog while outbound through the Brockville Narrows. The 14-year old ship was refloated on December 13 and had to spend the winter at Prescott. The Norwegian-flag freighter never returned inland and was scrapped at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, as c) SILVER HOPE in 1974.

1960: FRANCISCO MORAZON went aground on the rocks of South Manitou Island, Lake Michigan and the remains of the hull are still there.

1960: CATO II, a small survey vessel, was cut loose by vandals at Port Dalhousie, drifted with the current into Lake Ontario, and stranded on the rocks of the west pier off Port Weller. Despite gale force winds and cold, the hull was salvaged the next day. At last report, the ship was still intact and was owned by Seneca College of Toronto.

1964: The MARIA COSULICH was wrecked at the breakwall at Genoa, Italy, when the engine failed while outbound. The crew was saved but the vessel was a total loss. It had been built at Sturgeon Bay in 1943 as WILLIAM HOMAN.

1985: JALAGODAVARI sliced into the St. Louis road and rail bridge on the Seaway and navigation had to be suspended for seven days. The vessel was removed, taken to Montreal and arrested for damages. The ship was repaired and survived until scrapping as f) BLUE OCEAN in 2000-2001.