Identification & Wreck Details

  • Name at loss: Russel Roque (initially launched as Camilla, renamed in 1909)
  • Official Number: C100024
  • Build Year & Location: 1890 at Roaches Point, Ontario
  • Type: Wooden-hulled, screw-driven steam Tug
  • Dimensions: Approximately 66 ft × 13 ft; 39 gross tons, 27 net tons
  • Final Fate: Burned to a Total Loss at the wharf in Gore Bay harbor, Manitoulin Island, Lake Huron on August 16, 1931 (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
  • Casualties & Cargo: None reported; vessel was not carrying cargo
  • Home Port: Toronto

Construction & Service Life

Built in 1890, Camilla served as a sturdy wood-hulled steam Tug before being renamed Russel Roque in 1909 . Over its four decades of service, it likely operated across Lake Huron and possibly in and out of Toronto, supporting log towing, shipping, and harbor work typical of Great Lakes tugs of the era.

Fire & Total Loss (August 16, 1931)

On August 16, 1931, while docked in Gore Bay on Manitoulin Island, the Russel Roque caught fire and was “burned to a Total Loss at the wharf.” No injuries were reported, and the vessel was deemed unsalvageable (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files).

Wreck & Site Status

  • Site: Located at Gore Bay harbor, Lake Huron
  • Condition: Completely destroyed by fire; no remains salvaged and Hull was beyond repair. Specifics—whether she sank or was dismantled in place—are absent from available records.
  • Navigational Impact: No Notices to Mariners recorded; destroyed at wharf suggests debris cleared locally, with no lasting hazard.

Sources & Potential Further Research

  • Great Lakes wreck database (GreatLakesRex – “R – Great Lakes Shipwreck Files”): Provides official number, build data, renaming history, and loss specifics (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
  • Archives to consult:
    1. Local newspapers from Gore Bay (Mid‑August 1931)—may include fire accounts with greater detail.
    2. Insurance and firefighting logs—City of Gore Bay archives or Ontario provincial records.
    3. Toronto shipping registries—the “surrendered registry” record post-fire.
    4. Hydrographic surveys—some early navigational charts noted wrecked tugs.

Significance & Summary

The Russel Roque exemplifies late-19th-century steam Tug operations on the Great Lakes. Its loss at Gore Bay in 1931 following a catastrophic dockside fire closes a 41-year career tied to regional industry. While the vessel no longer survives, its story reflects the risks and lifespans of working steam tugs.