SS Kamloops

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Kamloops ship.jpg
SS Kamloops in 1925
History
Canadian Red Ensign 1921-1957.svg Canada
NameKamloops
OperatorCanada Steamship Lines, Ltd., Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Builder Furness Ship Building Company, Ltd., Stockton-on-Tees, Durham, England, UK
Yard number68
Completed1924
FateFoundered off Isle Royale in western Lake Superior 7 December 1927
NotesCanada Registry #147682
General characteristics
Class and typePackage freighter – canaller
Tonnage
  • 2402 gross
  • 1748 net
Length250 ft (76 m)
Beam43 ft (13 m)
Height24 ft (7.3 m)
Propulsiontriple expansion steam
Crew22
KAMLOOPS
USA Michigan location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
LocationKamloops Point, Isle Royale National Park, Michigan, U.S. [1]
Coordinates 48°5′6″N88°45′53″W / 48.08500°N 88.76472°W / 48.08500; -88.76472
Area45.9 acres (18.6 ha)
Built1924
ArchitectFurness Shipbuilding Company, Ltd.
Architectural styleFreighter
MPS Shipwrecks of Isle Royale National Park TR
NRHP reference No. 84001769 [2]
Added to NRHP14 June 1984

SS Kamloops was a Canadian lake freighter that was part of the fleet of Canada Steamship Lines from its launching in 1924 until it sank with all hands in Lake Superior off Isle Royale, Michigan, United States, on or about 7 December 1927.

Contents

The canaller

The steamship Kamloops was built by Furness Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. [3] in Haverton Hill, Stockton-on-Tees, Durham, England, United Kingdom, for Steamships Ltd. of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. [4] With a length of only 250 feet (75 m) and rated at 2,402 gross tons, [4] Kamloops was a relatively small vessel for the Great Lakes in the 1920s. [3] She was built to fit inside the locks of the Canadian-operated canals of the lower Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River during the years prior to the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway. [3] The ship had two rigged masts and a 1000HP triple expansion steam engine with Scotch boilers. [4]

Kamloops completed its sea testing on 5 July 1924, was shipped to Copenhagen, Denmark, to pick up freight, then was taken to Montreal and Houghton, Michigan, United States. [4] As a canaller, she carried diversified "package" freight between Canadian ports. Her chief duty was carrying manufactured goods from Montreal up the lakes to Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. [3] As Canada was still a part of the British Empire in the 1920s, the economically fast-growing Prairie Provinces bought a significant quantity of their manufactured goods from England. Canada's freshwater fleet, including Kamloops, was an essential link in this vein of imperial commerce. [5]

It is the custom of Great Lakes shipping to try to move as much freight as possible before winter and associated ice conditions bring boat movements to a halt. Kamloops's owners operated the ship as late into the season as possible: in 1924 it was one of the last vessels to pass through the Sault Ste. Marie Canal, and in 1926 it ended the season stuck in the ice in the St. Mary's River. [4] She remained under British registry until 1926 when it was nominally purchased by new owners, Canada Steamship Lines, and re-registered in Canada. [4]

December 1927

Kamloops was dispatched up the lakes in late November 1927, carrying a mixed cargo of tar paper, papermaking machinery, coiled wire for farm fencing, piping, shoes and foodstuffs. [3] On 1 December, the steamer called at Courtright, Ontario, to top off its cargo with some bagged salt. [4] She then steamed up Lake Huron, passed through the Sault Ste. Marie Canal on 4 December, and faced the challenge of Lake Superior. Unfortunately for Kamloops and other vessels assigned to Lake Superior runs, a massive storm began hammering the lake on 5 December. Kamloops, heavily coated with ice, was last seen steaming towards the southeastern shore of Isle Royale at dusk on the following day, 6 December. [4] The ship, and the twenty-two men and women aboard, were never seen alive again. [5]

A search for Kamloops began on 12 December, concentrating on the Keweenaw Peninsula and Isle Royale; the search continued until 22 December. [4] When the 1928 navigation season opened in April, a further search was made for wreckage from Kamloops. [4] In May, fishermen discovered the remains of several crewmembers at Twelve O'Clock Point on Isle Royale (erroneously reported to be on the nearby Amygdaloid Island). [3] [4] In addition, wreckage from the ship was discovered ashore. [4] In June, more bodies were discovered. A more comprehensive search for the wreck and crewmembers was undertaken, but nothing was found. [4]

Of the nine bodies recovered from Kamloops, five were identified and the remains shipped to next of kin. Four remained unidentified and were buried at Thunder Bay. A collective memorial stone was placed over their gravesite in 2011. [6]

Message in a bottle

In December 1928, a trapper working at the mouth of the Agawa River found a bottled note from Alice Bettridge, a young assistant stewardess who initially survived the sinking of Kamloops and, before she herself perished, wrote, "I am the last one left alive, freezing and starving to death on Isle Royale in Lake Superior. I just want mom and dad to know my fate." [7]

Kamloops today

Diagram of Kamloops wreckage KamloopsWreck.jpg
Diagram of Kamloops wreckage

For fifty years, Kamloops was one of the "Ghost Ships of the Great Lakes", having sunk without a trace. [5] However, on 21 August 1977, [4] her wreck was discovered northwest of Isle Royale, near what is now known as Kamloops Point, by a group of sport divers carrying out a systematic search for the ship. [4] The ship, discovered sitting on the lake bottom under more than 260 feet (79 m) of water, [8] [9] is lying on its starboard side at the base of an underwater cliff. [3] Its detached smokestack lies a short distance away, near the starboard aft cargo mast. Some cargo remains in the holds, while other cargo is strewn around the wreck site. [3] There are still human remains aboard the ship, including the remains of a crew member lodged under a stairway in the engine room, nicknamed "Old Whitey". [3] Approximately fifty dives were made to Kamloops out of 1,062 dives made to wrecks in the Isle Royale National Park in 2009. [10] The exact cause of her sinking remains a mystery. [3]

Kamloops features prominently in the novel A Superior Death by Nevada Barr. In the novel, the body of a fictional contemporary diver is found together with the historical human remains in the ship's engine room.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isle Royale National Park</span> US National Park on Isle Royale, Michigan

Isle Royale National Park is an American national park consisting of Isle Royale, along with more than 400 small adjacent islands and the surrounding waters of Lake Superior, in the state of Michigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Superior</span> Largest of the Great Lakes of North America

Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area and the third-largest freshwater lake by volume, holding 10% of the world's surface fresh water. Located in central North America, it is the northernmost and westernmost of the Great Lakes of North America, straddling the Canada–United States border with the Canadian province of Ontario to the north and east and the U.S. states of Minnesota to the west and Michigan and Wisconsin to the south. It drains into Lake Huron via St. Marys River, then through the lower Great Lakes to the St. Lawrence River and ultimately the Atlantic Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitefish Bay</span> Major bay of Lake Superior

Whitefish Bay is a large bay on the eastern end of Lake Superior between Michigan, United States, and Ontario, Canada. It is located between Whitefish Point in Michigan and Whiskey Point along the more rugged, largely wilderness Canadian Shield of Ontario. The international border runs through the bay, which is heavily used by shipping traffic northbound from and southbound to the Soo Locks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isle Royale</span> Island in Lake Superior in Michigan, US

Isle Royale is an island of the Great Lakes located in the northwest of Lake Superior and part of the U.S. state of Michigan. The island and the 450 surrounding smaller islands and waters make up Isle Royale National Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Register of Historic Places listings in Keweenaw County, Michigan</span>

The following is a list of Registered Historic Places in Keweenaw County, Michigan.
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USS <i>Puritan</i> (ID-2222) Passenger ship that sank in Lake Superior

USS Puritan, a civilian transport built by Craig Shipbuilding Company in Toledo, Ohio, was launched in 1901, and lengthened by 26 ft (7.9 m) in 1908. The ship sailed on the Great Lakes in passenger service, was purchased by the U.S. Navy at the end of the war, and returned to passenger service after the war. The ship sank in 1933 near Isle Royale in Lake Superior, and its wreck is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michipicoten Island</span> Canadian island in Lake Superior

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve</span> Reserve to protect and conserve shipwrecks and historical resources in Lake Superior

The Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve was established in 1987 to protect and conserve shipwrecks and historical resources on 376 square miles (970 km2) of Lake Superior bottomlands in Whitefish Bay and around Whitefish Point, Michigan. The formation of the Michigan Underwater Preserves helped stop controversy over artifact removal from shipwrecks of this area. The preserve is now known for deep, well preserved shipwrecks in clear water accessible to scuba divers with technical skill and experience. The preserve is one of the last places in the Great Lakes to observe shipwrecks without zebra mussel encrustation.

SS <i>Comet</i> (1857) 1857 steamship, only treasure ship of Lake Superior

SS Comet was a steamship that operated on the Great Lakes. Comet was built in 1857 as a wooden-hulled propeller-driven cargo vessel that was soon adapted to carry passengers. It suffered a series of maritime accidents prior to its final sinking in 1875 causing the loss of ten lives. It became known as the only treasure ship of Lake Superior because she carried 70 tons of Montana silver ore when it sank. The first attempts to salvage its cargo in 1876 and 1938 were unsuccessful. Comet was finally salvaged in the 1980s when the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society illegally removed artifacts from the wreck. 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 fate of her silver ore cargo is unknown. Comet's wreck is now protected by the Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve as part of an underwater museum.

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.

SS <i>Glenlyon</i> Freighter sunk off the shore of Isle Royale in Lake Superior

The Glenlyon was a freighter built in 1893; it was sunk off the shore of Isle Royale in Lake Superior in 1924 and the remains are still on the lake bottom. The wreck was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

SS <i>Algoma</i> Screw steamer sunk on Lake Superior

Algoma was a screw steamer built in 1883. She sank off Mott Island near Isle Royale in Lake Superior in 1885 and some of her remains are still on the lake bottom. The wreck was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

SS <i>America</i> (1898) Steam packet wrecked off Isle Royale in Lake Superior

America was a packet boat transporting passengers, mail, and packages between settlements along the North Shore of Lake Superior, an inland sea in central North America. Built in 1898, America sank in Washington Harbor off the shore of Isle Royale in 1928, where the hull still remains. The wreck was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

PS <i>Cumberland</i> Wooden-hulled side paddlewheeler wrecked in Lake Superior

The Cumberland was a wooden-hulled side paddlewheeler built in 1871; it was wrecked off the shore of Isle Royale in Lake Superior in 1877 and the remains are still on the lake bottom. The wreck was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

SS <i>Henry Chisholm</i> Wooden freighter wrecked in isle royale

The Henry Chisholm was a wooden freighter that sank off the shore of Isle Royale in Lake Superior in 1898 and the remains are still on the lake bottom. The wreck was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

SS <i>Monarch</i> Passenger-package freighter that sank in Lake Superior

SS Monarch was a passenger-package freighter built in 1890 that operated on the Great Lakes. She was sunk off the shore of Isle Royale in Lake Superior in 1906 and the remains of her wreck and cargo are still on the lake bottom. The wreck was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

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

SS Emperor was a steel-hulled Canadian lake freighter in service between 1911 and 1947. She was built between 1910 and April 1911 by the Collingwood Shipbuilding Company in Collingwood, Ontario, for Inland Lines, Ltd., of Midland, Ontario. She entered service on May 3, 1911. Emperor was sold to Canada Steamship Lines of Montreal, Quebec. Under the ownership of Canada Steamship Lines, she carried a wide variety of cargoes, but most frequently iron ore to Point Edward, Ontario, where it would be transported to Hamilton, Ontario, by train. After the opening of the fourth Welland Canal, Emperor carried the ore directly to Hamilton. She was involved in several accidents throughout her career.

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.

References

  1. The wreck is listed as "address restricted", but Isle Royale National Park permits public dives and publishes the location of the wreck. Coordinate location is per "The Wrecks of Isle Royale". Black Dog Diving. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 12 December 2010.
  2. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. 13 March 2009.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Merryman, Ken. "The History of the Kamloops". Fridley, Minnesota: Superior Trips LLC. Archived from the original on 17 July 2020. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Carrell, Toni; Holden, Thom; Labadie, C. Patrick; Murphy, Larry; Vrana, Ken; Livingston, Jerry (1987). "Kamloops (IV. Shipwrecks of Isle Royale: The Historical Record)" (PDF). In Lenihan, Daniel J. (ed.). Submerged Cultural Resources Study: Isle Royale National Park. Submerged Cultural Resources Unit (United States National Park Service/Southwest Cultural Resources Center) (Report). Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States of America: United States Department of the Interior/United States Printing Office. pp. 187–209. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 June 2020. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 Boyer, Dwight (1968). "IX. Where is the Kamloops?". In Dodd, Edward H. (ed.). Ghost Ships of the Great Lakes (2nd ed.). New York City, New York, United States of America: Dodd, Mead & Company. pp. 126–141. ISBN   9780396057833. OCLC   1035311246. LOC #68-23094.
  6. TBNewsWatch staff (30 November 2011). Dixon, Nicole; Dunick, Leith; Third, Barry; Gardiner, Fiona; Leblanc, Stephan (eds.). "Memorial service to honour S.S. Kamloops sailors". TBNewsWatch.com . Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada: Dougall Media . Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  7. Sault Ste. Marie Public Library (26 May 2019). Houle, Dennis; Purvis, Mike; Hammill, John; Hopper, Donna; Martin, Carol; Smith, Riley; Naqvi, Zaafina; Pounder, Megan; Garson, Kylee (eds.). "A shipwreck, a young woman and a message in a bottle". SooToday . Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada: Village Media (Village Media Inc./Village Media Colorado LLC). Sault Ste. Marie Public Library. Archived from the original on 12 June 2019. Retrieved 24 June 2021. From the archives of the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library. Handwriting confirmed by parents.
  8. Management of the Isle Royale National Park. "Scuba Diving". Houghton, Michigan, United States of America: Isle Royale National Park, National Park Service. Archived from the original on 25 August 2007. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  9. Carrell, Toni; Holden, Thom; Labadie, C. Patrick; Murphy, Larry; Vrana, Ken; Livingston, Jerry (1987). "Kamloops (V. Shipwrecks of Isle Royale: The Archeological Record)" (PDF). In Lenihan, Daniel J. (ed.). Submerged Cultural Resources Study: Isle Royale National Park. Submerged Cultural Resources Unit (United States National Park Service/Southwest Cultural Resources Center) (Report). Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States of America: United States Department of the Interior/United States Printing Office. pp. 326–334. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 June 2020. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  10. Sweger, Pete (2010). "A Diver's Experience" (PDF). In Martin, Valerie; Green, Phyllis (eds.). The Greenstone 2010: Your Guide to Isle Royale National Park National Park Service. Isle Royale National Park, United States National Park Service (Report). Houghton, Michigan, United States of America: United States Department of the Interior. p. 9. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 August 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2021.

Further reading