Today in Great Lakes History

Today in Great Lakes History

October 28

On 28 October 1891, DAVID STEWART (3-mast wooden schooner, 171 foot, 545 gross tons, built in 1867 at Cleveland, Ohio) was dragged ashore off Fairport, Ohio by a strong gale. She was stranded and declared a total loss. However, she was salvaged and repaired in 1892 and lasted one more year.
The CANADIAN PIONEER's maiden voyage was on October 28, 1981, to Conneaut, Ohio to take on coal for Nanticoke, Ontario.
The CANADIAN TRANSPORT (2) was launched October 28, 1978, for Upper Lakes Shipping Ltd., Toronto, Ontario.
Cleveland Tankers GEMINI was christened October 28, 1978, at Huron, Ohio.
The GEORGE M. CARL (2) was launched October 28, 1922, by American Ship Building Co. at Lorain, Ohio as a.) FRED G. HARTWELL (2) (Hull# 781) for the Franklin Steamship Co.
D. M. CLEMSON (2) (Hull# 716) was launched October 28, 1916, at Lorain, Ohio by American Ship Building Co. for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co., Cleveland, Ohio.
CHARLES M. WHITE was launched October 28, 1945, as a C4-S-A4 cargo ship a.) MOUNT MANSFIELD for the U.S. Maritime Commission (U.S.M.C. Hull #2369).
On 28 October 1887, BESSIE BARWICK, a 135 foot wooden schooner built in 1866 at St. Catherines, Ontario as a bark, left Port Arthur for Kingston, Ontario with a load of lumber during a storm. For more than ten days, her whereabouts were unknown. In fact, a westerly gale drove her into the shallows of Michipicoten Island and she was pounded to pieces. Her crew was sheltered by local fishermen and then made it to the Soo in a small open boat.
On 28 October 1882, RUDOLPH WETZEL (wooden propeller tug, 23 tons, built in 1870 at Buffalo, New York) was racing for a tow with the tug HENRY S. SILL when her boiler exploded 12 miles north of Racine, Wisconsin. She quickly sank. All three on board were killed and none of the bodies were ever found.
Data from: Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series. This is a small sample, the books include many other vessels with a much more detailed history.