48°12′2″N88°29′30″W / 48.20056°N 88.49167°W /48.20056; -88.49167
 Emperordownbound in theSt. Clair River on May 5, 1939 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.svg) Canada | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Name | Emperor | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operator |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Port of registry | Midland, Ontario | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Builder | Collingwood Shipbuilding Company,Collingwood, Ontario | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Yard number | 28 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Launched | December 17, 1910 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Christened | James Playfair | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Completed | April 1911 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Maiden voyage | May 3, 1911 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Out of service | June 4, 1947 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Identification | Canadianofficial number 126654 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | The Pride of Canada | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fate | Sank onLake Superior | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General characteristics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Class & type | Lake freighter | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tonnage | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Length | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Beam | 56.1 feet (17.1 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draught | 27 feet (8.2 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Depth | 31 feet (9.4 m) (moulded) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Installed power |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Propulsion | 1 × fixed pitch propeller | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Speed | 10knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) (nominal) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Capacity | 10,000long tons (10,160 t) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SSEmperor was a Canadianlake freighter in service between 1911 and 1947. She was built between 1910 and April 1911 by theCollingwood Shipbuilding Company inCollingwood, Ontario, for Inland Lines, Ltd., ofMidland, Ontario. She entered service on May 3, 1911.Emperor was sold toCanada Steamship Lines ofMontreal, Quebec. Under the ownership of Canada Steamship Lines, she carried a wide variety of cargoes, but most frequentlyiron ore toPoint Edward, Ontario, where it would be transported toHamilton, Ontario, by train. After the opening of the fourthWelland Canal,Emperor carried the ore directly to Hamilton. She was involved in several accidents throughout her career.
After discharging a cargo of coal inFort William, Ontario, on June 3, 1947,Emperor headed toPort Arthur, Ontario, where she loaded 10,264long tons (11,496short tons; 10,429 t) of iron ore bound forAshtabula, Ohio. She left Port Arthur at 10:55 p.m. (EST). The weather was clear, and visibility was good. At midnight, Captain Eldon Walkinshaw handed over watch duties to first mate James A. Morrey.Emperor ran hard aground on Canoe Rocks, on the northeast point ofIsle Royale shortly before 4:15 a.m. on June 4. She sank in between 20 and 35 minutes. Twelve of her crew were killed, while the 21 survivors were picked up by theUnited States Coast Guard CutterKimball.
Emperor's wreck is the most recent, and second largestshipwreck of Isle Royale, surpassed only by the freighterChester A. Congdon, which also wrecked on Canoe Rocks. The wreck rests in 25 to 175 feet (7.6 to 53.3 m). Her bow lies partially broken up in shallow water, while her stern is intact and in deeper water. The wreck was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 1984, and has become a popular site for recreational divers.
In 1843, the gunshipUSSMichigan, built inErie, Pennsylvania, became the first iron-hulled vessel built on theGreat Lakes.[1] In the mid-1840s, Canadian companies began importing iron vesselsprefabricated by shipyards in theUnited Kingdom. The first iron-hulled merchant ship built on the Great Lakes,Merchant, was constructed in 1862.[1] Despite the success ofMerchant, wooden vessels remained preferable to iron ones until the 1880s, due to their lower cost and the abundance of timber.[2][3][4] In the early 1880s, shipyards around the Great Lakes began to construct iron ships on a relatively large scale.[4][5] In 1884, the first steel freighters were built on the Great Lakes.[6][7] By the 1890s, the majority of ships constructed on the lakes were made of steel.[8][9] The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw a rapid increase in the size of lake freighters; the first 400-foot (121.9 m) freighter was built in 1895, the first 500-foot (152.4 m) freighter was constructed five years later.[10]
Throughout the 1880s, theiron ore trade on the Great Lakes grew exponentially, primarily due to the increasing size of thelake freighters, and the rise in the number of trips made by ore boats to theore docks ofLake Superior.[11] As the railways were unable to keep up with the rapid production of iron ore, most of it was transported by bulk freighters.[11]
Emperor (Canadianofficial number 126654) was built inCollingwood, Ontario, between 1910 and 1911, by theCollingwood Shipbuilding Company.[12] She was launched into Collingwood harbour on December 17, 1910, as hull number 28; she was christened byJames Playfair ofMidland, Ontario.Emperor was built for the Playfair managed Inland Lines, Ltd. ofHamilton, Ontario.[12][13][14] Playfair was known to give the ships in his fleet names related to royalty.[12][15]Emperor was ready to go into commission in April 1911.[13] When she was completed,Emperor became the largest Canadian ship built to that date, earning her the nickname "The Pride of Canada".[12][15][16] She was built exclusively for theiron ore trade.[a][18]
Built with an arch-and-webframe system designed to create an unobstructed cargo hold,Emperor had 30 cargo hatches. The hatches were 9 feet (2.7 m) by 36 feet (11.0 m) wide, and were placed 12 feet (3.7 m) apart.[15][19]Emperor's cargo hold was divided into five separate compartments, each with six hatches and a capacity of 2,000long tons (2,032 t); she had a total cargo capacity of 10,000 long tons (10,160 t). There was an ore chute at each hatch.[12][20][21] She was equipped with seven side-ballast andbilge tanks (each with a capacity of 5,021 long tons (5,102 t)), which were connected with seven steel pipes.[15] The side and bottom tanks were not separated. This tank system enabledEmperor to quickly take on and discharge water.[15][22]Emperor had 11bulkheads. Her pilothouse, the captain's and mate's quarters were at thebow, while the crew's quarters were located at thestern.Emperor's engine room was 67 feet (20.4 m) in length.[15][22]
The hull ofEmperor had anoverall length of 525 feet (160.0 m), and alength between perpendiculars of 504 feet (153.6 m).[12][23][24] Her beam was 56.1 feet (17.1 m) wide.[b][25][24] Themoulded depth (roughly speaking, the vertical height ofEmperor's hull) was 31 feet (9.4 m). Her maximumdraught was 27 feet (8.2 m).[15][19]Emperor had agross register tonnage of 7,031 and anet register tonnage of 5,408.[12][15][24]
Emperor was powered by a 2,200 hp (1,600 kW) 82rpmtriple-expansion steam engine; the cylinders of the engine were 23 inches (58.4 cm), 38.5 inches (97.8 cm) and 63 inches (160.0 cm) in diameter, and had astroke of 42 inches (106.7 cm).[12][26] Steam was provided by two coal-fired, single-endedScotch marine boilers 12 feet (3.7 m) in length and 15 feet 6 inches (4.7 m) in diameter, with a working pressure of 180-pound-per-square-inch (1,200 kPa).[15][24][26] The boilers were each fitted with 6 furnaces, accounting for a combinedgrate surface of 156 square feet (14.5 m2), and a total heating surface of 5,880 square feet (546.3 m2). Both the engine and boilers were manufactured byEmperor's builder.[24]Emperor had a registered nominal speed of 10knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).[c][12][15]
.jpg)
Emperor was accepted by Inland Lines, Ltd. after she ran hersea trials inGeorgian Bay off Collingwood.[12] She commenced her maiden voyage on May 3, 1911, sailingupbound, without cargo.[12] While upbound onLake Huron on May 17,Emperor broke her propeller shaft inThunder Bay.[12][15] She was towed toDeTour, Michigan, by the package freighterSuperior, after which she was towed toPort Arthur, Ontario, for repairs.[12][15][27][28] On June 16, 1911, the Richelieu & Ontario Navigation Company, Ltd. ofMontreal, Quebec, acquired a controlling interest in Inland Lines, Ltd.[12]
On October 18, 1911,Emperor was bound fromFort William, Ontario, for Midland with 310,000bushels of wheat.[29][30][31] While anchoring below theCanadian lock at theSoo Locks,Emperor overrode her anchor, tore a hole in her bow and sank into 20 feet (6.1 m) of water 400 feet (121.9 m) below the lower entry. Her stern went against the north pier, while her bow swung 100 feet (30.5 m) into the channel, blocking it.[29][30][31][32] She was raised on May 19, and after temporary repairs were made, she taken to Midland.[13][29][30]Emperor's captain, George Pearson said of the accident:
I was not on the bast at the time of the accident, the steamer being temporarily in charge of the first mate. It is usual for a steamer leaving the lock to give a sharp blast, indicating to the canal crew that all is in readiness for the flood. In this case the flood was forced. As soon as the gates were opened the force of the water parted the lines of the steamer, causing her to leave the canal at high speed. The mate ordered an anchor dropped. The water at this point was not sufficiently deep to override the anchor, with the result that it was hit by the steamer and tore a hole in her bottom.[30][33]
A court inquiry conducted in Collingwood by Dominion Wreck Commissioner L. A. Demmers determined that the canal employees were to blame for the sinking, as they flooded the lock without checking ifEmperor was ready.[13][33][34] The court further stated that it believed it was "customary for the master of a vessel to sound one blast of the whistle as a signal to the canal authorities to begin flooding", also adding that it "thinks it is extremely necessary that masters of all vessels should have copies of the regulations governing the operation of locks and canals".[13][33][34]Emperor's officers were acquitted of any wrongdoing, with the blame being placed on a watchman who "happened to be a deck hand, and therefore irresponsible".[13][34]
In 1913, the Richelieu & Ontario Navigation Company, Ltd. was merged into the newly formed, Montreal-based Canada Transportation Company, Ltd., the name of which was almost immediately changed toCanada Steamship Lines.[12][25] While under the ownership of Canada Steamship Lines,Emperor carried a wide variety of cargoes, but mainly carried iron ore toPoint Edward, Ontario, which was then taken to thesteel mills ofHamilton, Ontario, by train.[12]
While bound for aLake Superior port,Emperor ran aground onPointe aux Pins on the north shore ofLake Erie, on the morning of May 29, 1914.[35] She was pulled off the next day by the tugsHackett andJames Reid.[35] On October 29, 1926,Emperor ran aground nearMackinaw City, Michigan, on Major Shoal. She was freed at 16:00 p.m., after jettisoning 886 long tons (992 short tons; 900 t) of iron ore.[13] Sometime before 1932,Emperor reportedly ran aground on an unknown object nearMichipicoten Island, while on her way to Fort William.[36]
While bound for thelakehead with 8,858 long tons (9,921 short tons; 9,000 t) of coal on the night of November 24, 1936,Emperor encountered a heavy storm. While she was betweenPassage Island andLamb Island, she lost her rudder.[12][37][38]Emperor spent November 25 drifting in the storm.[12][39] The tugJames Whalen was sent to aidEmperor. However, before she arrived, thecanallerRenvoyle arrived on the scene and towedEmperor to Fort William.[12][39] One ofEmperor's deckhands was swept overboard in the storm, and drowned.[12][37][38][39]
On May 4, 1937,Emperor was bound fromPort Weller, Ontario, for Hamilton with a cargo of iron ore she loaded inAshland, Wisconsin.[12] Conditions onLake Ontario were foggy, which causedEmperor to miss theport turn, which would then have put her on a course to the piers of theBurlington Canal at the entrance to Hamilton harbour.[12] However, she carried on, eventually running aground nearBronte, Ontario, at 11:00 p.m.[12][13] The tugRival and bargeLondonderry arrived fromKingston, Ontario, to free her. After a portion ofEmperor's cargo was removed, she was refloated on May 6, having sustained hardly any damage.[12]
In the spring of 1940,Emperor's first mate James A. Morrey fell overboard from one of thebridge wings. He sustained no serious injuries.[12]
After unloading a cargo of coal in Fort William on June 3, 1947,Emperor headed to theCanadian National Railwayore dock in Port Arthur, where she loaded 10,264 long tons (11,496 short tons; 10,429 t) of iron ore from theSteep Rock Mine. The loading of the ore took six to seven hours.[12][13][14] She left Port Arthur forAshtabula, Ohio, at 10:55 p.m. (EST), under the command of Captain Eldon Walkinshaw. Two of her 35–man crew were left behind at Fort William.[40] She had a draught of 21.3 feet (6.5 m) at the bow, and 21.9 feet (6.7 m) at the stern.[14][41][42] The weather was clement; there was little wind, and visibility was good.[13][43] At midnight, Walkinshaw handed over watch duties to first mate Morrey, who had supervised the loading of the iron ore.[12][44][42] Shortly before 4:15 a.m.,Emperor crashed into Canoe Rocks, on the northeast point ofIsle Royale, and broke in two.[14][41][42]
About 10 minutes afterEmperor struck Canoe Rocks, Walkinshaw gave the order to abandon ship. By that time, she had developed a seriouslist.[45] The starboard lifeboat was successfully launched, but was leaking due to the absence of a bilge plug.[46] The port boat capsized when it was sucked under byEmperor as she sank.[47] The night steward claimed thatEmperor's boilers exploded during the sinking.[45] She sank in between 20 and 35 minutes.[42] TheUnited States Coast Guard CutterKimball, which was maintaining navigation lights in the vicinity of Blake Point, intercepted anSOS signal fromEmperor and arrived on the scene in 35 minutes.[14][46][48] AfterKimball transported the 21 survivors and the body of cook Evelyn Schultz to Fort William, she travelled back to the wreck to search for survivors and bodies.[49] Canada Steamship Lines also chartered the excursion boatCoastal Queen to assist in the search. However, bad weather prevented diver E. J. Fowler, who was on boardCoastal Queen from reaching the wreck.[12][50]
The investigation intoEmperor's sinking proved to be difficult, as Walkinshaw, Morrey, and helmsman J. Prokup all died.[16][40][48] An investigation carried out by theDepartment of Transport blamed Morrey, who they claimed "did not keep proper watch", for the sinking ofEmperor.[51][52] They determined that Morrey, who was meant to be on watch duty until 6:00 a.m., was likely sleep deprived at the time of the grounding, and had not made the usual navigational checksEmperor would have required to pass safely between Isle Royale andPassage Island.[44][52] The courts criticised the prevailing system "which required the First Mate to be in charge of the loading of the ship during the period when he should have been off duty, resulted in his becoming overly tired, suffering as he was from a lack of sleep".[51][52] Furthermore, Prokup, who was unacquainted with that part ofLake Superior, failed to detect the error inEmperor's course.[53] Also criticised were the usage of wooden lifeboats and the lack of lifeboat drills performed on boardEmperor in 1947.[16][54] TheBoard of Investigation fully exonerated Captain Walkinshaw, stating that "under all the circumstances he did everything possible most promptly and efficiently". They also praised the captain and crew ofKimball for their rescue of the survivors.[55]
Emperor was the final and second–largest shipwreck tooccur at Isle Royale. She was also the largest shipwreck to have occurred on Lake Superior since the loss of the freighterChester A. Congdon in 1918, and the deadliest since the sinking of the canallerKamloops in 1927, both also at Isle Royale.[56][57] The first dives toEmperor's wreck took place on June 12, 1947. They were conducted by Fowler, who made a total of three, roughly 30 minute dives to the wreck.[58] In 1948, Canada Steamship Lines replacedEmperor with the freighterBurlington.[59]
In 1975, sport divers from the Inland Divers Club ofDuluth, Minnesota, discovered the preserved remains of a crew member nearEmperor's engine room and reported it to theNational Park Service.[58] The body was missing its eyes, nose and arms from the elbow down. However, the clothes, facial features and hair all remained intact.[60] In order to deter potential looters, the body was later reportedly sunk at the end of the stern by Canadian divers.[58][60] Soon after, the remains of one additional crew member were discovered resting on a bunk; the disposition of this body is unknown.[60] Although unverified, several other bodies are reported to have been found.[58]
The wreck ofEmperor rests in between 25 feet (7.6 m) of water at the bow, and 175 feet (53.3 m) of water at the stern, in two partially attached sections.[14][53][61] The bow has sustained severe damage, mostly due to the impact of ice, while the stern is intact.[62][53] The bow section stretches from 25 feet (7.6 m) at the bow's tip, down into about 80 feet (24.4 m) of water, where the intact stern section starts.[53][62][63][64] The bow section includes two 7,000 pound (3,175.1 kg) anchors, awindlass and chain locker, as well as five relatively intact cargo hatches.[53][64][65] The stern features an intact and penetrable engine room, an intact mast, and a partially intact cabin.[53][63][66]Emperor's boilers are undamaged, proving the night steward's account of a boiler explosion false.[67] The roof on the port side of the cabin has partially collapsed, as the funnel (also present) fell on top of it with sufficient force to not only damage the roof, but also the bulkhead.[67] There are 17 intact cargo hatches aft of the break in the hull.[62] The propeller blades broke off asEmperor sank, leaving only the propeller hub and rudder.[68] Her cargo holds still contain her cargo of iron ore.[65] Wreckages from the canallerDunelm which ran aground in 1910, but was freed, lies 100 yards (91.4 m) east ofEmperor's bow.[63][69]
Emperor's wreck was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places on June 12, 1984.[70] Between 1980 and 1985,Emperor was the second-most popular shipwreck atIsle Royale National Park, behind the excursion steamerAmerica.[62] However, as of 2009, she is Isle Royale's most frequently visited shipwreck, accounting for over 350 of the 1062 dives made to the wrecks in the park that year.[71] A 70–year–old man died while exploring the stern section ofEmperor's wreck in 100–150 feet (30.5–45.7 m) of water, on July 25, 2024.[72]
Media related toEmperor (ship, 1910) at Wikimedia CommonsShipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1911 | |
|---|---|
| Shipwrecks |
|
| Other incidents |
|
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1926 | |
|---|---|
| Shipwrecks |
|
| Other incidents |
|
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1936 | |
|---|---|
| Shipwrecks |
|
| Other incidents |
|
| Historic districts |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Historic properties |
| |
.svg)
