 Arctic inManitowoc, Wisconsin,c. 1888 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Arctic |
| Builder | Rand & Burger |
| Launched | 1881 |
| In service | 1881 |
| Out of service | January 17, 1930 |
| Fate | Disassembled, beached, and abandoned by January 17, 1930 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Tugboat |
| Tonnage | |
| Length | 64.42 ft (19.64 m) |
| Beam | 18 ft (5.5 m) |
| Depth | 9 ft (2.7 m) |
| Installed power | 560 hp (420 kW)non-condensing engine |
Arctic (tug) Shipwreck | |
   | |
| Location | 1.5 miles northeast of the Manitowoc Breakwater Light |
| Nearest city | Manitowoc, Wisconsin |
| Coordinates | 44°06′51″N87°37′52″W / 44.11405°N 87.63115°W /44.11405; -87.63115 |
| Built | 1881 |
| Architect | Rand & Burger |
| Architectural style | Tugboat |
| NRHP reference No. | 100002612[1] |
| Added to NRHP | June 22, 2018 |
Arctic was a wooden-hulledtugboat that worked on theGreat Lakes of North America from 1881 to 1930. In 1930 theArctic was stripped of her machinery, and abandoned atManitowoc, Wisconsin. On June 22, 2018, the remains of theArctic were listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[1]
TheArctic was built in 1881 by Rand & Burger ofManitowoc, Wisconsin. Her hull was 64.42 feet (19.64 m) long, her beam was 18 feet (5.5 m) and her hull was 9 feet (2.7 m) wide. She had agross register tonnage of 52 tons, and anet register tonnage of 26 tons.[2]
She was built as an ice breaking and harbour tug for theGoodrich Transportation Company. TheArctic's hull was exceptionally strong and durable, this meant that she could not only work at the harbor, she also worked as a wreaking tug assisting stranded vessels stranded on shoals and/or stuck in ice. In the summer, theArctic was stationed at Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and in the winter she was stationed atMilwaukee, Wisconsin.[3]
In the summer of 1898 theArctic was taken to the Burger & Burger shipyard for a hull extension and complete overhaul. Her hull was extended by twelve feet. Her new length was 76.5 feet (23.3 m), and her new gross register tonnage was 71 tons.[4][3]
November 18, 1919 theArctic was towing the McMullen & PitzdredgeAlgoma, along with two dump scows. The vessels encountered bad weather offCleveland, Wisconsin, between Sheboygan, Wisconsin and Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Eventually, theAlgoma was swamped by a large wave, and sank into 85 feet (26 m) of water after her crew of five made it aboard theArctic.[5]
From 1923 to 1925 theArctic was stationed atChicago, Illinois. While in Chicago, she accompanied Goodrich steamers such as theChristopher Columbus and theVirginia.[3]
As she aged, theArctic required repair and overhaul more frequently. Eventually, the Goodrich Transportation Company realized that repairing theArctic would cost more than a new tug.[6] TheArctic was taken apart, and beached north of Manitowoc harbor. On January 17, 1930 theArctic's enrollment documents were surrendered, declaring her abandoned.
In 1930 an article appeared in theManitowoc Herald-Times talking about theArctic:
To recount the items of service this craft has rendered throughout its life, would fill volumes-- its responses to the four blasts of vessels on the lake in need of help; its assistance to grounded boats; its welcome stream of water on dock property being destroyed by flames; its charges into ice jams that threatened destruction of boats and bridges; and breaking of ice that enabled navigation to continue—all are legion in number, and no man can recount them all.[6]
The remains ofArctic lie 1.5 miles (2.4 km) northeast of the Manitowoc Harbor light, partially covered by sand 10 to 15 feet (3.0 to 4.6 m) of water. She lies in two sections 800 feet (240 m) apart.[7] The southern section consists of the boiler and the bilge. The northern section consists of a partially intact upper hull and the stempost. Her wreck lies near to the wreck of the steam bargeFrancis Hinton.[7]
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1930 | |
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