 James Gayley inBuffalo, New York,c. 1910 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | James Gayley |
| Namesake | James Gayley |
| Owner | Mitchell & Company |
| Operator | Cleveland Steamship Company |
| Port of registry | Fairport, Ohio |
| Builder | American Ship Building Company, Cleveland, Ohio |
| Cost | $260,000 ($7.6 million in 2024)[a] |
| Yard number | 410 |
| Launched | 29 March 1902 |
| Christened | Mary Gayley |
| Maiden voyage | 15 May – 27 May 1902 |
| Out of service | 7 August 1912 |
| Identification | USofficial number 77523 |
| Fate | Sank onLake Superior |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Lake freighter |
| Tonnage | |
| Length | |
| Beam | 50 feet (15.2 m) |
| Depth | 28 feet (8.5 m) (moulded) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion | 1 × propeller |
| Capacity | 7,000long tons (7,112 t)[b] |
| Crew | 23 |
SSJames Gayley was an Americanlake freighter in service between 1902 and 1912. She was built by theAmerican Ship Building Company inCleveland, Ohio, for the Cleveland Steamship Company. Upon the end of her maiden voyage on 27 May 1902,James Gayley became the inaugural vessel to utilise the automaticHulett unloading rigs inConneaut, Ohio, to discharge her cargo ofiron ore loaded inTwo Harbors, Minnesota. She hauled ore, coal and grain, and is known to have been involved in two accidents prior to her loss.
On 6 August 1912, at 12:00 (EST),James Gayley passed through theSoo Locks intoLake Superior with a cargo ofcoal she had loaded inBuffalo, New York, four days earlier, bound forDuluth, Minnesota. She was under the command of Captain Millard M. Stewart. A thick fog shrouded the lake, greatly restricting visibility. Early on the following day, while about 43 miles (69.2 km) east ofManitou Island, she was struck on herstarboard side, aft of her collisionbulkhead by the ore-laden freighterRensselaer. AsJames Gayley began to sink rapidly, her crew and passengers were taken aboardRensselaer, and were later transferred to the freighterStadacona.James Gayley sank in between 16 and 20 minutes, whileRensselaer survived the collision, albeit with a severely damaged bow. In the aftermath of the accident, both the captain ofRensselaer and the first mate ofJames Gayley had their licenses suspended.
The wreck ofJames Gayley has never been found. As of 2025, she is the second largest undiscovered shipwreck both on Lake Superior and on theGreat Lakes generally, behind the freighterD. M. Clemson.
The gunshipUSSMichigan became the first iron-hulled vessel built on theGreat Lakes, upon her launching in 1843, inErie, Pennsylvania.[2] By the mid–1840s, Canadian merchants were importing iron vesselsprefabricated in theUnited Kingdom.[3] The first iron–hulled merchant vessel built on the lakes,Merchant, was built in 1862, inBuffalo, New York.[4] DespiteMerchant's clear success proving the potential of iron hulls, ships built from wood remained preferable until the 1880s, due to their lower cost, as well as the abundance of high qualitytimber and workers trained in carpentry.[5] Between the early–1870s and the mid–1880s, shipyards around the Great Lakes began to construct iron ships on a relatively large scale.[6] The most notable being the freighterOnoko, built by theGlobe Iron Works Company, which became thelargest vessel on the lakes upon her launch in 1882.[7] In 1884, the firststeel freighters were built on the Great Lakes.[8] By the 1890s, metal had become a common hull material used on the lakes.[9] The development of thepneumaticrivet gun and the advancement ofgantry cranes enabled shipyard employees to work at an increased speed, with greater efficiency.[10] This, combined with the rapidly decreasing steel prices, contributed to the rapid increase in the size oflake freighters in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.[11] The first 400-foot (121.9 m) freighter was built in 1895, the first 500-foot (152.4 m) freighter arrived on the scene five years later.[12]
Throughout the 1880s, theiron ore trade on the Great Lakes grew significantly, primarily due to the increasing size of thelake freighters, and the rise in the number of trips they made to theore docks ofLake Superior.[13] As the railways were unable to keep up with the rapid production of iron ore, bulk freighters became integral to the region's iron ore industry.[13] By 1890, 56.95% of the 16,036,043long tons (16,293,372 t) of the iron ore produced by mines in the United States was sourced from the region surrounding Lake Superior.[13] Freighters engaged in the iron ore trade frequently carried coal onupbound voyages to fuel mining equipment and infrastructure, while hauling ore when headingdownbound.[14]
John Mitchell was aCanadian-American businessman and licensed vessel master primarily active in the Great Lakes shipping industry.[15] Although Mitchell operated a large fleet of vessels of various sizes and materials, its most famous members consisted of elevenalmost identical steel freighters built between 1898 and 1905, designed by Mitchell himself.[c][16]
Freighters designed by Mitchell were considered to be especially aesthetically pleasing in design, with the Toronto Marine Historical Society ofToronto, Ontario, describing them as "very handsome steel-hulled steamers", stating very few other contemporaneous vessels could "rival them for their good looks", and "special lines".[17] Their hulls exhibited uncharacteristically curved hullsheer in comparison with other freighters of the era.[18] Their pilothouses were similarly distinctive. They were described as "turret style", featuring a squared-off front, inlaid with three large, sectioned windows.[19] Mitchell's eleven freighters were noted for their robust construction as well as for their appearance.[16]
James Gayley was built within theslip of the former Globe Iron Works Company shipyard by theAmerican Ship Building Company inCleveland, Ohio.[20] Assigned theyard number 410, she was named in honour ofJames Gayley, a chemist andmetallurgist who was head of the ore department, and the first vice president of theUnited States Steel Corporation.[21] Customary tolaunching traditions on the Great Lakes,James Gayley was launched on a Saturday, shortly after 11:00, on 29 March 1902.[22] She was christened by her namesake's daughter, Mary Gayley.[23] Built to the most common dimensions prevailing among lake freighters at the time,James Gayley's construction cost $260,000 (equivalent to $7.6 million in 2024[a]).[24]The Cleveland Leader described her as possessing some of the finest furnishings on the lakes.[23]
She was built on thechannel system, a longitudinalframe style introduced on the Great Lakes in the mid-1890s.[25] It constituted several rows offlanged steel plates running the entire length of a vessel's bottom, deriving its name from the "channels" between the frames.[26] This method provided vessels with additional strength, as well as preventing damage sustained in groundings from spreading to other areas of the hull, and increasing cargo capacity.[27] In spite of rapid advances in shipbuilding technology, the cargo hold ofJames Gayley remained reminiscent of those found on older wooden lake freighters. Between 1882 and 1904, the cargo holds of all iron and steel freighters contained stanchions, vertical columns designed to support their decks; and steel angles which were the equivalent of theknees used on wooden freighters.[28] The stanchions within her hull were located 24 feet (7.3 m) apart, at the spaces betweenJames Gayley's twelve hatch covers, which were 8 feet (2.4 m) in depth.[29] This configuration complicated the loading and unloading of cargo, since the chutes of mostore docks were set 12 feet (3.7 m) apart, while the stanchions frequently obstructed the buckets of automated unloading rigs, frequently receiving damage from them during unloading.[d][31] She was rebuilt with arches and side tanks at a later date.[32]James Gayley's hull contained three watertightbulkheads.[33] Her cargo hold was divided into four separate compartments, the first of which was 1,650long tons (1,676 t) in capacity, the second and third were 1,600 long tons (1,626 t), while the fourth was 1,850 long tons (1,880 t). Her overall capacity was listed as 7,000 long tons (7,112 t).[b][32]
The hull ofJames Gayley had anoverall length of 436 feet (132.9 m), alength between perpendiculars of 416 feet (126.8 m), as well as abeam 50 feet (15.2 m) in width.[34] Themoulded depth, roughly speaking, the vertical height ofJames Gayley's hull, was 28 feet (8.5 m).[23] The measurements of her register tonnage were calculated as 4,777gross register tons and 3,359net register tons, respectively.[33]
James Gayley was powered by a 1,480 ihp (1,100 kW) 90rpmtriple-expansion steam engine; the cylinders of the engine were 22 inches (55.9 cm), 35 inches (88.9 cm) and 58 inches (147.3 cm) in diameter, and had astroke of 40 inches (101.6 cm).[33] Steam was provided by twoScotch marine boilers 13 feet 2 inches (4.0 m) in diameter, 11 feet 6 inches (3.5 m) in length, with a working pressure of 170pounds per square inch (1,200 kPa). The boilers were each fitted with four furnaces, accounting for a combinedgrate surface of 88 square feet (8.2 m2), and a total heating surface of 4,292 square feet (398.7 m2). Both the engine and boilers were manufactured byJames Gayley's builder.[33]
James Gayley was built for the Cleveland Steamship Company, a subsidiary of Mitchell & Company, managed by Mitchell, who also served as its president and manager.[35] Her USofficial number was 77523, while her port of registry wasFairport, Ohio.[36] She was involved in the ore, coal, and grain trades.[37]
In an effort to reduce United States Steel's dependence on dock workers,James Gayley's namesake championed theHuletts, a type ofclamshell bucket scoop invented by and named after George H. Hulett ofAkron, Ohio, installing them atConneaut, Ohio, upon his ascension to vice president of United States Steel.[38] Michell, influenced by the recent installation of the Huletts in Conneaut, made the decision to alter the hull ofJames Gayley while she was under construction.[39] Her hatches were enlarged, her hold stanchions were repositioned and thetween deck present on earlier vessels was eliminated to allow the unloading machinery better access to the cargo hold.[e][40]
On 15 May 1902,James Gayley cleared Cleveland, without cargo, bound forTwo Harbors, Minnesota.[f][42] She passed upbound through theSoo Locks at 14:00EST on 19 May.[43] After arriving in Two Harbors, on 21 May, she proceeded to load 6,088 long tons (6,186 t) of iron ore.[44] She cleared the port by 23 May.[45] After crossing Lake Superior,James Gayley passed down through the Soo Locks at 14:00 on 23 May, and passedDetroit, Michigan, at 20:20 the following day.[46] She arrived in Conneaut harbour on 26 May, and left for Duluth, that same day.[47] She unloaded 95% of her cargo with the automatic unloading rigs the following day, becoming the first vessel on the Great Lakes to do so.[39]
While travelling south onWhitefish Bay on 17 May 1906,James Gayley was involved in a collision with the package freighterTroy.[48] She passed downward through the Soo Locks, ontoLake Huron, at 13:30 EST that same day.[49]
On the morning of 26 October 1907, while travelling upbound on theSt. Clair River, laden with coal,James Gayley collided with the unladen, similarly upbound freighterJoseph G. Butler Jr. offHarsens Island.[g][51] After the collision,James Gayley continued her voyage.[52] WhileJoseph G. Butler Jr. was undamaged,James Gayley became one of the most seriously damaged vessels on the Great Lakes that year.[53] In addition to significant damage to her port bow,James Gayley'ssuperstructure sheerstrake were stove in by 1 foot (0.3 m), and she lost her anchor.[54] She was repaired inBuffalo, New York, between late 1907 and early 1908.[55]
James Gayley arrived in Buffalo, from Cleveland, without cargo on 1 August 1912.[56] She departed the port the following day, laden with 7,000 long tons (7,112 t) coal, bound for Duluth, under the command of Captain Millard M. Stewart.[h][58] On board were a complement of 23 crewmen, as well as five passengers, all women fromNew York.[59]James Gayley steamed north past Detroit at 17:40 EST on 4 August, and passed byPort Huron, Michigan, at 03:20 the following morning.[60] She headed into Lake Superior after making her way up through the Soo Locks, at 12:00 on 6 August.[61]
An almost impenetrable fog shrouded Lake Superior, which, in addition to heavy rain, restricted visibility to a few feet.[62] AsJames Gayley neared theKeweenaw Peninsula early on 7 August, about 43 miles (69.2 km) east ofManitou Island, her crew spotted the freighterRensselaer of thePittsburgh Steamship Company bearing down on them with great speed.[63]Rensselaer, downbound for Cleveland, with a cargo of iron ore was under the command of Captain Carleton D. Secord, with the likewise ore-laden bargeGeorge H. Corliss in tow.[64] Upon sighting the other freighter heading towards them, Stewart went below decks to rouse the passengers, who were asleep in theirstaterooms at the time. The five women managed to reach the deck immediately beforeRensselaer struckJames Gayley at 01:35, on herstarboard side.[65] The damage sustained was locatedaft of the forward deck house on herbow, reportedly behind her collision bulkhead.[i][67] As Stewart assessed the damage toJames Gayley, he realised his vessel was sinking rapidly, and ordered the launch of thelifeboats.[59] However, whileRensselaer had initially veered off, she was brought alongsideJames Gayley. The two vessels were lashed together, allowing for most people aboard to leave.[68]
Within ten minutes, everyone had disembarked from the sinking vessel.[69] Stewart was the final person to leave. Between 16 and 20 minutes after the two freighters collided,James Gayley had dropped below the surface.[70] 19 members of the crew and all five passengers were taken aboardRensselaer, while four crewmen, including first mate Alfred Morton, were picked up byGeorge H. Corliss.[71] Receiving significant damage to her bow,Rensselaer initially appeared to be sinking as well. She began sounding distress calls, which alerted the freighterStadacona, which had passed through the Soo Locks about two hours afterJames Gayley, about an hour after the collision.[59] The passengers and members ofJames Gayley's crew were transferred toStadacona, receiving passage to Duluth.[72]George H. Corliss was picked up by the freighterJ. H. Bartow, which towed her to the Soo Locks. The four crewmen ofJames Gayley taken aboard the barge were transferred to the freighterWilliam C. Agnew, which took them to Cleveland.[73]
Rensselaer's damaged bow was patched with canvas and her forward collision bulkhead was braced, in aid of keeping her afloat.[74] Despite the damage to her bow, her bulkhead held, allowing her to reachMarquette, Michigan, under her own power, where she received temporary repairs.[74]
Although Stewart declined to discuss the events of the collision upon his arrival in Duluth, he praised Secord and Captain James Cannaly ofStadacona, while his own comportment in ensuring the safety of the people aboardJames Gayley was praised by his passengers.[75] One of the five passengers in particular, E. G. Russel, paid tribute to Stewart in the immediate aftermath ofJames Gayley's loss:
The captain came to our stateroom and told us gently and calmly that a boat had hit us, so the five of us went on deck in our night dresses and bare footed. It was raining hard and the fog was very thick. The captain said he knew our vessel was doomed and he ordered the lifeboats over the side. However, the captain of theRensselaer ran up alongside and lashed the boats together. The girls were transferred and then the other boat drifted away, breaking the ropes. We thought then that we were in for it, but theRensselaer again steamed alongside and the rest of us were taken over. We thought at first theRensselaer was also sinking and the captain of that boat began whistling for help. After more than an hour the signals were answered and we all cheered as theStadacona appeared through the fog.[59]
NeitherJames Gayley norRensselaer were insured by their respective owners.[73] In order to ascertain the responsibilities for the accident, the testimonies of crews of both vessels were recorded in Cleveland, in August 1912, and presented to the lawyers responsible for arbitrating the case.[76] A report published by theDetroit Free Press on 9 August speculatedJames Gayley had directly contravened Rule 14 of theUS pilot rules by travelling at an excessive speed.[j][77] Harvey D. Goulder represented the owners ofJames Gayley, while H. A. Kelley, an attorney for the Pittsburgh Steamship Company acted on behalf ofRensselaer.[73]
By 3 September, Mitchell andHarry Coulby, the president of the Pittsburgh Steamship Company had settled out of court, electing to split the damages.[78]James Gayley and her cargo were worth about $330,000 (equivalent to $7.74 million in 2024[a]), while the repair costs toRensselaer amounted to $10,000 (equivalent to $235,000 in 2024[a]).[k][79] From 15 October, Secord and Morton had theirlicenses suspended for 20 and 30 days respectively by thesteamboat inspectors in Marquette.[80] Secord appealed his sentence to Captain Charles H. Westcott, supervising steamboat inspector for the eighth district of Buffalo. Westcott upheld the sentence.[81]
The wreck ofJames Gayley has never been found. As of 2025, she is the second largest undiscovered shipwreck, both on Lake Superior and on the Great Lakes, behind the 468-foot (142.6 m) freighterD. M. Clemson.[l][83]
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Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1907 | |
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