Shipwrecks of the 1913 Great Lakes storm
Encyclopedia
This is a list of shipwrecks during the Great Lakes Storm of 1913
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Great Lakes Storm of 1913
The Great Lakes Storm of 1913, historically referred to as the "Big Blow", "Jeff Kinsland's Wash," the "Freshwater Fury" or the "White Hurricane", was a blizzard with hurricane-force winds that devastated the Great Lakes Basin in the Midwestern United States and the Canadian province of Ontario...
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| Ships Foundered | ||||||||
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| Ship | Gross Tons Tonnage Tonnage is a measure of the size or cargo carrying capacity of a ship. The term derives from the taxation paid on tuns or casks of wine, and was later used in reference to the weight of a ship's cargo; however, in modern maritime usage, "tonnage" specifically refers to a calculation of the volume... |
Length (ft) | Beam (ft) | Built | Cargo | Approx Location | Damage ($ United States dollar The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies.... ) |
Deaths |
| 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... |
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| Leafield | 1,454 | 369 | 35 | 1892 | steel rails | Angus Island | 100,000 | 18 |
| Henry B. Smith SS Henry B. Smith The SS Henry B. Smith was a steel-hulled, propeller-driven lake freighter built in 1906 by the American Ship Building Company at Lorain, Ohio USA. The hull number was 343 and the registration number was US203143.... |
6,631 | 525 | 55 | 1906 | iron ore | Marquette, Michigan Marquette, Michigan Marquette is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Marquette County. The population was 21,355 at the 2010 census, making it the most populated city of the Upper Peninsula. Marquette is a major port on Lake Superior, primarily for shipping iron ore and is the home of Northern... |
350,000 | 25 |
| Lake Michigan Lake Michigan Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron... |
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| Plymouth (Barge) | 776 | 225 | 35 | 1854 | lumber | Gull Island | 5,000 | 7 |
| Lake Huron Lake Huron Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States... |
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| Argus | 4,707 | 436 | 50 | 1903 | coal | Point aux Barques, Michigan Pointe aux Barques Light The Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse ranks among the ten oldest lighthouses in Michigan. It is an active lighthouse maintained by the US Coast Guard remotely, located in Lighthouse County Park on Lake Huron near Port Hope, Michigan in Huron County... |
136,000 | 28 |
| James Carruthers SS James Carruthers The SS James Carruthers was a Canadian Great Lakes freighter built in 1913. The Carruthers was built at Collingwood, Ontario by the Collingwood Shipbuilding Company. The ship was owned by the St. Lawrence & Chicago Steam and Navigation Company of Toronto, Ontario, with the official registry number... |
7,862 | 550 | 58 | 1913 | grain | Goderich, Ontario Goderich, Ontario Goderich is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario and is the county seat of Huron County. The town was founded by William "Tiger" Dunlop in 1827. First laid out in 1828, the town is named after Frederick John Robinson, 1st Viscount Goderich, who was British prime minister at the time. The town... |
410,000 | 22 |
| Hydrus | 4,713 | 436 | 50 | 1903 | iron ore | Goderich, Ontario Goderich, Ontario Goderich is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario and is the county seat of Huron County. The town was founded by William "Tiger" Dunlop in 1827. First laid out in 1828, the town is named after Frederick John Robinson, 1st Viscount Goderich, who was British prime minister at the time. The town... |
136,000 | 25 |
| John A. McGean | 5,100 | 452 | 52 | 1908 | coal | Sturgeon Point Sturgeon Point Light The Sturgeon Point Light Station is a lighthouse on Lake Huron in Haynes Township, Alcona County, northeastern lower Michigan. Established to ward mariners off a reef that extends 1.5 miles lakeward from Sturgeon Point, it is today regarded as a historic example of a Cape Cod style Great Lakes... , Michigan |
240,000 | 28 |
| Charles S. Price | 6,322 | 524 | 54 | 1910 | coal | Port Huron, Michigan Port Huron, Michigan Port Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 30,184 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administratively autonomous. It is joined by the Blue Water Bridge over the St. Clair River to Sarnia,... |
340,000 | 28 |
| Regina CSL Regina The SS Regina was a steel canaler built for the Canada Steamship Lines and home ported in Montreal, Quebec. Named after Regina, Saskatchewan, the Regina had a tonnage of and a crew of 32.... |
1,956 | 269 | 42.5 | 1907 | steel pipe, package freight | Harbor Beach, Michigan Harbor Beach, Michigan Harbor Beach is a city in Huron County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,837 at the 2000 census, with an estimated population of 1,587 in 2009.-Geography:... |
125,000 | 20 |
| Isaac M. Scott | 6,372 | 524 | 54 | 1909 | coal | Sturgeon Point Sturgeon Point Light The Sturgeon Point Light Station is a lighthouse on Lake Huron in Haynes Township, Alcona County, northeastern lower Michigan. Established to ward mariners off a reef that extends 1.5 miles lakeward from Sturgeon Point, it is today regarded as a historic example of a Cape Cod style Great Lakes... , Michigan |
340,000 | 28 |
| Wexford SS Wexford The SS Wexford was a steel hulled, propeller driven bulk freighter built by Doxford, Williams & Sons, Ltd. at Sunderland, Great Britain in 1883. The official number for the Wexford was 87342 with the hull number 00145. The ship was lost on Lake Huron with all hands on November 9, 1913 during the... |
2,104 | 250 | 40 | 1883 | steel rails | 8.6 miles NNE of Grand Bend, Ontario Grand Bend, Ontario Grand Bend, often referred to as simply "The Bend" or "GB," is a Southern Ontario community located on the shores of Lake Huron and a part of the municipality of Lambton Shores in the county of Lambton.Grand Bend is home to a variety of stores and eateries... |
125,000 | (actual number uncertain) 17 to 24 victims reported |
| Lake Erie Lake Erie Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the... |
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| Lightship 82 | 180 | 105 | 21 | 1912 | none | Buffalo, New York Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the... |
25,000 | 6 {Lightship salvaged} |
| Ships Stranded | ||||||||
| Ship | Gross Tons Tonnage Tonnage is a measure of the size or cargo carrying capacity of a ship. The term derives from the taxation paid on tuns or casks of wine, and was later used in reference to the weight of a ship's cargo; however, in modern maritime usage, "tonnage" specifically refers to a calculation of the volume... |
Length (ft) | Beam (ft) | Built | Cargo | Approx Location | Damage ($ United States dollar The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies.... ) |
Notes |
| 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... |
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| Fred G. Hartwell | 6,223 | 504 | 58 | 1908 | unknown | Point Iroquois, Michigan | 30,000 | rebuilt |
| Huronic | 3,330 | 321 | 43 | 1902 | passengers | Whitefish Point, Michigan | 30,000 | |
| J.T. Hutchinson | 3,734 | 346 | 48 | 1901 | unknown | Point Iroquois, Michigan | 40,000 | |
| Major | 1,864 | 303 | 41 | 1889 | unknown | Crisp Point, Michigan | unknown | rebuilt |
| William Nottingham | 4,234 | 377 | 50 | 1902 | wheat | Whitefish Bay, Michigan 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... |
75,000 | 3 men lost |
| Scottish Hero | 2,202 | 297 | 40 | 1895 | unknown | unknown | 500 | |
| Turret Chief | 1,881 | 273 | 44 | 1896 | unknown | Copper Harbor, Michigan Copper Harbor, Michigan Copper Harbor is a small unincorporated community in northeastern Keweenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is within Grant Township on the Keweenaw Peninsula that juts from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan into Lake Superior.-History:... |
unknown | rebuilt 1914 as Salvor |
| L.C. Waldo | 4,466 | 472 | 48 | 1896 | iron ore | Gull Rock, Michigan | unknown | rebuilt 1916 as Riverton |
| St. Marys River St. Marys River (Michigan-Ontario) The St. Marys River , sometimes written as the St. Mary's River, drains Lake Superior, starting at the end of Whitefish Bay and flowing 74.5 miles southeast into Lake Huron, with a fall of .... |
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| Meaford | unknown | unknown | unknown | unknown | unknown | 500 | ||
| Lake Michigan Lake Michigan Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron... |
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| Halsted (Barge) | 497 | 191 | 32 | 1873 | lumber | Washington Harbor, Washington Island (Wisconsin) Washington Island (Wisconsin) Washington Island is located about 7 miles northeast of the tip of Door Peninsula in Door County, Wisconsin. The island has a year-round population of 660 people . It has a land area of 60.89 km² and comprises over 92 percent of the land area of the town of Washington, as well as all of its... |
unknown | |
| Louisiana | 1,753 | 287 | 39 | 1887 | empty | Washington Harbor, Washington Island (Wisconsin) Washington Island (Wisconsin) Washington Island is located about 7 miles northeast of the tip of Door Peninsula in Door County, Wisconsin. The island has a year-round population of 660 people . It has a land area of 60.89 km² and comprises over 92 percent of the land area of the town of Washington, as well as all of its... |
burned to waterline | |
| Pontiac | 2,298 | 300 | 40 | 1889 | unknown | Simmon's Reef | 7,500 | |
| Lake Huron Lake Huron Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States... |
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| Acadian | 2,305 | 246.5 | 43 | 1908 | unknown | Thunder Bay, Michigan Thunder Bay (Michigan) Thunder Bay is a bay in the U.S. state of Michigan on Lake Huron. The bay extends from North Point at to South Point at .The city of Alpena lies at the mouth of the Thunder Bay River at... |
30,000 | |
| Lightship # 61 aka "Corsica Shoals" | 160 | 87'2" | 21'6" | 1893 | none | Forced from Corsica Shoals to Point Edward Canada-reportedly contributed to loss of "Matthew Andrews" {See article United States lightship Huron (LV-103)} | refloated | |
| Matthew Andrews | 7,014 | 532 | 56 | 1907 | unknown | Corsica Shoal | 2,500 | refloated |
| Howard M. Hanna Jr. | 5,667 | 500 | 54 | 1908 | coal | Port Austin, Michigan Port Austin, Michigan Port Austin is a village in Huron County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 737 at the 2000 census. The village is within Port Austin Township.-Geography:... |
rebuilt 1916 | |
| Henry A. Hawgood | 6,839 | 532 | 56 | 1906 | unknown | Weis Beach | 7,000 | refloated |
| J.M. Jenks | 4,644 | 414 | 50 | 1902 | unknown | Georgian Bay Georgian Bay Georgian Bay is a large bay of Lake Huron, located entirely within Ontario, Canada... |
25,000 | |
| Matoa | 2,311 | 310 | 40 | 1890 | coal | Point aux Barques, Michigan Pointe aux Barques Light The Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse ranks among the ten oldest lighthouses in Michigan. It is an active lighthouse maintained by the US Coast Guard remotely, located in Lighthouse County Park on Lake Huron near Port Hope, Michigan in Huron County... |
117,000 | total loss |
| D.O. Mills | 6,598 | 532 | 58 | 1907 | unknown | Harbor Beach, Michigan Harbor Beach, Michigan Harbor Beach is a city in Huron County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,837 at the 2000 census, with an estimated population of 1,587 in 2009.-Geography:... |
45,000 | refloated |
| Northern Queen | 2,476 | 300 | 41 | 1889 | unknown | Kettle Point 44, Ontario Kettle Point 44, Ontario Kettle Point 44 is an Indian reserve northeast of Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, on the southern shore of Lake Huron. The reserve serves as the land base for the Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation... |
25,000 | |
| A.E. Stewart | 3,943 | 356 | 50 | 1902 | unknown | Thunder Bay, Michigan Thunder Bay (Michigan) Thunder Bay is a bay in the U.S. state of Michigan on Lake Huron. The bay extends from North Point at to South Point at .The city of Alpena lies at the mouth of the Thunder Bay River at... |
30,000 | refloated |
| St. Clair St. Clair River The St. Clair River is a river in central North America which drains Lake Huron into Lake St Clair, forming part of the international boundary between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Michigan... & Detroit Detroit River The Detroit River is a strait in the Great Lakes system. The name comes from the French Rivière du Détroit, which translates literally as "River of the Strait". The Detroit River has served an important role in the history of Detroit and is one of the busiest waterways in the world. The river... Rivers |
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| W.G. Pollock | 4,872 | 420 | 52 | 1906 | unknown | St. Clair Flats | 5,000 | |
| Saxona | 4,716 | 418 | 50 | 1903 | unknown | Lake St. Clair Lake Saint Clair (North America) Lake St. Clair is a fresh-water lake named after Clare of Assisi that lies between the Province of Ontario and the State of Michigan, and its midline also forms the boundary between Canada and the United States of America. Lake St. Clair includes the Anchor Bay along the Metro Detroit coastline... |
1,500 | |
| Victory | 4,527 | 450 | 48 | 1895 | unknown | Livingston Channel | 12,000 | |
| Lake Erie Lake Erie Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the... |
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| Donaldson (Barge) | unknown | unknown | unknown | unknown | unknown | Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border... |
800 | |
| C.W. Elphicke 1 | 2,058 | 273 | 42 | 1889 | flax Flax Flax is a member of the genus Linum in the family Linaceae. It is native to the region extending from the eastern Mediterranean to India and was probably first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent... |
Long Point, Ontario | unknown | |
| Fulton | unknown | unknown | unknown | unknown | unknown | Bar Point | 2,500 | |
| G.J. Grammer | 4,471 | 418 | 48 | 1902 | unknown | Lorain, Ohio 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.... |
1,500 | refloated |
| Pittsburgh Steamship Co. Barges |
unknown | unknown | unknown | unknown | unknown | Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border... |
100,000 | unmanned |
| 1. The steamer C.W. Elphicke reportedly struck a submerged obstruction on Lake Erie, off Long Point, on October 21, 1913, during a gale; it was beached just above the Long Point Lighthouse 2 hours later. Before it could be salvaged, the November gale hit and it became a total loss. No lives lost. It was on voyage from Fort William, Ontario, for Buffalo, NY, with cargo of flax. | ||||||||