SS Ira H. Owen

Last updated

Ira H. Owen 8.jpg
Ira H. Owen before she was sold to the National Steamship Company
History
Flag of the United States (1896-1908).svg United States
NameIra H. Owen
Operator
  • Owen Line (1887–1899)
  • National Steamship Company (1899–1905)
Port of registry Chicago, Illinois, United States
Builder Globe Iron Works Company of Cleveland, Ohio
Yard number14
LaunchedJuly 7, 1887
In service1887
Out of serviceNovember 28, 1905
IdentificationUS official number  100410
FateSank in the Mataafa Storm on Lake Superior
General characteristics
Class and type Lake freighter
Tonnage
  • 1,753.22  GRT
  • 1,497.77  NRT
Length
  • 278.3 feet (84.8 m) LOA
  • 262 feet (80 m) LBP
Beam39 feet (12 m)
Depth19 feet (5.8 m)
Installed power
Propulsion1 × fixed pitch propeller
Crew19

SS Ira H. Owen was a steel-hulled American lake freighter in service between 1887 and 1905. One of the first steel lake freighters, she was built in 1887 in Cleveland, Ohio, by the Globe Iron Works Company, and was built for the Owen Line of Chicago, Illinois. Early in her career, Ira H. Owen carried iron ore from Escanaba, Michigan. In April 1898, Ira H. Owen was chartered by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. She was sold to the National Steamship Company of Chicago, on December 30, 1899, for whom she frequently carried coal and grain. Throughout her career, Ira H. Owen was involved in multiple accidents and incidents.

Contents

On the morning of November 28, 1905, Ira H. Owen left Duluth, Minnesota, with a "light load" of 116,000 bushels of barley bound for Buffalo, New York. As she passed the Apostle Islands, the weather conditions were deteriorating, but her captain opted not to seek shelter. As Ira H. Owen was passing Outer Island, she was hit by the full force of what would become the Mataafa Storm. She was spotted by Captain Alva Keller of the freighter Harold B. Nye, and appeared to be in trouble; Harold B. Nye, however, was unable to assist Ira H. Owen. The snow eventually blocked Ira H. Owen from Captain Keller's view. After the storm had passed, he looked for Ira H. Owen with his binoculars, but was unable to locate her.

On December 1, the freighter Sir William Siemens located wreckage from Ira H. Owen, 12 miles (19.3 km) east of Michigan Island. None of Ira H. Owen's 19 crewmen survived, and her wreck has not been located.

History

Background

Although Merchant was the first iron-hulled merchant ship built entirely within the Great Lakes, the gunship USS Michigan, built in 1843, in Erie, Pennsylvania, was the first iron-hulled vessel built on the lakes. [1] Beginning in the mid-1840s, Canadian companies began importing iron vessels, prefabricated by shipyards in the United Kingdom. However, it would not be until 1862 that the first iron-hulled merchant ship was built on the Great Lakes. [1] Despite the success of Merchant, wooden vessels remained preferable to iron ones until the 1880s, due to their inexpensiveness and the abundance of timber. [2] [3] [4] In the early 1880s, shipyards around the lakes began construction of iron ships on a relatively large scale; in 1882, Onoko, an iron freighter, temporarily became the largest ship on the lakes. [4] [5] In 1884, the first steel freighters were built on the Great Lakes, and by the 1890s, the majority of ships constructed on the lakes were made of steel. [6] [7]

Design and construction

Ira H. Owen under construction Ira H. Owen 6.jpg
Ira H. Owen under construction

Ira H. Owen (US official number 100410) was built in 1887 in Cleveland, Ohio, by the Globe Iron Works Company. [8] [9] [10] She was one of the first steel lake freighters built on the Great Lakes, as well as the fourth steel ship built by the Globe Iron Works Company. [11] [12] [13]

Ira H. Owen's hull had an overall length 278.3 feet (84.8 m) and a length between perpendiculars of 262 feet (79.9 m). [8] [9] [10] Her beam was 39 feet (11.9 m) wide, while her hull was 19 feet (5.8 m) deep. [8] [9] [10] Ira H. Owen had a gross tonnage of 1,753.22 (one source states just 1,753 tons [14] ), and a net tonnage of 1,497.77 (one source states 1,498 [14] ) tons. [8] [9] [10]

She was powered by a single double-cylinder 750  hp (560  kW ) 85 rpm fore and aft compound steam engine; the cylinders of the engine were 25 inches (63.5 cm) and 50 inches (127.0 cm), and had a stroke of 42 inches (110 cm). [9] [10] Steam for the engine was provided by two 9 feet (2.7 m) by 14 feet (4.3 m)112 pounds per square inch (770  kPa ) Scotch marine boilers. [9] Ira H. Owen's engine and boilers were both built by the Globe Iron Works Company. She was propelled by a single fixed-pitch propeller. [9]

Originally, Ira H. Owen had three masts. She also had two decks, two funnels and a cargo capacity of 2,854 long tons (3,196 short tons; 2,900 t). [9] [10]

Ira H. Owen in her original configuration Ira H. Owen 5.jpg
Ira H. Owen in her original configuration

Service history

Launched on July 7, 1887, Ira H. Owen was yard number 14; she was enrolled in Cleveland on July 28, and received her permanent enrollment in Chicago, Illinois, on August 7. [8] [10] She was built for the Owen Line of Chicago, which was also her home port; she entered service in 1887. [8] [10] [13] Early in her career, Ira H. Owen carried iron ore from Escanaba, Michigan. [15] Throughout her career, Ira H. Owen was involved in multiple accidents and incidents. [9]

The first accident Ira H. Owen was involved in occurred in April 1889, when she ran aground in the St. Clair River. [9] On November 27 or 29, 1891, Ira H. Owen ran aground close to the Soo Locks. [9] [13] [16] While bound for Chicago on June 16, 1892, Ira H. Owen collided with the two-masted schooner Belle Brown, about 16 miles (25.7 km) off Ludington, Michigan. [17] Ira H. Owen's cabin was badly damaged, while Belle Brown lost her bowsprit, jibboom and various other gear. [17] After towing Belle Brown to Ludington, Ira H. Owen headed for Chicago. [17]

On the night of July 2, 1893, while heavily laden with iron ore, Ira H. Owen struck a rock off Cedar Point, near Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. The rock punched a hole in her hull, after which she was beached to prevent her from sinking. [9] [18]

Early in the morning of July 20, 1897, while travelling on Lake Huron, Ira H. Owen collided with the package freighter Susquehanna in thick fog off Presque Isle, Michigan. [13] [19] Both vessels were severely damaged; Ira H. Owen headed for Alpena, Michigan, for repairs, while Susquehanna proceeded to Middle Island, and eventually sailed to Chicago. [19] Ira H. Owen sustained $10,000 (equivalent to $315,129 in 2023 [20] ) worth of damage, while Susquehanna sustained $9,000 (equivalent to $283,616 in 2023 [20] ). [21] Initially, Ira H. Owen's first mate Sidney O. Neff was blamed for the collision and had his licence suspended for 90 days. [19] It was eventually proven that the collision was due to a "misjudgement as to the relative position of the two steamers", and not due to negligence on the part of Neff. [19]

In April 1898, Ira H. Owen was chartered to the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. [9] On December 30, 1899, Ira H. Owen was sold to the National Steamship Company of Chicago, and had one of her masts removed. [9] [10] [13] While owned by the National Steamship Company, Ira H. Owen frequently carried coal and grain. [10] [13]

After leaving Manitowoc, Wisconsin, on December 5, 1903, with a cargo of grain bound for Buffalo, New York, a fire broke out in Ira H. Owen's boiler room. [13] [22] After trying and failing to extinguish the fire, her crew decided to beach her. However, this also failed. The crew initially decided to leave Ira H. Owen. As they were getting into the lifeboats, the car ferry Ann Arbor No.1 appeared at the scene, after hearing Ira H. Owen's distress calls. [22] Ann Arbor No.1's crew decided to tow Ira H. Owen to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. The two vessels were tied together, and the fire was fought while heading for the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal. [22] The two vessels were joined by the steamer George Burnham and the lighthouse tender Hyacinth. [13] [22] Overnight, the fire on board Ira H. Owen was extinguished. The fire burned a hole into her side, causing her to sink into 20 feet (6.1 m) of water. [13] [22] The aft cabins of Ira H. Owen were destroyed; the loss of Ira H. Owen and her cargo amounted to about $100,000. [22] She was repaired, and was put back into service. [9]

On October 13, 1904, while upbound with a cargo of coal, Ira H. Owen collided with the, downbound, ore-laden freighter Henry W. Oliver in the St. Marys River, off DeTour Village, Michigan, due to a confusion of the passing signals. [13] [23] The damage sustained by Ira H. Owen was so severe that she had to be beached, in order to prevent her from sinking in deep water. [23] The captain of Ira H. Owen, George C. Graham had his licence revoked for four months, due to negligence on his part. [23]

Final voyage

On the morning of November 28, 1905, Ira H. Owen left Duluth, Minnesota, with a "light load" of 116,000 bushels of barley bound for Buffalo. [24] [25] [26] She was under command of Captain Thomas Honner. Previously a first mate, he had been made captain of Ira H. Owen prior to her final trip, as her previous captain, Joseph Hulligan (who was still on board), had taken ill. [24] [26] [27] As she passed the Apostle Islands, the weather conditions were deteriorating, but her captain opted not to seek shelter. [24] [25] As Ira H. Owen was passing Outer Island, she was hit by the full force by the 80–90 miles per hour (128.7–144.8 km/h) winds of what would become the Mataafa Storm. [14] [25] [28] She was spotted by Captain Alva Keller of the freighter Harold B. Nye40 miles (64.4 km) off Outer Island, and appeared to be in trouble, continually blowing distress signals. [25] [26] [29] Harold B. Nye, however, was unable to assist Ira H. Owen. The snow eventually blocked Ira H. Owen from Captain Keller's view. After two hours, the storm had passed; Captain Keller looked for Ira H. Owen with his binoculars, but was unable to locate her. [25] [26] [29]

On December 1, at 10:00 a.m., the captain of the freighter Sir William Siemens, M.K. Chamberlain reported locating wreckage from Ira H. Owen, consisting of chairs, the top of a cabin, stairs, stanchions and multiple life jackets with S.S. Ira H. Owen stenciled on them, 12 miles (19.3 km) east of Michigan Island. [15] None of Ira H. Owen's 19 crewmen survived, making her the only victim of the Mataafa Storm to be lost with all hands; none of their bodies were recovered. [26] [30] [31] [32] Ira H. Owen and her cargo were insured for $100,000 (equivalent to $3.15 million in 2023 [20] ). [26] [33]

Although her wreck has not been located, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society the wreck of Ira H. Owen most likely lies in deep water off Outer Island in the Apostles. [34] [35]

Related Research Articles

<i>Mataafa</i> Storm

The Mataafa Storm of 1905, was a storm that occurred on the Great Lakes on November 27–28, 1905. The system moved across the Great Basin with moderate depth on November 26 and November 27, then east-northeastward across the Great Lakes on November 28. Fresh east winds were forecast for the afternoon and evening of November 27, with storm warnings in effect by the morning of November 28. Storm-force winds and heavy snows accompanied the cyclone's passage. The storm, named after the steamship Mataafa, ended up destroying or damaging about 29 vessels, killing 36 seamen, and causing shipping losses of US$ 3.567 million on Lake Superior.

SS <i>Samuel Mather</i> (1887) U.S. merchant ship that sank in Lake Superior

The SS Samuel Mather was the first of seven U.S. merchant ships to bear that name. The wooden Mather sank in 1891 after she was rammed by the steel freighter Brazil in heavy fog in Whitefish Bay 8 miles (13 km) from Point Iroquois, ending the Mather's 4-year career. Her intact wreck is a rare of example of wooden freighters that plied the Great Lakes and she is a popular scuba diving site. Although there was no loss of life when the Mather sank, her wreck claimed the lives of three scuba divers more than 100 years after she sank. Artifacts from her wreck were illegally removed in the 1980s by the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society. The artifacts are now the property of the State of Michigan and are on display as a loan to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. The wreck of the Mather is protected as part of an underwater museum in the Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve.

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SS <i>George Spencer</i> Wooden steamship wrecked in the Mataafa Storm of 1905

The George Spencer was a wooden lake freighter that sank on along with her schooner barge Amboy on Lake Superior, near Thomasville, Cook County, Minnesota in the Mataafa Storm of 1905. On April 14, 1994, the wrecks of the Spencer and the Amboy were listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amboy and George Spencer Shipwreck Sites</span> United States historic place

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SS <i>Hudson</i> (1887) Steel-hulled Great Lakes package freighter

SS Hudson was a steel-hulled package freighter that served on the Great Lakes from her construction in 1887 to her sinking in 1901. On September 16, 1901, while heading across Lake Superior with a cargo of wheat and flax, she ran into a storm and sank with the loss of all 25 crew off Eagle Harbor, Michigan. For nearly 118 years the location of Hudson's wreck remained unknown, until in July 2019 her wreck was found in 825 feet (251 m) of water, completely intact.

SS <i>S.R. Kirby</i> Great Lakes freighter sunk in a 1916 storm on Lake Superior

SS S.R. Kirby was a composite-hulled bulk carrier that served on the Great Lakes of North America from her construction in 1890 to her sinking in 1916. On May 8, 1916, while heading across Lake Superior with a cargo of iron ore and the steel barge George E. Hartnell in tow, she ran into a storm and sank with the loss of all but two of her 22-man crew off Eagle Harbor, Michigan. For over 102 years the location of S.R. Kirby's wreck remained unknown, until June 2018, when her wreck was discovered by the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS) in 825 feet (251 m) of water, completely broken up.

SS <i>Russia</i> (1872) American Great Lakes package freighter

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SS <i>Vernon</i> American passenger and package freighter ship sunk in Lake Michigan

SS Vernon was a wooden-hulled American passenger and package freighter that sank in a Lake Michigan storm on October 29, 1887, near Two Rivers, Wisconsin, with the loss of between 36 and 50 lives, making her one of the deadliest shipwrecks ever to have occurred in Wisconsin. Only one of the people on board survived.

SS <i>John V. Moran</i> American package freighter

SS John V. Moran was a wooden-hulled American package freighter in service between 1888 and 1899. She was built in 1888 in West Bay City, Michigan, by F.W. Wheeler & Company. She was built for Ward's Crescent Transportation Company of Detroit, Michigan, and was operated as part of his Detroit & Lake Superior Line. She was built to haul both bulk, and package freight. Throughout the 1893 shipping season, John V. Moran ran between Buffalo, New York, and Duluth, Minnesota. She was sold for the first time in 1895 to the Union Transit Line of Buffalo, and once again in 1898 to the Crosby Transportation Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

<i>Robert C. Pringle</i> (tug) Wooden-hulled American tugboat that sank in Lake Michigan

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<i>115</i> (barge) American whaleback barge

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SS <i>Merchant</i> American passenger and package freighter ship

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SS <i>John Mitchell</i> (1906) American lake freighter ship

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SS <i>Cayuga</i> American freighter, in service 1889–1895

SS Cayuga was a steel-hulled American package freighter in service between 1889 and 1895. She was built in 1889 in Cleveland, Ohio, by the Globe Iron Works Company for the Lehigh Valley Transit Company of Buffalo, New York. One of five identical sister ships, Cayuga entered service in 1889, carrying package freight between Buffalo and Chicago, Illinois, also making stops in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Gladstone, Michigan. Prior to her sinking, Cayuga was involved in two accidents. In the first in 1890, when she went aground in a gale just outside of Buffalo harbour; six tugboats managed to pull her free that same day. The second accident occurred in 1891, when Cayuga was involved in a collision with the package freighter Delaware near Cheboygan, Michigan.

SS <i>Ironsides</i> Wooden-hulled American package freighter on Great Lakes service

SS Ironsides was a wooden-hulled American package freighter in service between 1864 and 1873. She was built in 1864 in Cleveland, Ohio, by either Ira Lafrinier or Quayle & Martin. She was built for John E. Turner, also of Cleveland, and operated as part of the Cleveland & Lake Superior Line. She had an identical sister ship named Lac La Belle. Ironsides operated between Cleveland and Lake Superior for a number of years, and was sold several times. In 1869, she was sold to Nathan Englemann of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and operated between Milwaukee and Grand Haven, Michigan. In 1871, she became part of the Englemann Transportation Company.

SS <i>Lac La Belle</i> American package freighter

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SS <i>Emperor</i> Canadian Great Lakes freighter 1910-1947

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SS <i>Chester A. Congdon</i> American Great Lakes freighter 1907-1918

SS Chester A. Congdon was a steel-hulled American lake freighter in service between 1907 and 1918. She was built in 1907 by the Chicago Shipbuilding Company of South Chicago, Illinois, for the Holmes Steamship Company, and was intended to be used in the grain trade on the Great Lakes. She entered service on September 19, 1907, when she made her maiden voyage. In 1911, Salt Lake City was sold to the Acme Transit Company. A year later, she was transferred to the Continental Steamship Company, and was renamed Chester A. Congdon, after lawyer and entrepreneur Chester Adgate Congdon. She was involved in several accidents throughout her career.

SS <i>Sir William Siemens</i> American lake freighter (1896–1944)

SS Sir William Siemens was a steel-hulled American lake freighter in service between 1896 and 1944. Built in 1896 by the Globe Iron Works Company of Cleveland for John D. Rockefeller's Bessemer Steamship Company, she was the third of three 432 ft-long (131.7 m) lake freighters, each of which shared the unofficial title of Queen of the Lakes due to their record-breaking length.

References

  1. 1 2 Bugbee (1) (1962), p. 24.
  2. ↑ Bugbee (1) (1962), p. 26.
  3. ↑ Bowlus (2010), p. 85.
  4. 1 2 Thompson (1994), p. 32.
  5. ↑ Bugbee (2) (1962), p. 48.
  6. ↑ Bugbee (2) (1962), p. 49.
  7. ↑ Bugbee (2) (1962), p. 51.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bowling Green State University (2021).
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library (2020).
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Berry (2020).
  11. ↑ Stonehouse (1984), pp. 51–52.
  12. ↑ Colton (2021).
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Wisconsin Shipwrecks (2021).
  14. 1 2 3 Swayze (2001).
  15. 1 2 Brown (2011), p. 238.
  16. ↑ Maritime History of the Great Lakes (1891).
  17. 1 2 3 Maritime History of the Great Lakes (1892).
  18. ↑ Marsh Collection Society (1893).
  19. 1 2 3 4 Maritime History of the Great Lakes (1897).
  20. 1 2 3 Johnston, Louis & Williamson, Samuel H. (2023). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth . Retrieved November 30, 2023. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the MeasuringWorth series.
  21. ↑ University of California (1898), pp. 73–74.
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Maritime History of the Great Lakes (1903).
  23. 1 2 3 Maritime History of the Great Lakes (1904).
  24. 1 2 3 Stonehouse (1984), p. 50.
  25. 1 2 3 4 5 Keller (2014), p. 115.
  26. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Maritime History of the Great Lakes (1905).
  27. ↑ Brown (2011), p. 309.
  28. ↑ Stonehouse (1984), pp. 50–51.
  29. 1 2 Stonehouse (1984), p. 51.
  30. ↑ Stonehouse (1984), p. 52.
  31. ↑ Keller (2014), pp. 115–116.
  32. ↑ Minnesota Historical Society (2008).
  33. ↑ Keller (2014), p. 116.
  34. ↑ Meverden & Thomsen (2008), p. 40.
  35. ↑ LeMay (2005).

Sources

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