 Howard L. Shaw in Poe Lock | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name |
|
| Operator |
|
| Port of registry |  United States,
|
| Builder | Detroit Shipbuilding Company,Wyandotte, Michigan |
| Yard number | 136 |
| Launched | September 15, 1900 |
| Completed | 1900 |
| In service | 1900 |
| Out of service | 1969 |
| Identification | U.S. Registry #96524 |
| Fate | Sunk as a breakwater atOntario Place |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Bulk Freighter |
| Tonnage | 4,901 gross 3,802 net |
| Length | 451 ft (137 m) |
| Beam | 50 ft (15 m) |
| Height | 28 ft (8.5 m) |
| Installed power | 2 xScotch marine boilers |
| Propulsion | 1,150 horsepowertriple expansion steam engine attached to a single fixed pitchpropeller |
| Speed | 10 knots |
| Notes | TheShaw was the last vessel to see the ill-fatedJohn Owen |
Howard L. Shaw was a 451-foot (137 m) long propeller driven freighter that operated on theGreat Lakes ofNorth America from her launching in 1900 to her retirement 1969. She is currently serving as a breakwater inOntario Place onLake Ontario.
Howard L. Shaw was built by the Detroit Shipbuilding Company ofWyandotte, Michigan. She was launched on 15 September 1900 as hull #136. she began service on 2 October 1900. On 1 November 1900,Howard L. Shaw loaded 260,000 bushels of flax inDuluth, Minnesota which was a new port record. The cost of the cargo was valued at $468,000.
In 1902Howard L. Shaw was purchased byU.S. Steel. In 1904Howard L. Shaw was transferred to thePittsburgh Steamship Company. On 25 May 1906Howard L. Shaw passed between the cable connecting the steamerCoralia and her bargeMaia which raked the deck of spars and the smokestack.
Howard L. Shaw ran aground after the collision.Howard L. Shaw was the last vessel to see the wooden steamerJohn Owen on 12 November 1919 before she was lost in a storm onLake Superior. In 1922Howard L. Shaw's hull was reconstructed with arch frames by theToledo Shipbuilding Company ofToledo, Ohio, while in Toledo she also had her old boilers replaced by brand newScotch marine boilers. On 26 April 1926,Howard L. Shaw ran aground inMud Lake while downbound from theSt. Marys River.[1]
Howard L. Shaw was sold to the Upper Lakes & St. Lawrence Transportation Company (renamed Upper Lakes Shipping Ltd. in 1959) in late 1940 (her Canadian identification was C172356). On 13 December 1958Howard L. Shaw while downbound was stuck in ice delaying eleven other freighters. On 6 September 1963Howard L. Shaw was dynamited inChicago, Illinois because of a labor dispute between American and Canadian labor unions. The explosion blew a 2-foot (0.61 m) hole in the port side of the vessel. The ship was later towed toChicago, Illinois for repairs.Howard L. Shaw was tied up at a pier since 22 April.[2]
Howard L. Shaw was sold to the Toronto Harbor Commissioners. On 4 July 1969 she was sunk as a breakwater atOntario Place along with her fleet mates the steamersDouglas Houghton andVictorius. All three vessels remain inOntario Place as of 2020.
43°37′35″N79°25′03″W / 43.626487°N 79.417418°W /43.626487; -79.417418