SS Arthur M. Anderson
Encyclopedia
The SS Arthur M. Anderson is a cargo ship of the laker
type. It is famous for being the last ship to be in contact with the SS Edmund Fitzgerald
(before it sank 10 November 1975). The Anderson was also the first rescue ship on the scene in a vain search for Fitzgerald survivors (there were none).
of Lorain
, Ohio
in 1952. It had a length of 647 feet, 70 foot beam, a 36 foot depth, and a gross tonnage of roughly 20,000 tons. It was second of eight of the AAA class of lake freighter
s; the others being, in order, the SS Philip R. Clarke, SS Cason J. Callaway, SS Reserve, SS J.L. Mauthe, SS Armco, SS Edward B. Greene, and the SS William Clay Ford
. It, along with the SS Philip R. Clarke and SS Cason J. Callaway, was built for the Pittsburgh Steamship Division of U.S. Steel
. The Anderson's sea-trials commenced on 7 August 1952, and it loaded its first cargo at the Two Harbors dock on August 12th. It received several refits in its life including a new 120 foot mid-section which added about 6,000 tons to its gross tonnage. In 1981 it received a self unloading boom which improved its cargo loading and unloading. It is unique among the three Great Lakes Fleet steamships in that it has a softer mid-section that prohibits loading as much cargo as the others; roughly 1500 tons less.
Its namesake, Arthur Marvin Anderson, was director of U.S. Steel
at the time.
It has been a member of the U.S. Steel fleet its entire life, and is still sailing as of 2011.
Lake freighter
Lake freighters, or Lakers, are bulk carrier vessels that ply the Great Lakes. The best known was the , the most recent and largest major vessel to be wrecked on the Lakes. These vessels are traditionally called boats, although classified as ships. In the mid-20th century, 300 lakers worked the...
type. It is famous for being the last ship to be in contact with the SS Edmund Fitzgerald
SS Edmund Fitzgerald
The SS Edmund Fitzgerald was an American Great Lakes freighter that made headlines after sinking in a Lake Superior storm on November 10, 1975, with the loss of the entire crew of 29. When launched on June 8, 1958, she was the largest boat on North America's Great Lakes, and she remains...
(before it sank 10 November 1975). The Anderson was also the first rescue ship on the scene in a vain search for Fitzgerald survivors (there were none).
History
The SS Arthur M. Anderson came out of the drydock of the American Ship Building CompanyAmerican Ship Building Company
The American Ship Building Company was the dominant shipbuilder on the Great Lakes before the Second World War. It started as Cleveland Shipbuilding in Cleveland, Ohio in 1888 and opened the yard in Lorain, Ohio in 1898...
of Lorain
Lorain, Ohio
Lorain is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio on Lake Erie, at the mouth of the Black River, about 30 miles west of Cleveland....
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
in 1952. It had a length of 647 feet, 70 foot beam, a 36 foot depth, and a gross tonnage of roughly 20,000 tons. It was second of eight of the AAA class of lake freighter
Lake freighter
Lake freighters, or Lakers, are bulk carrier vessels that ply the Great Lakes. The best known was the , the most recent and largest major vessel to be wrecked on the Lakes. These vessels are traditionally called boats, although classified as ships. In the mid-20th century, 300 lakers worked the...
s; the others being, in order, the SS Philip R. Clarke, SS Cason J. Callaway, SS Reserve, SS J.L. Mauthe, SS Armco, SS Edward B. Greene, and the SS William Clay Ford
SS William Clay Ford
The SS William Clay Ford was a bulk freighter built for hauling material on the Great Lakes. It was named for William Clay Ford, Sr., grandson of Henry Ford, Sr. Its keel was laid in 1952 at River Rouge, Michigan by the Great Lakes Engineering Works, and it was launched in 1953...
. It, along with the SS Philip R. Clarke and SS Cason J. Callaway, was built for the Pittsburgh Steamship Division of U.S. Steel
U.S. Steel
The United States Steel Corporation , more commonly known as U.S. Steel, is an integrated steel producer with major production operations in the United States, Canada, and Central Europe. The company is the world's tenth largest steel producer ranked by sales...
. The Anderson's sea-trials commenced on 7 August 1952, and it loaded its first cargo at the Two Harbors dock on August 12th. It received several refits in its life including a new 120 foot mid-section which added about 6,000 tons to its gross tonnage. In 1981 it received a self unloading boom which improved its cargo loading and unloading. It is unique among the three Great Lakes Fleet steamships in that it has a softer mid-section that prohibits loading as much cargo as the others; roughly 1500 tons less.
U.S. Steel
The United States Steel Corporation , more commonly known as U.S. Steel, is an integrated steel producer with major production operations in the United States, Canada, and Central Europe. The company is the world's tenth largest steel producer ranked by sales...
at the time.
It has been a member of the U.S. Steel fleet its entire life, and is still sailing as of 2011.