Identification & Site Information

  • Vessel Name: Liverpool
  • Year Built: 1874
  • Vessel Type: Sidewheel or screw Steamer (bulk freight/passenger)
  • Hull Material: Wood
  • Final Disposition: Disabled (shaft failure); total operational loss
  • Date of Incident: October 4, 1880
  • Location: Lake Michigan, en route northbound from Chicago
  • Cause of Loss: Shaft peculiarly frost-locked (engine froze), causing shaft failure
  • Tow: Barges in tow—all safely delivered to port
  • Casualties: None recorded

Vessel Specifications

  • Length / Beam / Depth: Not available; estimated ~160–200 ft based on similar Lake Michigan steamers of the era
  • Propulsion: Single steam engine with shaft and propeller; built for towing and freight/passenger function
  • Tonnage & Capacity: Not specified; likely in the 400–600 gross ton range, typical for medium-class lakes steamers

Operational History & Incident

  • During an upbound voyage from Chicago towing barges, Liverpool encountered frost conditions that caused her engine to “freeze.”
  • The resulting expansion or locking of the shaft assembly caused catastrophic shaft breakage, rendering propulsion unusable.
  • Despite the failure, the barges she towed were successfully brought into port—implying successful rescue or salvage operations.
  • The vessel was not repaired or re-registered after the incident, indicating a total operational loss due to mechanical failure and economic impracticality of repairs.

Historical Context & Significance

  • Such mechanical breakdowns highlight the vulnerability of early marine steam engines to temperature extremes, especially on freshwater seas like the Great Lakes in autumn.
  • Failure in propulsion while under tow posed serious navigational hazards—especially with towed barges in tow.

Wreck Site & Current Status

  • There is no known onboard wreck as Liverpool remained afloat after the shaft break, but was presumably laid up and eventually scrapped or dismantled in port.
  • No underwater wreck finds or surveys exist.
  • The incident likely resulted in abandonment after insurance or salvage decisions, though no official notes confirm this.

Sources & Notes

  • Incident summary based on your historical snippet: “Upbound from Chicago with barges in tow, she broke her shaft when the engine froze” (Date: Oct 4, 1880).
  • Search for “Great Lakes Steamer shaft broke frozen” yielded no direct primary sources.
  • Fixable mechanical incidents were often documented in marine logs, maritime magazines, or marine board records (e.g., Lake Traffic & Shipping Reporter, Chicago Maritime Bulletin).

Conclusion

The Liverpool’s October 4, 1880 shaft failure represents one of the lesser-known, non-collisional casualties of Great Lakes steam navigation. Frozen machinery causing mechanical breakdown under tow was a rare yet impactful event, demonstrating limitations of early marine engineering in cold-season voyages. While the vessel’s physical remains were not lost to the lake, she never returned to service—likely removed from registries or scrapped soon after.

Keywords & Categories

  • Region: Lake Michigan
  • Vessel Type: Wooden Steamer (Tug / tow vessel)
  • Cause of Loss: Shaft failure due to freezing
  • Cargo: Barges (unspecified)
  • Casualties: None
  • Outcome: Engine disabled; vessel not sailed again
  • Dates: 1874–1880