 Regina in 1910 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | Regina |
| Owner |
|
| Port of registry | |
| Ordered | 1907 |
| Builder | A. McMillian & Son,Dumbarton,Scotland |
| Yard number | 419 |
| Launched | September 4, 1907 |
| Completed | October 1907 |
| Maiden voyage | January 19, 1907 |
| Fate | Capsized and sank between November 9 and November 10, 1913 during theGreat Lakes Storm of 1913 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Package Freighter |
| Tonnage | 1,956 GRT |
| Length | 249 ft 3 in (75.97 m) (lpp) |
| Beam | 42 ft 6 in (12.95 m) |
| Depth | 23 ft 0 in (7.01 m) |
| Installed power | TwoScotch boilers |
| Propulsion |
|
| Crew | 32 |
TheSSRegina was aPackage Freighter built for the Merchant Mutual Line and home ported inMontreal,Quebec. Named afterRegina, Saskatchewan,Regina had atonnage of 1,956 gross register tons (GRT) and a crew of 32.
The ship sank during theGreat Lakes Storm of 1913 after taking great damage. Lost for more than half a century, she became known as the "Great Mystery of the Great Storm of the Great Lakes". Since its discovery, she has become an active dive site forscuba divers and is now part of Michigan's underwater Preserve system.
Regina was a steel-hulledcargo ship that had atonnage of 1,956 gross register tons (GRT) and 1,280 net register tons (NRT). and measured 249 feet 3 inches (75.97 m)long between perpendiculars with abeam of 42 ft 6 in (12.95 m) with adepth 23 ft (7.0 m).[1][2] The ship was powered by twoScotch boilers providing steam pressure to atriple-expansion steam engine turning one screw. The engine was built by Muir and Houston of Glasgow, Scotland, and was rated at 650 hp (480 kW).[3]
In 1907,Regina was built inDumbarton, Scotland by A. McMillian & Son with theyard number 419.[1] The order was placed by C.H.F. Plummer ofMontreal,Quebec.[2] The vessel waslaunched on September 4, 1907 and completed in October. The ship was initiallyregistered inGlasgow, Scotland.[1] In 1912 ownership was transferred to the Canadian Lake Transportation Company and in 1913 it was transferred to theCanadian Steamship Lines Incorporated (CSL), and the ship was re-registered inToronto, Ontario.[1]Regina was used as part of thepackage freight business by CSL, delivering a variety of cargoes to various ports along theGreat Lakes.[4]
On November 9, 1913Regina was heading north fromPoint Edward, Ontario onLake Huron.[5] During the night one of the worst storms in Great Lakes history arose. Waves raged up to 38 feet (12 m).[6] At the time,Regina was carrying a varied cargo, with destinations set for ten ports. Among the cargo included enough canned goods to fill eightrailroad cars, 140 tons of baled hay and stacked atop the upper deck were sewer and gas pipes.[4]
During the storm captain McConkey initially attempted to get to safe harbor. Failing to do that, he had ordered the ship anchored approximately 7 miles (11 km) east ofLexington, Michigan, close to shore and thelifeboats lowered. After anchoring,Regina capsized and sank. Later investigation of the ship's wreck found that the ship had run aground and had suffered a large hole near the cargo hold and several dents.[7] NearPort Franks, Ontario, two bodies were found with a capsized lifeboat fromRegina and another ten bodies were found on the beach a short distance away.[8] There were no survivors fromRegina.[7]
Sailors initially theorized thatRegina collided withCharles S. Price, another ship sunk in the storm, as some of the bodies ofCharles S. Price's crewmen were wearing lifebelts fromRegina.[9] However, this theory was dismissed afterCharles S. Price was found capsized on Lake Huron; a diver confirmed that the ship wasCharles S. Price and that the ship showed no signs of being in a collision.[9]
Twelve ships foundered in theGreat Lakes Storm of 1913, and there was confusion in determining where the shipwrecks were located. The day following the storm - November 10, 1913 - a huge steel freighter was discovered floating bottom side up on Lake Huron. The bow was about 30 feet (9.1 m) clear of the water, but the stern dipped underwater to such a degree that it was impossible to tell the length of the carrier. Every visible part of the hulk was coated with ice and there were no identifying marks in view. Originally, people assumed this vessel wasRegina, as the visible length seemed to correspond to the size of the missing freighter. It was not until early on the morning of November 15 that the ship was identified asCharles S. Price, shortly before she sank on November 17. The front page of that day'sPort Huron Times-Herald extra edition read, "BOAT IS PRICE — DIVER IS BAKER — SECRET KNOWN."[10]
The wreck ofRegina was discovered in 1986 in Lake Huron between Lexington andPort Sanilac, Michigan.[3][11] The wreck is largely intact but is upside down and in about 77–80 feet (23–24 m) of water. She was discovered by Wayne Brusate, Colette Witherspoon, Garry Biniecki and John Severance. During a 1987 archaeological salvage expedition led byunderwater archaeologist and shipwreck expertE. Lee Spence, tens of thousands of artifacts, including hundreds of intact bottles of still potableScotch andchampagne were recovered.[12] Brusate and other divers made more than 400 dives on the wreck with permission from the Michigan State Department of Natural Resources, the Secretary of State and theUnited States Army Corps of Engineers, recovering an estimated 1% of the wreck's artifacts. The state and museums were given first choice of the artifacts, with Brusate keeping those unwanted items. In 2013, further artifacts were donated by Brusate to museums for display.[13]
43°20.24′N82°26.76′W / 43.33733°N 82.44600°W /43.33733; -82.44600
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1913 | |
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| Shipwrecks |
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| Other incidents |
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