115 (barge)

American whaleback barge February 2021 Whaleback Barge 115.jpg 115 in 1896, in Conneaut, Ohio, with the barge 118 in the background United States 60px Buffalo, New York, United States 115 Her hull number American Steel Barge Company of Buffalo, New York American Steel Barge Company of Superior, Wisconsin 115 May 21, 1891 August 15, 1891 Registry number US  53268 August 25, 1891 December 18, 1899 Stranded on Pic Island Last shipwreck to occur on the Great Lakes during the 1800s Whaleback barge * 1,169 gross tons * 1,110 net tons 256 ft m 1 36 ft m 1 18.75 ft m 1 Towed by a steamship 8 115 (also known as Barge 115, No.115, or Whaleback 115) was an American whaleback barge in service between 1891 and 1899. She was built between May and August 1891, in Superior, Wisconsin (or West Superior, Wisconsin) by Alexander McDougall's American Steel Barge Company, for the "McDougall fleet", based in Buffalo, New York. She was one of a class of distinctive, experimental ship designed and built by McDougall. The whalebacks were designed to be more stable in high seas. They had rounded decks, and lacked the normal straight sides seen on traditional lake freighters. 115 entered service on August 25, hauling iron ore from Superior. In December 1899, while being towed by the whaleback freighter Colgate Hoyt from Two Harbors, Minnesota, for Lake Erie with a load of iron ore, the two vessels encountered a storm. After 40 hours of slow progress across Lake Superior, 115 broke away from Colgate Hoyt at 6:05a.m., on December 13. Colgate Hoyt searched for her for four hours, but due to the scarcity of fuel on board, she was forced to proceed to Sault Ste. Marie. After drifting around Lake Superior for five days, 115 crashed into Pic Island, near Marathon, Ontario. Her crew made it to shore in a makeshift raft, walking for several days, before being located by crew from the Canadian Pacific Railway. The wreck of 115 was located in 1980, at a depth of between 40 and 80 ft m 1 of water. History Background Whaleback 115 was a whaleback, an innovative but unpopular ship design of the late 1880s, designed by Alexander McDougall. A Scottish immigrant, Great Lakes captain, inventorAbout the Great Lakes 2007 and entrepreneur, McDougall developed the idea of the whaleback as a way to improve the ability of barges to follow a towing vessel in heavy seas.Ebeling 2001 Whalebacks were characterized by distinctive hull shapes with rounded tops, lacking conventional vertical sides, and conoidal ends.Minnesota Historical Society 2008 Their rounded hulls enabled water to easily slide off their decks, minimising friction, and letting them sail quickly and smoothly through the water.Ebeling 2001 Their superstructure was located on turrets mounted on the main deck.Minnesota Historical Society 2008 The rounded contours of whalebacks gave them an unconventional appearance,Ebeling 2001 and McDougall's ship and barge designs were received with considerable skepticism, resistance, and derision.Ebeling 2001Croil 1998 As they had porcine-looking snouts for bows, some observers called them "pig boats".Croil 1998Duerkop 2007 After McDougall was unable to persuade existing shipbuilders to try his designs, he founded the American Steel Barge Company in Superior, Wisconsin, in 1888, and built them himself. McDougall actively promoted his design and company by sending the steamer Charles W. Wetmore to London, and starting another shipyard in Everett, Washington, which built the steamer City of Everett.Oakley 2005 Despite McDougall's further efforts to promote the design with the excursion liner Christopher Columbus, whalebacks never caught on, with only 44 of them being built.About the Great Lakes 2007Ebeling 2001Leonard 1983 Design and construction 115 (also known as Barge 115,Chicago Tribune 1899 No.115,Chicago Tribune 1899 or Whaleback 115Save Ontario Shipwrecks 2018) was constructed in 1891, in Superior (or West SuperiorSwayze 2001), Wisconsin,Bowling Green State University 2021a by the American Steel Barge Company.Bowling Green State University 2021a Her first hull frames were laid down on May 21, 1891. She was launched on August 15, of that same year.Berry 2020Maritime History of the Great Lakes 1899 115 was identical to the barge 116, launched later in August.Berry 2021 She was 256 ft m 1 long and 36 ft m 1 wide, and her hull was 18.75 ft m 1 deep.Bowling Green State University 2021afnspec While the Historical Collections of the Great Lakes at Bowling Green State University note 115 as 36.00 feet wide and 18.75 feet deep (11.0 m by 5.7 m), with a tonnage of 1,169.00 gross and 1,100.00 net,Bowling Green State University 2021b the Maritime Collection of the Alpena County Public Library note it as 36.1 feet wide and 18.9 feet deep (11.0 m by 5.8 m), with a tonnage of 1169.11 gross and 1110.66 net.Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library (1) 2020) She had a gross tonnage of 1,169 tons, and a net tonnage of 1,110 tons.Bowling Green State University 2021afnspec She was an unrigged barge, and was towed by a steam-powered ship.Swayze 2001 Service history 115 was built by the American Steel Barge Company for the fleet of the same name based in Buffalo, New York.Bowling Green State University 2021a She was enrolled in Duluth, Minnesota, on August 20, 1891, and was given the US official number 53268.Bowling Green State University 2021a Her home port was Buffalo. 115 entered service on August 25, carrying iron ore from Superior, Wisconsin.Berry 2020 On May 11 or 12, 1893, 115 was in tow of Colgate Hoyt, when she was struck by the downbound whaleback freighter Thomas Wilson, which had the whaleback barge 101 in tow.Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library (1) 2020Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library (2) 2020 115 was dry docked in Duluth on May 20, for repairs.Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library (1) 2020 115 broke 16 hull plates on May 3, 1894, when she collided with the steamer Mesaba on Lake George.Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library (1) 2020 In 1895, management of the American Steel Barge Company fleet was taken over by Pickands Mather & Company of Cleveland, Ohio.Toronto Marine Historical Society 2000 9 While loaded with iron ore and under tow of the whaleback steamer A.D. Thompson, 115 ran aground in the St. Marys River, below the Sault Ste. Marie Canal in the afternoon on July 18, 1897. She was released on the morning of July 19, after lightering her cargo, which she later reloaded; she sustained no damage in the grounding.The Buffalo Commercial 1897 2The Buffalo Enquirer 1897 7 In August 1897, 115 was dry docked in West Superior, in order to repair damage she sustained after striking the bottom in an unknown river.Maritime History of the Great Lakes 1897 Ten of her bottom plates and two of her keel plates needed to be replaced.Buffalo Courier 1897 11 Final voyage In December 1899, 115 and her towing steamer Colgate Hoyt were in Two Harbors, Minnesota, where 115 loaded 3,000 tons of iron ore bound for Lake Erie,Zoss 2007 35 on what was meant to be their final trip of the shipping season.Maritime History of the Great Lakes 1899Kohl 2005 369 The two vessels left Two Harbors on December 10, and headed for the Soo Locks. 115 was under the command of Arthur A. Boyce, and had a complement of eight crew (including Captain Boyce).Maritime History of the Great Lakes 1899Kohl 2005 369 As the two vessels left Two Harbors, they sailed into a storm. For 40 hours, Colgate Hoyt and 115 made slow progress across Lake Superior, when at 6:05a.m. on December 13, 115 broke away from Colgate Hoyt, south of Pic Island.Maritime History of the Great Lakes 1899Kohl 2005 369 Colgate Hoyts crew frantically searched for 115 for four hours, but scarcity of fuel on board forced her to proceed to Sault Ste. Marie,Berry 2020Maritime History of the Great Lakes 1899 where they enlisted tugboats to help search for 115.Chicago Tribune 1899Maritime History of the Great Lakes 1899Kohl 2005 369Kohl 2005 370 Initially, 115 and her crew were believed to have been lost.Chicago Tribune 1899Maritime History of the Great Lakes 1899 yes 48.698189 -86.654578 250 250 Location of 115s wreck 5 point #C60C30 115 wrecked 18 December 1899 115 drifted for five days before stranding near Marathon, Ontario, on Pic Island, located on the north shore of Lake Superior, becoming the final shipwreck to occur on the Great Lakes during the 1800s.Save Ontario Shipwrecks 2018Maritime History of the Great Lakes 1899Kohl 2005 370 Her crew made it ashore in 115s small life raft, making multiple trips between the stranded barge and Pic Island until everyone on board reached safety. Some of the crewmen carried with them extra clothes, while others carried food (two loaves of bread and ham). As well as clothes and the food items, the crewmen carried with them candles and grease.Maritime History of the Great Lakes 1899Kohl 2005 370Our Ontario 2021 After walking around the island for a while, the crewmen discovered an old, roofless log cabin, containing a stove. They fashioned a roof out of tree branches, and spent the night in the cabin.Maritime History of the Great Lakes 1899 The following morning, the crewmen tore the cabin down, fashioning a makeshift raft out of the wood. They made it ashore on the mainland, and ended up camping in the bush.Maritime History of the Great Lakes 1899 The next day, they began walking along the shore to the west, camping in the bush that night as well.Maritime History of the Great Lakes 1899 After walking for four days, the crewmen stumbled upon a Canadian Pacific Railway track. Following the track, the crewmen managed to make it to Middletown, Ontario, at around noon, that same day.Maritime History of the Great Lakes 1899Kohl 2005 370Our Ontario 2021 Although all of 115s crew survived, her cook's feet were frostbitten.Maritime History of the Great Lakes 1899 All of 115s crew made it home in time for Christmas.Kohl 2005 370 115 was the second whaleback lost on the Great Lakes.Leonard 1983In total, eight whalebacks wrecked on the Great Lakes. Four of them 104, 115, Sagamore and 129 were barges, while a further four, Thomas Wilson, James B. Colgate, Clifton and Henry Cort were steam powered.Leonard 1983 Note 115 wreck The wreck of 115 was discovered in 1980 after a major search by wreck hunter Ryan LeBlanc at a depth of between 40 and 80 ft m 1 of water, on a rock bottom.Save Ontario Shipwrecks 2018Kohl 2005 370 Maritime historian and author Cris Kohl's book, The 100 Best Great Lakes Shipwrecks – Volume II. erroneously states that 115s bow with its turret is intact,Kohl 2005 372 whereas dive footage shot in about 1980 shows that her stern and its turret are intact, instead of the bow. The bow section is broken up.Kohl 2005 370McWilliam 2021 Due to the force with which 115 pounded against Pic Island, there are twisted steel plates located as high as 50 ft m 1 on the cliff she wrecked against.Save Ontario Shipwrecks 2018Kohl 2005 371 Her intact bell was retrieved around the time she was discovered.Our Ontario 2021 Notes upper-alpha References 30em Sources 30em About the Great Lakes 2007 Remember the Whaleback Steamers http://www.abouthegreatlakes.com/whale.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20071005170240/http://www.abouthegreatlakes.com/whale.htm January 25, 2021 October 5, 2007 About the Great Lakes 1897 Accident Notes https://www.newspapers.com/clip/111322795/accident-notes/ CITEREFThe_Buffalo_Enquirer1897 October 16, 2022 The Buffalo Enquirer Buffalo, New York Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library (1) 2020 115 (1891, Barge) https://greatlakeships.org/2899146/data?n=1 January 25, 2021 Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library Alpena, Michigan Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library (2) 2020 Wilson, Thomas (1892, Whaleback) https://greatlakeships.org/2906245/data?n=7 January 25, 2021 Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library Alpena, Michigan Berry Sterling 2020 115 https://www.greatlakesvesselhistory.com/histories-by-name/numbers/115-2 January 25, 2021 Great Lakes Vessel Histories of Sterling Berry Detroit, Michigan Berry Sterling 2021 116 https://www.greatlakesvesselhistory.com/histories-by-name/numbers/116-2 January 25, 2021 Great Lakes Vessel Histories of Sterling Berry Detroit, Michigan Bowling Green State University 2021a 0115 https://greatlakes.bgsu.edu/item/441024 January 25, 2021 Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, Ohio Bowling Green State University 2021b 0116 https://greatlakes.bgsu.edu/item/441025 January 27, 2021 Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, Ohio Chicago Tribune 1899 Barge 115 Is Still Missing – If Lost It Will Be the First Whaleback That Ever Foundered In a Storm 3 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/15766211/barge-115-first-whaleback-founder/ January 25, 2021 Chicago Tribune Newspapers.com Chicago, Illinois Croil James 1998 Steam Navigation and Its Relation to the Commerce of Canada and the United States https://archive.org/details/cihm_02131 Montreal News Company Toronto, Ontario January 25, 2021 1082014 362–64 Google books has images of those pages in the chapter entitled The Turret Steamship Duerkop John 2007 Some Marine Terminology http://www.marmuseum.ca/duerkop.html https://web.archive.org/web/20080311063134/http://www.marmuseum.ca/duerkop.html January 25, 2021 March 11, 2008 Marine Museum of the Great Lakes at Kingston Research Resources (definition 65, "Whaleback" Kingston, Ontario Ebeling Charles W. 2001 You Call That Damn Thing a Boat? http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/it/2001/2/2001_2_24_print.shtml https://web.archive.org/web/20070929121045/http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/it/2001/2/2001_2_24_print.shtml January 25, 2021 September 29, 2007 American Heritage of Invention & Technology American Heritage Publishing 17 2 8756-7296 11638224 25 August 1897 Here and There Afloat https://www.newspapers.com/clip/111322691/here-and-there-afloat/ Buffalo Courier 1897 Buffalo Courier October 16, 2022 Buffalo Commercial Buffalo, New York Kohl Cris 2005 The 100 Best Great Lakes Shipwrecks – Volume II. https://archive.org/details/100bestgreatlake0000kohl/page/368/mode/2up?q=barge+115 January 31, 2021 Seawolf Communications West Chicago, Illinois 978-0-9679-9766-7 Leonard John 1983 A Whaleback Quiz https://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca//documents/scanner/15/06/default.asp?ID=s006 January 26, 2021 Toronto Marine Historical Society Toronto, Ontario, Canada Maritime History of the Great Lakes 1897 Barge 115 (Barge), U53268, 1897 https://images.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/58999/data?n=1 January 26, 2021 Maritime History of the Great Lakes (sourced from various newspaper articles) Ontario, Canada Maritime History of the Great Lakes 1899 Barge 115 (Barge), U53268, aground, 13 Dec 1899 https://images.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/details.asp?ID=60551 January 26, 2021 Maritime History of the Great Lakes (sourced from various newspaper articles) Ontario, Canada McWilliam Scott 2021 Diving Whaleback Barge 115 circa 1980 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hrkDPUnObA January 26, 2021 Scott McWilliam (dive footage shot by Ryan LeBlanc, Dan Juss, Cheril Juss, Katherine McDonald and Jack McDonald) YouTube Minnesota Historical Society 2008 Thomas Wilson – Whaleback freighters https://www.mnhs.org/places/nationalregister/shipwrecks/wilson/wilwf.php January 26, 2021 Minnesota Historical Society Saint Paul, Minnesota Oakley Janet 2005 Charles W. Wetmore arrives http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=7362 January 25, 2021 Washington State online history encyclopedia Washington, United States Our Ontario 2021 Whaleback 115 http://images.ourontario.ca/Partners/Schreiber/SchPL002339995pf_0025.pdf January 25, 2021 Our Ontario Ontario, Canada Save Ontario Shipwrecks 2018 Whaleback 115 https://saveontarioshipwrecks.ca/buoysites/whaleback-115/ January 25, 2021 Save Ontario Shipwrecks Blenheim, Ontario Swayze David 2001 Great Lakes Shipwrecks – B http://www.boatnerd.com/swayze/shipwreck/b.htm January 25, 2021 Boatnerd Port Huron, Michigan January 27, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210127233718/http://www.boatnerd.com/swayze/shipwreck/b.htm dead Toronto Marine Historical Society 2000 Ship of the Month No.260 https://images.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/page.asp?ID=115949&po=8 February 6, 2021 Toronto Marine Historical Society Toronto, Ontario 1897 Whaleback Aground https://www.newspapers.com/clip/111322306/whaleback-aground/ CITEREFThe_Buffalo_Commercial1897 October 16, 2022 The Buffalo Commercial Buffalo, New York Zoss Neel R. McDougall's Great Lakes Whalebacks https://books.google.com/books?id=snP9T7QYs1oC&q=%22Barge+115%22&pg=PA35 2007 February 6, 2021 Arcadia Publishing Charleston, South Carolina 978-0-7385-5143-2 wresit History United States 48 41 53 N 86 39 17 W title Category:1891 ships Category:Ships built in Superior, Wisconsin Category:Maritime incidents in 1893 Category:Maritime incidents in 1894 Category:Maritime incidents in 1899 Category:Whaleback ships Category:Shipwrecks of Lake Superior Category:Merchant ships of the United States Category:1980 archaeological discoveries Category:Shipwrecks of the Ontario coast Category:Wreck diving sites Category:Ships sunk in storms