 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
.svg) United States | |
| Name | City of Bangor |
| Operator |
|
| Builder |
|
| Yard number | 00113 |
| Completed | 1896 |
| Fate |
|
| Notes | United States Registry #127131 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | freighter |
| Tonnage |
|
| Length |
|
| Beam | 44.66 ft (13.61 m) |
| Height | 23.42 ft (7.14 m) |
| Propulsion | Triple expansion steam |
| Crew | 30 |
| Notes | Ship rebuilt and lengthened in 1904. |
City of Bangor was afreighter that had a 30-year career on theGreat Lakes. Originally designed to carry ore, the ship was converted into an automobile carrier in 1925. She was trapped in ice onLake Superior November 30, 1926, and after multiple salvage attempts,Bangor was declared a total loss.
City of Bangor was built in 1896 atBay City, Michigan. In 1926, the ship was converted to carry automobiles. At the time of the wreck, it was owned by theNicholson Transit Company.[1]
City of Bangor was captained by William J. Mackin. On the night of November 30, 1926,Bangor was carrying 248 newChrysler automobiles fromDetroit, Michigan toDuluth, Minnesota, when a severe storm drove her onto the rocks of theKeweenaw Peninsula, on Michigan'sUpper Peninsula. Eighteen cars that were spiked to the deck of the ship slipped overboard and were lost. During the same storm,Thomas Maytham, which was carrying 20,000 tons of grain from Duluth toToledo, Ohio, went aground on the other side of the peninsula.[2]
The next morning, after the winds had subsided,Bangor's crew of 29 managed to free the lifeboats, and by afternoon all the men had made it ashore. They began to walk to the nearest village,Copper Harbor, which was about 15 miles away, but became lost in the unfamiliar territory. They spent the night with a fire but no shelter, inadequate clothing, and no food.[3][4]
The next day, aUnited States Coast Guard rescue lifeboat, out ofEagle Harbor Life Saving Station, came around the point while carryingThomas Maytham's crew, and discoveredBangor's crew. The Coast Guard captain dropped off the men fromThomas Maytham at Copper Harbor and returned for the men fromCity of Bangor. The men were exhausted and suffering fromhypothermia; several were hospitalized withfrostbite.[2]
The majority of the Chryslers were in thehold, separated from the floodedengine room by a strong partition. A visual inspection of the hold showed that the cars were in good condition. When the water around the wrecked ship had frozen solid, an ice ramp was constructed, and the cars were driven off the ship.[5] The area around the Keweenaw Peninsula was heavily forested and buried in about 4 ft (1.2 m) of snow,[6] so the cars were driven along the icy banks of the lake to Copper Harbor. When the roads opened in the spring, the cars were driven toCalumet, Michigan, loaded onto trains, and taken to Detroit for repair and re-sale.[5] 202 of the vehicles were salvaged from the wreck and sold.[7] The Chryslers were 1927 model 50s, and were advertised for $750 for the coupe and $830 for the sedan at the time.[4]
City of Bangor herself was a total loss. In 1929 she was cut down to the waterline, and in 1944, underwater wreckage was cut up for scrap metal for use duringWorld War II.[3][1]
TheCity of Bangor wreck site is now part of theKeweenaw Underwater Preserve, established in 1991, along with the nearby wrecks ofAltadoc andScotia, and she can be visited byscuba divers.[8] However, the wrecksite includes only limited remains.[1]
The only remaining part of the Eagle Harbor Life Saving Station, the boathouse, is now a museum containing shipwreck memorabilia including one of the 1927 Chryslers fromCity of Bangor.[9]
The bookShipwrecked and Rescued: Cars and Crew by Larry Jorgenson tells the story of the ship.[4]
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1926 | |
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| Shipwrecks |
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| Other incidents |
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