Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2017 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== The Marine Review Vol. 45 February, 1915 LAKE VESSEL LOSSES DURING 1914 Vessel losses during 1914 totalled 28, of which 17 were steamers, 6 barges, 4 tugs and one dredge. Fire caused 15 of, the losses, 6 foundered, collision 1, 3 ran ashore in thick weather, one ran aground on a bar and was pounded to pieces, one turned turtle while being towed, and one was beached to prevent sinking. The loss of lives numbers 54. The steamer BENJAMIN NOBLE foundered in a heavy gale on Lake Superior on April 27, on the first trip of the season, carrying down her crew of 20. The schooner WILLIAM JAMIESON sank in Lake Ontario on April 29. drowning her crew of six. No further mortalities occurred until November 19 when the steamer C. F. CURTIS with the barges MARVIN and PETERSON in tow were lost near Grand Marais, Michigan, in a heavy gale and snow storm, together with all hands. The crew of the CURTIS consisted of 14 persons, including 2 women cooks. The crew of the MARVIN consisted of 7. including one woman cook. The crew of the PETERSON consisted of 7 persons, including one woman cook, making the total loss of lives on these three vessels 28. The first vessel to be lost in 1914 was the barge DORCAS PENDELL, which was destroyed by fire while lying on the beach at Harbor Beach, Lake Huron. The steamer R. L. FRYER burned at Marine City on April 28. The steamer CITY OF ROME burned and sank in Lake Erie on May 7th. The steamer W. H. GILBERT was sunk in collision with the steamer CALDERA in Lake Huron on May 22. The steamer BERTHIER burned at Montreal on May 25 and the steamer EMMA THOMPSON burned on Ennis Island, Georgian Bay, on May 28. The passenger steamer MANISTEE burned at Grand Haven, on June 28. The steamer GEORGE VAN VLECK burned near Outer Island, Lake Superior, on August 1. The steamer TACOMA burned at Ludington, Mich., on Aug. 23. The steamer MONTANA burned to the water's edge in Lake Huron on Sept. 7, the crew fortunately escaping. The fish tug ORA ENDRESS turned turtle in Whitefish Bay while being towed to Grand Marais on Sept. 13. The steamer JOHN HARPER was destroyed by fire in the Detroit river on Sept. 29. The barge MARY N. BOURKE sank in the Detroit river on Sept. 29. The tug ADVERTISER was destroyed by fire in the Niagara river on Oct. 7. The steamer CONESTOGA was so badly burned by fire at Milwaukee, on Oct. 30, that she will not be rebuilt on account of her age. The schooner SAMUEL K. FLINT ran ashore off Rocky Point, Lake Huron, during a heavy storm on Nov. 6 and was pounded to pieces. The steamer OSCODA ran ashore, on Nov. 10, in a heavy snow storm near St. Helena island, Lake Michi- gan and became a total loss. The steamer COLONIAL sprang a leak in Rondeau Bay, Lake Erie. during the storm, on Nov. 13, and had to be beached to pre- vent sinking. She was pounded to pieces by the seas. The fish tug DON MAR foundered off Monroe Point, Lake Erie, on Nov. 19 but the crew was rescued. It was this storm that took down the steamer CURTIS and her barges PETERSON and MARVIN. The steamer LEHIGH ran ashore in the storm near Manistique, Lake Michigan, and was abandoned to the underwriters as a total loss. The tug DONALD MAC ran aground on a bar in Lake Ontario and was pounded to pieces. The steamer I. J. BOYCE burned near Put-in-Bay, Nov. 28. The loss of 54 lives is highly regrettable. It is a rather high average and is the total of just two storms, one at the beginning and the other near the close of the season. It will unfortunately never be known what happened to the NOBLE as there were no survivors. The three little lumber vessels were unfortunately caught in a blinding snow storm with a shore to leeway. Only nine lives would have been lost on the great lakes during 1913, had it not been for the unprecedented gale of November of that year in which 235 sailors lost their lives, making the total 244. During 1912 the loss of life was 33, as against 51 for 1911, 49 for 1910 and 12 for 1909. TABLE OF TOTAL LOSSES Carrying capacity, Name of vessel Cause Where lost gross tons ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Str. Benjamin Noble Foundered Lake Superior, near Duluth 3,000 Str. Gilbert, W. H. Collision Lake Huron, off Thunder Bay Island 3,666 Str. R. L. Fryer Fire Marine City, Mich. 3,000 Bge. Dorcas Pendell Fire Harbor Beach, Lake Huron 600 Str. City of Rome Fire Off Ripley, N.Y. 3,000 *Str. Berthier Fire Montreal 1,000 Str. Emma Thompson Fire Ennis Island, Georgian Bay 400 Sch. Wm. Jamieson Foundered Lake Ontario 350 Str. Manistee Fire Grand Haven, Mich. . ... Str. George Van Vleck Fire Lake Superior, near Outer Island 1,400 Str. Tacoma Fire Ludington, Mich. 2,500 Str. Montana Fire Lake Huron 2,700 Fish Tug Oro Endress Sank Whitefish Point, Lake Superior . ... Dredge Fraser Fire Pelee Island, Lake Erie . ... Str. John Harper Fire Detroit River 3,100 Bge. Mary N. Bourke Fire Detroit 1,700 Tug Advertiser Fire Niagara River, off Lower Grand Island . ... Str. Conestoga Fire Milwaukee, Wis. 3,000 Sch. Samuel K. Flint Ran ashore Off Sturgeon Point, Lake Huron 700 Str. Oscoda Ran ashore Lake Michigan, near St. Helena Island 1,000 Str. Colonial Wrecked by storm Rondeau Bay, Lake Erie 2,200 Fish tug Don Mar Foundered Off Monroe Pt., Lake Erie . ... Str. C. F. Curtis Foundered Lake Superior 1,000 Bge. A. M. Peterson Foundered Lake Superior 1,000 Bge. S. E. Marvin Foundered Lake Superior 1,000 *Str. Lehigh Ran ashore Mud Lake, St. Mary's River 3,000 Tug Donald Mac Ran aground Lake Ontario . ... *Str. I. J. Boyce Fire Near Put-in-Bay, Lake Erie 700 *Constructive total loss ======================================================================================================