46°31.085′N84°37.935′W / 46.518083°N 84.632250°W /46.518083; -84.632250
 Sagamore underway in 1892 shortly after its launch. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Sagamore |
| Owner | Huron Barge Company (Pickands, Mathers, & Co, Mgrs.) |
| Port of registry | Marquette, Michigan |
| Builder | American Steel Barge Company |
| Completed | 1892 |
| Fate | Sank nearIroquois Point,Whitefish Bay 29 July 1901 in a collision with theNorthern Queen |
| Notes | Official No. 57932 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Steamer,whaleback,barge |
| Tonnage | 1601Gross Register Tonnage 1557Net Register Tonnage |
| Length | 308 ft (94 m) |
| Beam | 38 ft (12 m) |
| Depth | 24 ft (7.3 m) |
| Notes | Sank with the loss of 3 crewmembers |
TheSagamore is reported to be the best example of awhaleback barge amongGreat Lakes shipwrecks. Only 44 whalebacks were ever built, and out of the 26 that sank, only 8 sank in the Great Lakes, most of them being blown up for blocking shipping channels. She sank in 1901 in theshipping lane near theSoo Locks when she was rammed by the steel steamerNorthern Queen in one ofWhitefish Bay's notorious fogs. Her captain and two crew members went down with her.Artifacts from her wreck were illegally removed in the 1980s. Her artifacts are now the property of the State of Michigan and are on display as a loan to theGreat Lakes Shipwreck Museum. The wreck of theSagamore is protected as part of an underwater museum in theWhitefish Point Underwater Preserve.
TheSS Sagamore's keel was laid 15 December 1891 by theAmerican Steel Barge Company and she was launched 23 July 1892 inSuperior, Wisconsin. She was built as 1,601 gross ton whaleback steamerbarge, 308 feet (94 m) in length, 38 feet (12 m) in beam, and 24 feet (7.3 m) indraft. She was enrolled inMarquette, Michigan. She was sold to the Huron Barge Company and managed byPickands, Mather and Company ofAshtabula, Ohio.[1][2] She was usually towed by herconsort whaleback steamer, thePathfinder.[3] The Sagamore once unloaded a record 3,200 tons of iron ore in 8 hours at Ashtabula in 1893.[2]
On 29 July 1901, theSagamore was anchored just offIroquois Point with her consort, thePathfinder, waiting for one of Whitefish Bay's legendary, thick fogs to clear.[2][3] Both vessels were loaded with iron downbound fromDuluth, Minnesota forLake Erie. The steel steamerNorthern Queen came suddenly through the fog on a collision course for thePathfinder. Thehelmsman of theNorthern Queen changed course to avoid thePathfinder and headed directly for theSagamore. The helmsman did not see theSagamore due to the heavy fog.[2] When theNorthern Queen hit theSagamore on thestarboard side near the afterturret,[4] theSagamore filled with water rapidly and sank. Five of the Sagamore's crew jumped to safety onto the deck of theNorthern Queen, but three were lost. TheSagamore's Captain E. Joiner, the cook, and a sailor died in the collision.[2][3]
The loss of theSagamore was valued at $90,000. Shipwreck historian Cris Kohl reported, "TheNorthern Queen returned toSault Ste. Marie, Michigan with the survivors and to make temporary repairs to her badly damagedhull. She eventually went intodrydock for permanent repairs."[2]
The wreck of theSagamore was discovered in 1962 by Jack Brosco and Robert McCormick of Sault Ste. Marie in 45 to 65 feet (14 to 20 m) of water, mostly intact and sitting upright on a gravel bottom.[3][5][6]Scuba diver and shipwreck historian Cris Kohl reports that theSagamore is "probably the best example of a whaleback steamer that can be found anywhere under the surface of the Great Lakes."[2] Kohl describes theSagamore as a long shipwreck with impressive triple tow rings mounted on her blunt-nosedbow, wide open hatches for easy access, and comfortable ambient lighting for swimming inside herhull. Kohl and other divers warn that theSagamore is not usually buoyed as she lies in the middle of the busyfreightershipping lane near theSoo Locks.[2][7]
TheSagamore's wreck was stripped of her artifacts over the years. Michigan’s Antiquities Act of 1980 prohibited the removal of artifacts from shipwrecks on the Great Lakes bottomlands. TheEvening News reported aMichigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment 1992 raid on theGreat Lakes Shipwreck Museum and its offices that found evidence of 150 artifacts illegally removed from the state-claimed bottomlands, including artifacts from theSagamore.[8] Following a settlement agreement, a single sheave block, shaving mug, pocket watch, mallet, pickax, saucer, and pitcher from theSagamore are now the property of the State of Michigan and are on loan for display in the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.
TheSagamore's wreck is protected for future generations of scuba divers by theWhitefish Point Underwater Preserve as part of an underwater museum. Divers who visit the wreck sites are expected to observe preservation laws and "take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but bubbles".[9] Great Lakes diver Steve Harrington cautions that "divers must be certain of their abilities and equipment" when diving the Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve.[10]
{{isbn}}: ignored ISBN errors (link).Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1901 | |
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