46°50′3″N85°4′48.6″W / 46.83417°N 85.080167°W /46.83417; -85.080167
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| History | |
|---|---|
.svg) United States | |
| Name | John Mitchell |
| Namesake | Captain John Mitchell ofCleveland, Ohio |
| Owner | C.W. Elphicke (Elphicke & Company) ofChicago, Illinois |
| Operator | Cornell Steamship Company of Chicago |
| Port of registry | Fairport, Ohio |
| Builder | Great Lakes Engineering Works ofSt. Clair, Michigan |
| Yard number | 25 |
| Launched | November 28, 1906 |
| In service | 1907 |
| Out of service | July 10, 1911 |
| Identification | USofficial number 203943 |
| Fate | Sank onLake Superior after a collision withWilliam Henry Mack |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Lake freighter |
| Tonnage | |
| Length | |
| Beam | 52 feet (15.8 m) |
| Depth | 23 feet (7.0 m) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion | 1 × fixed pitch propeller |
| Capacity | 7,500 long tons (7,620 t) |
| Notes | Sister ship ofWilliam B. Davock |
SSJohn Mitchell was a steel-hulled, Americanlake freighter in service between 1907 and 1911. She was built in 1906 by theGreat Lakes Engineering Works inSt. Clair, Michigan, for the Cornell Steamship Company ofChicago, Illinois, which was managed by C.W. Elphicke. She entered service in 1907, and had a sister ship namedWilliam B. Davock. Throughout her career,John Mitchell carriediron ore andcoal. On October 4, 1908, she ran aground atIndiana Harbor, Indiana, while loaded with iron ore.
Early in the morning of July 7, 1911,John Mitchell leftBuffalo, New York, with between 6,889 long tons (7,716 short tons; 7,000 t) and 7,382 long tons (8,268 short tons; 7,500 t) of coal bound forSuperior, Wisconsin. On the morning of July 10,John Mitchell enteredLake Superior. A thick fog that hung over the lake severely reduced visibility. When she was offVermilion Point,John Mitchell was inexplicably rammed in herportbow by the unladen bulk freighterWilliam Henry Mack. Following the collision,John Mitchell immediately took on alist to port due to the rapid influx of water. After establishing thatJohn Mitchell would not remain afloat, a ladder was placed between her deck andWilliam Henry Mack's deck. The majority of the passengers and crew climbed over toWilliam Henry Mack, while six people escaped using a lifeboat, which eventually capsized; all of the people in the lifeboat were rescued. Three crewmen jumped overboard to aid in the rescue, but were sucked under and drowned whenJohn Mitchell sank.
The wreck ofJohn Mitchell was discovered in 1972, resting upside down in between 140 feet (43 m) and 150 feet (46 m) of water, roughly 3 miles (5 km) west-northwest off Whitefish Point, in an area known as theGraveyard of the Great Lakes. The wreck is protected by theWhitefish Point Underwater Preserve as part of an underwater museum.
In 1843, the gunshipUSSMichigan, built inErie, Pennsylvania, became the first iron-hulled vessel built on theGreat Lakes.[1] In the mid-1840s, Canadian companies began importing iron vesselsprefabricated by shipyards in theUnited Kingdom. However, it would not be until 1862 that the first iron-hulled merchant ship,Merchant, was built on the Great Lakes.[1] Despite the success ofMerchant, wooden vessels remained preferable to iron ones until the 1880s, due to their inexpensiveness, and the abundance of timber.[2][3][4] In the early 1880s, shipyards around the Great Lakes began to construct iron ships on a relatively large scale,[4][5] and in 1884 the first steel freighters were built there.[6][7] By the 1890s, the majority of ships constructed on the lakes were made of steel.[8][9] The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw a rapid increase in the size of lake freighters; the first 400 feet (121.9 m) freighter was built in 1895, the first 500 feet (152.4 m) freighter was constructed five years later.[10]
John Mitchell (USofficial number 203943) was built on the banks of theSt. Clair River in 1906, by theSt. Clair, Michigan, shipyard of theGreat Lakes Engineering Works.[11][12][a] She had a sister ship namedWilliam B. Davock, which succeeded her out of the shipyard.[12] The only differences betweenJohn Mitchell andWilliam B. Davock were theirsteering poles (John Mitchell's was upright, fixed, and was adorned with a colourful orb, whileWilliam B. Davock's was a straight, hinged pole), and the size of their boilers (William B. Davock's boilers were 4 inches (10.2 cm) larger).[12][13]
The hull ofJohn Mitchell had anoverall length of 440 feet (134 m), and alength between perpendiculars of 420 feet (128 m).[11][12][14] Her beam was 52 feet (15.8 m) wide, while her hull was 23 feet (7.0 m) (some sources state 28 feet (8.5 m)) deep.[11][12][14][15]John Mitchell had agross tonnage of 4,468 tons, anet tonnage of 3,246 tons, and a cargo capacity of 7,500 long tons (7,620 t).[11][12][15][16]
She was powered by a 1,442 hp (1,075 kW)triple expansion steam engine, which had the builder's number 344; the cylinders of the engine were 21 inches (53.3 cm), 34.5 inches (87.6 cm) and 57 inches (144.8 cm) in diameter, and had astroke of 42 inches (106.7 cm).[b][11][12] Steam for the engine was provided by two coal-fired, single-ended 180pounds per square inch (1,200 kPa) 13 feet (4.0 m) by 11.6 feet (3.5 m)Scotch marine boilers. The engine was built by the Great Lakes Engineering Works, while the boilers were manufactured by the Marine Boiler Works ofToledo, Ohio.[11][12]
John Mitchell was named after Captain John Mitchell, aCanadian-American vessel owner and operator, andCleveland, Ohio, resident who may also have had an interest in her.[13][15] She was launched into the St. Clair River on November 28, 1906, as yard number 26.[12][15] After she was launched, the shipyard worked through the remainder of 1906, and early 1907 to complete her, after which, they started buildingWilliam B. Davock.[12][15]
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John Mitchell was built for the Cornell Steamship Company ofChicago, Illinois, which was managed by C.W. Elphicke (Elphicke & Company), also of Chicago.[11][13][15] She was firstenrolled atPort Huron, Michigan, on April 2, 1907.[15] She was re-enrolled inDetroit, Michigan, on April 7, and was permanently enrolled in Cleveland on May 13.[15] Her home port wasFairport, Ohio.John Mitchell entered service later in 1907.[15] She carried coal onupbound voyages, and iron ore ondownbound ones.[17][18]
The only known incident inJohn Mitchell's career prior to her loss occurred on October 14, 1908, when while loaded withiron ore from aLake Superior port, she ran aground at the harbour entrance atIndiana Harbor, Indiana.[17] The grounding occurred as a result of water levels 2 feet (0.6 m) lower than usual, which resulted from strong winds that had been blowing for the previous 24 hours.[17][19]John Mitchell sustained no damage, and was freed by thetugsG.W. Gnau andTomlinson.[17]
After loading 7,000 long tons (7,112 t) to 7,500 long tons (7,620 t) of coal bound forSuperior, Wisconsin, at the Erie coal dock,John Mitchell leftBuffalo, New York, at 2:00 a.m. on July 7, 1911, under the command of Captain John H. Massey.[18][20] In addition to Captain Massey, there were 33 passengers and crew, including six women and a small boy on board.[20][21][22]
Early on the morning of July 10,John Mitchell entered Lake Superior.[14][20] As she was passingIle Parisienne, she encountered fog, which heavily thickened by the time she passedWhitefish Point severely reducing visibility.[23] When she was offVermilion Point, about 10 miles (16 km) west ofWhitefish Point,John Mitchell was inexplicably rammed in herportbow by the unladen bulk freighterWilliam Henry Mack.[20] There was no time to avoid the collision, with Captain Massey only managing to soundJohn Mitchell's whistle once beforeWilliam Henry Mack's bow cut deeply intoJohn Mitchell's hull.[20] Following the collision,John Mitchell immediately took on alist to port due to the rapid influx of water.[20]John Mitchell'sforemast fell ontoWilliam Henry Mack's deck, briefly keeping the two vessels together.[20] After establishing thatJohn Mitchell would not remain afloat, a ladder was placed between her stern deck andWilliam Henry Mack's deck.[20][24]
The majority of the passengers and crew climbed over toWilliam Henry Mack, while three men and three women escaped using a lifeboat.[20][24] Seven minutes after the collision,John Mitchell capsized and sank.[20][24] The suction created by her sinking capsized the lifeboat.[20][24] Sixteen year-old passenger Fay Clemens, one of the six people in the overturned lifeboat was able to getWilliam Henry Mack's crew to throw her a line, which she fastened to the overturned lifeboat, enabling two crew ofWilliam Henry Mack to right it.[18][20][24] As she was sinking, three crewmen, second officer Archie Causley, watchman George Austin and steward Albert "Al" Clemens, father of Fay Clemens jumped overboard to aid in the rescue, and were sucked under and drowned whenJohn Mitchell sank.[18][20][24]William Henry Mack remained afloat, and headed forSault Ste. Marie, Michigan.[18]
At $240,000 (equivalent to $5.86 million in 2024[c]),John Mitchell was the worst insurance loss on theGreat Lakes in 1911.[25]
An investigation conducted inMarquette, Michigan, byUnited States inspectors Charles M. Gooding and Charles M. York found Captain George H. Burnham ofWilliam Henry Mack largely responsible for the collision.[23][26] It was found that at the timeJohn Mitchell encountered fog off Ile Parisienne, herfog whistle was sounded, and her speed was reduced to 7 miles per hour (6.1 kn).[23] It was discovered that asWilliam Henry Mack was travelling 16 miles (26 km) east-southeast ofManitou Island, she encountered a thick fog bank, sounded her fog whistle, but did not reduce her approximate speed of 12 miles per hour (10.4 kn).[23] Evidence given by Captain Massey and Captain Burnham regarding the fog signals conflicted. Captain Burnham claimed that he sounded the correct passing signals, while also claiming he heard no signals fromJohn Mitchell.[23] However, Captain Massey claimed that he exchanged the appropriate passing signals. Evidence given by the captains was supported by their respective crews.[23] Captain Massey's licence was suspended for 30 days, while Captain Burnham's licence was suspended for 12 months.[26]
The wreck ofJohn Mitchell was discovered in 1972, resting upside down in between 140 feet (43 m) and 150 feet (46 m) (some sources state 120 feet (37 m) and 150 feet (46 m)) of water, roughly 3 miles (5 km) west-northwest off Whitefish Point.[27][28][29] Although resting upside-down,John Mitchell's wreck is penetrable.[30] The cargo holds, intact engine room,steering quadrant room, and some cabins are accessible.[30][31][32][33] The engine room and steering quadrant room are accessible through a gangway located on theJohn Mitchell'sstarboard side, near herstern.[31] Mostly overlooked by divers, the wreck is protected by the 376-square-mile (970 km2)Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve as part of an underwater museum.[34] The wreck of the steel freighterJohn B. Cowle is located east ofJohn Mitchell.[28] There is usually a mooring line on her rudder.[31]
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Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1911 | |
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