Steel-hulled Package Freighter / Barge)

Identification & Specifications

Final Voyage & Wreck – September 16, 1912

  • Incident: During a sudden gale on Lake Erie, the Spokane was driven onto a rock pinnacle, causing her Hull to break in two—a catastrophic failure consistent with brittle fracture in steel vessels under stress.
  • Outcome: Declared a Total Loss; crew escaped with no reported casualties.

Historical Significance

  • Possibly the first steel vessel on Lake Superior, marking the transition in maritime engineering from iron/wood to steel hulls on the Great Lakes
  • Her wreck demonstrates the inherent risks early steel hulls faced in severe gales, particularly when they were structurally stressed by grounding on rock formations
    (Wikipedia)

Wreck Site & Condition

  • Location: On a rock pinnacle in Lake Erie (specific coordinates unconfirmed; likely near headlands or shoals known for storm-driven wrecks)
  • Condition: Severely broken midships; remained a navigational hazard until removal efforts by salvage companies
  • Site Status: No modern remote-sensing surveys located; wreckage likely salvaged or submerged below surface debris levels

Explorer & Research Recommendations

  • Locate Salvage Records
    • Investigate Reid Wrecking Co. documentation or marine underwriters’ burial records in Port Huron for site location details
  • Archive Newspaper Reports
    • Search Detroit and Cleveland newspapers from mid-September 1912 for storm coverage and wreck notices near coastal shoals
  • Side-scan Sonar Survey
    • Map rocky shoal zones along Lake Erie coast—particularly west of Port Stanley or near Pelee Island—to detect structural remains
  • Steel Ship Transition Study
    • Analyze fleet registries from late 19th century to verify Spokane’s standing as earliest steel vessel on Lake Superior

Summary

The Spokane stands as a key transitional vessel—an early steel-hulled ship that met a dramatic end in a Lake Erie gale, breaking in two upon striking submerged rock. Though her wreck hasn’t been located, her historical value as one of the earliest steel freighters is high. A combined archival and field-based investigation could help mark the final resting place of a pioneer of steel shipping on the Great Lakes.