Identification & Key Specs

  • Original Name: Wilkesbarre
  • Renamed: Edward E. Loomis in 1920 after transfer of ownership
  • Official Number: 81 733
  • Hull Number: 92 (Union Dry Dock, Buffalo)
  • Built: Launched 1 Dec 1900 in Buffalo, NY by Union Dry Dock Co. (Great Lakes Vessel History)
  • Type: Steel-hulled package freighter
  • Dimensions:
    • 381.7 ft L × 50.5 ft beam × 14 ft depth
    • 4,153 GRT / 3,311 NRT; remeasured to 4,279 GRT / 3,437 NRT in 1924
  • Machinery: Single-screw powered by a quadruple-expansion steam engine (2,100 hp) and three 12′6″ × 11′6″ cylindrical boilers at 210 psi (Great Lakes Vessel History)
  • Owned By: Lehigh Valley Line (1901–1920), later Great Lakes Transit Corporation (1920–some point), before laid up

Service History

Final Disposition

Summary & Significance

The Wilkesbarre/Edward E. Loomis was one of the largest and most advanced steel package freighters on the Great Lakes at the turn of the 20th century. Its career highlights include:

  • Supporting the bustling Chicago–Buffalo freight corridor
  • Surviving major marine incidents—including collisions with navigational beacons and bulk freighters
  • Serving nearly four decades of operation before obsolescence rendered it economically unviable

Legacy & Historical Value

  • Engineering Precision: Represented the peak of steel-hulled, quadruple-expansion freight engineering in its era
  • Maritime Safety: Involvement in the 1934 W. C. Franz collision illustrates critical rescue role in Great Lakes shipping disasters
  • End of Era: Its scrapping in 1942 marks the twilight of large steam-powered package freighters, giving way to motorized and diesel-powered vessels