Twilight of the Great Lakes SteamerOnce the mainstay of the Great Lakes fleet, steam powered freighters are now in the twilight of their era on the inland seas. Once numbering in the hundreds, this class is now represented by only twenty active carriers as of the end of the 2008 shipping season. They range from the ST. MARYS CHALLENGER built in 1906, with over 100 years of steadfast service, to the last steam powered freighter constructed on the lakes, the CANADIAN LEADER, built in 1967. Individual histories are given for each vessel providing details of previous and current operations. These steamers encompass a variety of carrier types, including cement carriers, straight deckers, and self-unloaders. Included are numerous never before published photographs, portraying these vessels in both previous and current operations. |
Contents
A BRIEF HISTORY | 1 |
ALPENA 2 | 14 |
KAYE E BARKER | 31 |
MICHIPICOTEN 3 | 47 |
AMERICAN FORTITUDE | 61 |
RYERSON | 75 |
MONTREALAIS | 88 |
CANADIAN LEADER | 102 |
Common terms and phrases
2008 shipping season ALPENA American Ship Building ANDERSON ARMCO ARTHUR built bulk carriers CALLAWAY CANADIAN LEADER CASON Clair River CLARKE Cleveland Cliffs coal COURTNEY BURTON damages diesel downbound Duluth EDWARD EDWARD L ELTON HOYT 2nd entered service feet forward cabins Fraser Shipyards grain gross tons HERBERT hull Huron Indiana Harbor Inland Steel Interlake JACKSON JAMES NORRIS JOHN G Lake Superior Lakes fleet Lakes freighters Lawrence Seaway lay-up lengthening LEON FRASER load Lock at Sault Lorain lower lakes Marine Marys River Michigan MIDDLETOWN MONTREALAIS MUNSON MURRAY BAY Official Number Oglebay Norton Ohio Ontario operation PHILIP Pittsburgh Steamship Poe Lock Port QUEBECOIS ran aground renamed repairs repowered RYERSON Sault Ste shaft horsepower Ship Building Company ship’s Soo Locks steam turbine steamer Steamship Company Steel fleet stern straight deckers Sturgeon Bay taconite Toledo trade Transportation trip United States Steel unloading boom upbound upper lakes Welland Canal WILFRED SYKES Wisconsin