 Francis Hinton prior to her sinking | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Francis Hinton |
| Owner | George G. Oliver |
| Operator | Marine Navigation Company |
| Builder | Hanson & Scove[1] |
| Launched | 1889 |
| In service | 1889 |
| Out of service | November 16, 1909[1] |
| Identification | U.S. Registry #120754 |
| Fate | Wrecked |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | |
| Length | 152.16 ft (46.38 m)[1] |
| Beam | 30.75 ft (9.37 m)[1] |
| Depth | 10.66 ft (3.25 m)[1] |
| Installed power | 385 hp (287 kW)Steeple compound engine[2] |
FRANCIS HINTON (steamer) | |
   | |
| Location | Off the coast ofManitowoc, Wisconsin |
| Nearest city | Manitowoc, Wisconsin |
| Coordinates | 44°06.67′N087°37.876′W / 44.11117°N 87.631267°W /44.11117; -87.631267 |
| Built | 1889 |
| Architect | Hanson & Scove |
| Architectural style | Steam barge |
| NRHP reference No. | 96001457[3] |
| Added to NRHP | December 16, 1996 |
SSFrancis Hinton was a wooden-hulled steambarge that sank in a gale off the coast ofManitowoc, Wisconsin, onLake Michigan in 1909 while heavily laden with a cargo of lumber.[4] On December 16, 1996, the wreck of theFrancis Hinton was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[3]
Francis Hinton (Official number 120754) was built in 1889 by Danish immigrants Jasper Hanson and Hans Scove (collectively known as Hanson & Scove) in Manitowoc for Horatio Truman and George Cooper of Manitowoc.[5] Her wooden hull was 152.16 feet (46.38 m) long, her beam was 30.75 feet (9.37 m) wide, and her hull was 10.66 feet (3.25 m) wide. She had agross register tonnage of 417.34 tons, and anet register tonnage of 331.07 tons.[1] She was powered by a 385-horsepower (287 kW)Steeple compound engine that was built by the Manistee Iron Works ofManistee, Michigan, and a single boiler.[2] Her listed capacity was 550.000 board feet (1.29786 m3). She had an Inland Lloyd's rating of A1, and was valued at $35.000 in 1890.[5]
In 1891 theFrancis Hinton was sold to the Wisconsin Dredge & Dock Company of Manitowoc. In 1897 theFrancis Hinton was sold to James A. Calbick ofChicago, Illinois. In 1899 theFrancis Hinton was sold to Ausin A. Canavan of Chicago. In 1902 she was sold to Marine Navigation Company ofMarine City, Michigan.[2] On April 18, 1904, theFrancis Hinton had her tonnage changed to 397 gross register tons, and 273 net register tons.[1] On August 25, 1905, theFrancis Hinton had a collision with the steamerBinghamton nearPeche Island in theDetroit River.[2]
On November 16, 1909, theFrancis Hinton leftManistique, Michigan, for Chicago, heavily laden with a cargo of lumber. After encountering a gale, her crew discovered that she was taking on water and decided to try and get her to the safety ofTwo Rivers Harbor. After the water that leaked into her hull extinguished the fire in her boiler, theFrancis Hinton was left immobile.[6] Her crew dropped her anchor, but the large waves kept on pounding her hull and letting water in. Eventually, her captain ordered her anchor line cut, and she drifted ashore. The Two Rivers Lifesaving determined that the seas were too rough to attempt to rescue theFrancis Hinton's crew. Her crew eventually deployed ayawl and made it to shore safely. Eventually, theFrancis Hinton beached in Maritime Bay, about 1.9 miles (3.1 km) northeast of the Manitowoc River. A day after she wrecked, theFrancis Hinton's crew, and the lifesaving crew stripped her of everything of value on board.[6]
The remains of theFrancis Hinton were rediscovered by sports divers in 1987. Her remains lie broken, and partially scattered in about 15 feet (4.6 m) of water. The wreckage consists of her bilge, her boiler, her four-bladed propeller. Also on the site are the remains of her Steeple compound engine. Visibility at the site is usually about 10 feet (3.0 m). Due to her shallow depth, her wreck has received a lot of damage from ice and waves.[7] The wreck of theFrancis Hinton lies near the wreck of the tugboatArctic.[8]
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1909 | |
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| Shipwrecks |
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| Other incidents |
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