Identification & Site Information
- Name: No. 12
- Type: Wooden Dredge Barge (river/dock service)
- Built: Unknown; non-powered Barge
- Official number: Not documented
- Dimensions & Tonnage: Not recorded
- Used on: Detroit River (River Rouge, Michigan)
- Date lost: 12 May 1901
- Location: River Rouge, on Detroit River, Michigan
- Final Disposition: Burned to a Total Loss at her dock when nearby lumber yards caught fire
- Casualties: None recorded (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, Genealogy Trails, Bowling Green State University, Toledo’s Attic)
Vessel Type
A non-propelled wooden Dredge Barge used for in‑river construction or maintenance projects. It was likely owned or chartered by a dredging/Tug company active in the River Rouge industrial zone.
Description
As a typical Dredge Barge, No. 12 possessed a simple wooden Hull and open Deck, equipped to hold dredged material. Lacking propulsion, it would have been towed by Tug during operations.
History
- Prior to loss: Operated on the Detroit River near River Rouge.
- Owner at time of loss: Carkin, Stickney & Cram Tug Co., Detroit — as noted in connection with Tug “Cora.” (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
Final Disposition
On 12 May 1901, an inferno swept through multiple lumber yards along the River Rouge waterfront. No. 12 burned completely at her dock in the blaze, and was deemed a Total Loss. (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files) No structures remained, and she was uninsured or unrecoverable.
Located By & Date Found
No salvage or archaeological survey was recorded. The charred remains were likely removed or scrapped following the fire; no wreckage persists.
Notmar & Advisories
No Notice to Mariners exists for this incident. Modern conditions in the Detroit River require caution near industrial docks and riverfront sites, some of which remain restricted operational zones.
Resources & Links
- Entry “No. 12” in Great Lakes Shipwreck Files detailing fire loss, operator, and date (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
Conclusion
No. 12 represents a category of industrial river barges common in early-20th-century Great Lakes shipping and maintenance. Lost to an industrial fire while docked during the Lumber District conflagration, her destruction underscores the vulnerability of wooden river craft amidst intense facility fires. Today, she remains a footnote in Detroit River maritime-industrial history, with no remains to explore.
Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms
- Keywords: Dredge Barge, River Rouge, Detroit River, dock fire, 1901
- Categories: Wooden barges, industrial marine losses, Detroit River maritime incidents
- Glossary:
- Dredge Barge: A Barge used to collect and carry sediment removed during river maintenance.
- Total Loss: A vessel destroyed beyond repair, especially by fire.
- Dock conflagration: A large waterfront fire, often originating in lumber or industrial yards.