St. Marys Challenger, last port of call

[Schraddel]

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After 107 years of active duty, the oldest active ship in the US merchant marine fleet has retired.
She also was one the last active commercial steamers with an reciproating steam engine.

Lutz

[MasonJar]

Wow. That is so cool. Built before WW1. I bet she's seen an awful lot in her day. Sounds like she was a lake boat though, so not as dangerous as the Atlantic where there were not only natural threats to deal with. Not that Superior is easy or anything.

She would have been a contemporary of the steam powered (but still equipped with sail) collier that my Great Grandfather captained at the turn of the last century.

Thanks for the links!

Andrew

[Brakie]

I bet the St. Marys Challenger can recall the Gales that sent other ships and crews to a watery grave.
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so not as dangerous as the Atlantic where there were not only natural threats to deal with.
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Actually the great lakes are far worst then any sea as many sea sailors found out.Lake Erie is shallow and is more treacherous then her mother and sisters.Erie will smile one minute and turn upside down without warning the next.

The great lakes bottom is covered with ships lost in storms and gales over the years..

Example:
The storm of 1913 claimed 19 ships and over 250 people.

The Armistice Day Storm of 1940 claim several ships and lives.

Several ships have broken in two during the gales of November with lost of crew. There's been many collision in the thick lake fog that resulted in lost of life and ship.


The Eastland tragedy claimed 844 lives.


There are several excellent books covering great lake shipwrecks.


Yes,even the lakes has her "flying Dutchman".

[Sumpter250]

Actually the great lakes are far worst then any sea as many sea sailors found out.

Absolutely !!! and, I have been heard, on several occasions, stating that I would rather weather an Atlantic Hurricane in a canoe, than a Thunderstorm on Lake Michigan, in any kind of vessel !!!
The Great Lakes are a thing of beauty.........but they can become a foul beast when roused by storm.

( A Sumner class Destroyer, in several Atlantic Hurricanes, and a couple of Mediterranean Sea storms...yeah, I have been there )

[MasonJar]

True, but I was referring to the German submarines in the Atlantic during both world wars. I would think tonnage sunk in those conflicts surpasses all the tonnage lost on the Great Lakes. And the last military action there was the War of 1812.

Andrew

[Brakie]

True, but I was referring to the German submarines in the Atlantic during both world wars. I would think tonnage sunk in those conflicts surpasses all the tonnage lost on the Great Lakes. And the last military action there was the War of 1812.

Andrew

The hayday of the German U Boat along the Eastern and Gulf coast in WWII only lasted about two years before the tide was turned thanks to the hunter/killer groups and improved sonar.

Ton for ton I'm not sure there's more tonnage on the bottom of the Great Lakes then in the Atlantic since ships been sinking in the lakes for well over 150 years.The Walk-In-The-Water was lost in Erie Oct 31,1821.


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