SS Arlington
Encyclopedia
SS Arlington was a Great Lakes
steamship which was lost in Lake Superior
on May 1, 1940.
and intended for a career on the Great Lakes, the Arlington was a typical "canaller;" a steel-hulled, propeller-driven ship built to the specifications of the Saint Lawrence River
locks
as they existed at the time of her design and construction.
in late April, 1940, to be loaded with a cargo of about 98,000 bushels
of wheat
. The ship steamed out of the port on the afternoon of April 30 shortly after the much larger SS Collingwood, another lake freighter. Though the Collingwood was larger and faster than the Arlington, it did not have a direction finder while the Arlington did. So, upon entering a fog, the Collingwood's captain, Thomas J. Carson, slowed his boat and allowed the Arlington to take the lead.
Though the routine weather reports indicated seasonably mild and breezy weather with light flurries, the low-slung Arlington - having only 3.5 feet of freeboard when fully loaded - was being boarded occasionally by heavy seas. First mate Junis Macksey, a veteran ship's master in his own right, had instructed the wheelsman to follow a course along the north shore
of Lake Superior, where the ship would be sheltered from the worst of the wind and waves, but where progress would be slower and less direct on its way to Whitefish Bay
. Captain Burke countermanded the order, and the more direct course away from shore was resumed. First mate Macksey is said to have commented to Burke, "You just think you're going to Whitefish."
At 10:00pm on April 30 the wind kicked up to a gale and the seas began to consistently board the Arlington. As the seas worsened and the Arlington struggled to make headway, mate Macksey, who had taken over the pilothouse watch at 12:15am on May 1, became concerned about the state of the ship's hatches. At 12:30am both the Arlington and the Collingwood checked their speed to about 7.5 knots, and at the same time the Arlington turned into the wind in an attempt to allow second mate Arthur Ferris to venture out onto the deck to inspect the hatches. Captain Burke awoke from his sleep, entered the pilothouse, and turned the vessel back onto its original course once again. Burke then returned to his cabin and went back to sleep. At 3:30am mate Macksey pounded on Burke's cabin door and insisted that the captain take command of his ship while Macksey himself attempted to inspect the hatches and repair them as necessary. But when Captain Burke finally entered the pilothouse to take command, it was clear that the number 5 hatch had burst and the Arlington had begun to take on water, and to list. At this point Captain Burke finally directed the wheelsman to set a course for the north shore, so that the ship could be grounded or beached, and later salvaged.
By 4:30am the fireman reported that the number 2 hold was filling with water, the cargo of wheat was expanding due to the dampness, the bulkhead was making cracking noises, and the hull was popping its rivets out. Chief engineer Fred Gilbert announced that the ship was sinking, and the crew took the initiative to begin abandoning the ship. The crew attempted to launch both of the ship's lifeboats - one could not be lowered into the water but the other was successfully launched and brought around to the ship's lee, where it was sheltered from wind and waves - and the crew left the ship, all except for Captain Burke, who remained in the pilothouse. According to the log of the Collingwood, which was standing by just 250 yards away, the Arlington foundered at 5:15am on May 1, and the lifeboat and its occupants were retrieved at 5:30am.
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
steamship which was lost in Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
on May 1, 1940.
Construction
Built in the yard of the Detroit Shipbuilding Company of Wyandotte, MichiganWyandotte, Michigan
Wyandotte is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 25,883 at the 2010 census, a decrease of 7.6% from 2000. Wyandotte is located in southeastern Michigan, approximately south of Detroit on the Detroit River, and is part of the collection of communities known as...
and intended for a career on the Great Lakes, the Arlington was a typical "canaller;" a steel-hulled, propeller-driven ship built to the specifications of the Saint Lawrence River
Saint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...
locks
Lock (water transport)
A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
as they existed at the time of her design and construction.
History
The Arlington was originally designated hull No. 192 in the Detroit Shipbuilding Company's yards in 1913, was first christened the F.P. Jones, then renamed the Glencadam in 1919. The Mathews Steamship Company acquired her in 1936 and rechristened her Arlington, and the Burke Towing and Salvage Company retained the designation after purchasing her in 1936. The Burke Company employed the Arlington in the grain hauling business in spring and fall, and pulp wood during the midsummer lull in traffic. After the 1939 shipping season ended the Arlington's veteran skipper was released and the Burke Company hired Capt Theodore "Tatey Bug" Burke, brother of the ships owners, to command the vessel for 1940.Final Voyage and Wreck
Having been inspected and found to be in good order prior to the beginning of the 1940 season, the Arlington entered the harbor of Port Arthur, OntarioPort Arthur, Ontario
Port Arthur was a city in Northern Ontario which amalgamated with Fort William and the townships of Neebing and McIntyre to form the city of Thunder Bay in January 1970. Port Arthur was the district seat of Thunder Bay District.- History :...
in late April, 1940, to be loaded with a cargo of about 98,000 bushels
Bushel
A bushel is an imperial and U.S. customary unit of dry volume, equivalent in each of these systems to 4 pecks or 8 gallons. It is used for volumes of dry commodities , most often in agriculture...
of wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
. The ship steamed out of the port on the afternoon of April 30 shortly after the much larger SS Collingwood, another lake freighter. Though the Collingwood was larger and faster than the Arlington, it did not have a direction finder while the Arlington did. So, upon entering a fog, the Collingwood's captain, Thomas J. Carson, slowed his boat and allowed the Arlington to take the lead.
Though the routine weather reports indicated seasonably mild and breezy weather with light flurries, the low-slung Arlington - having only 3.5 feet of freeboard when fully loaded - was being boarded occasionally by heavy seas. First mate Junis Macksey, a veteran ship's master in his own right, had instructed the wheelsman to follow a course along the north shore
North Shore (Lake Superior)
The North Shore of Lake Superior runs from Duluth, Minnesota, United States, at the southwestern end of the lake, to Thunder Bay and Nipigon, Ontario, Canada, in the north to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, in the east...
of Lake Superior, where the ship would be sheltered from the worst of the wind and waves, but where progress would be slower and less direct on its way to Whitefish Bay
Whitefish Bay
Whitefish Bay is a large bay on the eastern end of the southern shore of Lake Superior between Michigan and Ontario. It begins in the north and west at Whitefish Point in Michigan, about 10 miles north of Paradise, Michigan and ends at the St. Marys River at Sault Ste. Marie on the southeast...
. Captain Burke countermanded the order, and the more direct course away from shore was resumed. First mate Macksey is said to have commented to Burke, "You just think you're going to Whitefish."
At 10:00pm on April 30 the wind kicked up to a gale and the seas began to consistently board the Arlington. As the seas worsened and the Arlington struggled to make headway, mate Macksey, who had taken over the pilothouse watch at 12:15am on May 1, became concerned about the state of the ship's hatches. At 12:30am both the Arlington and the Collingwood checked their speed to about 7.5 knots, and at the same time the Arlington turned into the wind in an attempt to allow second mate Arthur Ferris to venture out onto the deck to inspect the hatches. Captain Burke awoke from his sleep, entered the pilothouse, and turned the vessel back onto its original course once again. Burke then returned to his cabin and went back to sleep. At 3:30am mate Macksey pounded on Burke's cabin door and insisted that the captain take command of his ship while Macksey himself attempted to inspect the hatches and repair them as necessary. But when Captain Burke finally entered the pilothouse to take command, it was clear that the number 5 hatch had burst and the Arlington had begun to take on water, and to list. At this point Captain Burke finally directed the wheelsman to set a course for the north shore, so that the ship could be grounded or beached, and later salvaged.
By 4:30am the fireman reported that the number 2 hold was filling with water, the cargo of wheat was expanding due to the dampness, the bulkhead was making cracking noises, and the hull was popping its rivets out. Chief engineer Fred Gilbert announced that the ship was sinking, and the crew took the initiative to begin abandoning the ship. The crew attempted to launch both of the ship's lifeboats - one could not be lowered into the water but the other was successfully launched and brought around to the ship's lee, where it was sheltered from wind and waves - and the crew left the ship, all except for Captain Burke, who remained in the pilothouse. According to the log of the Collingwood, which was standing by just 250 yards away, the Arlington foundered at 5:15am on May 1, and the lifeboat and its occupants were retrieved at 5:30am.