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SS Choctaw

SS Choctaw was a steel-hulled American freighter in service between 1892 and 1915, on the Great Lakes of North America. She was a so-called monitor vessel, containing elements of traditional lake freighters and the whaleback ships designed by Alexander McDougall. Choctaw was built in 1892 by the Cleveland Shipbuilding Company in Cleveland, Ohio, and was originally owned by the Lake Superior Iron Company. She was sold to the Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company in 1894 and spent the rest of her working life with it. On her regular route between Detroit, Escanaba, Marquette (all in Michigan), and Cleveland, she carried iron ore downbound, and coal upbound.

SS Choctaw painted by Great Lakes marine artist Howard Freeman Sprague (1871–1899)
History
United States
NameChoctaw
NamesakeChoctaw people
Operator
Port of registryIshpeming, Michigan, United States
BuilderCleveland Shipbuilding Company
Yard number17
LaunchedMay 25, 1892
In serviceJune 24, 1892
Out of serviceJuly 11, 1915
IdentificationUS official number 126874
FateRammed by the Canadian steamer Wahcondah on Lake Huron, sinking shortly after the collision
Wreck discovered May 23, 2017
General characteristics
Class and typeLake freighter
Tonnage
Length266.9 ft (81.4 m)
Beam38.1 ft (11.6 m)
Depth17.9 ft (5.5 m)
Installed power
Propulsion1 × fixed pitch propeller
Capacity2,800 short tons (2,500 t)
Crew22

On July 11, 1915, in foggy conditions, Choctaw was upbound for Marquette on Lake Huron with a cargo of coal from Cleveland. East of Presque Isle Light, the freighter was rammed by the downbound Canadian canaller Wahcondah. Although Choctaw sank in only 17 minutes, her crew of 22 escaped, and was picked up by Wahcondah.

For a long time, shipwreck hunters searched for the wreck of Choctaw due to her unique design. The wreck was located by a team from the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary on May 23, 2017, almost 102 years after she sank. She was discovered resting under 300 feet (90 meters) of water, lying on her starboard side with the bow partially buried in the lake bottom. The wreck was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 10, 2018.

History edit

Background edit

In 1843, the gunship USS Michigan, built in Erie, Pennsylvania, became the first iron-hulled vessel built on the Great Lakes.[1] In the mid-1840s, Canadian companies began importing iron vessels prefabricated by shipyards in the United Kingdom. However, it would not be until 1862 that the first iron-hulled merchant ship, Merchant, was built on the Great Lakes.[1] Despite the success of Merchant, wooden vessels remained preferable to iron ones until the 1880s, due to their inexpensiveness, and the abundance of timber.[2][3][4] In the early 1880s, shipyards around the Great Lakes began to construct iron ships on a relatively large scale; in 1882, Onoko, an iron freighter, temporarily became the largest ship on the lakes.[4][5] In 1884, the first steel freighters were built on the Great Lakes, and by the 1890s, the majority of ships constructed on the lakes were made of steel.[6][7]

Throughout the 1880s, the iron ore trade on the Great Lakes grew exponentially, primarily due to the increasing size of the lake freighters, and the rise in the number of trips made by ore boats to the ore docks of Lake Superior.[8] As the railways were unable to keep up with the rapid production of iron ore (which was normally destined for foundries in Ohio and Pennsylvania), most of it was transported by bulk freighters.[8] The quantity of iron ore mined from around Lake Superior rose from around 3,500,000 long tons (3,556,164 t) in 1886, to over 9,000,000 long tons (9,144,422 t) in 1890.[9]

Design and construction edit

Named after the Choctaw Indian tribe from the southern United States, Choctaw was built in 1892, on the banks of the Cuyahoga River by the Cleveland Shipbuilding Company for the Lake Superior Iron Company of Ishpeming, Michigan.[10][11][12] Her hull was 266.9 feet (81.4 m) in length with a 38.1-foot (11.6 m) beam,[13] and had a 17.9-foot-deep (5.5 m) hold and water bottom. She had a gross register tonnage of 1573.61 tons and a net register tonnage of 1256.28 tons.[10][14]

 
Cross section of Choctaw

The vessel had a cutaway stern and seven cargo hatches, and there were no interior bulkheads between the forward collision bulkhead and the engine bulkhead in her stern. Choctaw could carry 2,800 short tons (2,500 t) of cargo; when she was fully loaded, she had a 16-foot (4.9 m) draught.[15] She was powered by a 900 hp (670 kW) triple expansion steam engine, steam for which was provided by two coal-fired Scotch marine boilers.[11][16][17]

Designed by Swedish naval architect Arendt Ångström,[18] Choctaw had an unusual design. She was a steel freighter similar to the iconic whaleback design invented by Captain Alexander McDougall, but unlike a whaleback, she had straight sides and a conventional bow.[19] This combination meant from the waterline upward, her sides sloped inward in a "tumblehome" configuration. Ships with this hybrid design were known as "monitors", "semi-whalebacks" or "straight-backs", and like the true whalebacks, they were vulnerable to getting a wet deck in stormy conditions.[11][20][21] Choctaw was one of only three semi-whaleback ships ever built; she had an identical sister ship named Andaste and a "near-sister" ship named Yuma.[11][16][17][a]

Service history edit

 
Choctaw, beached, following her collision with L.C. Waldo

Choctaw was launched on May 25, 1892, as hull number 17[24] and entered service later in 1892, with the official number 126874.[10] Her regular route was between Detroit, Escanaba, Marquette (all in Michigan), and Cleveland, Ohio.[25] She carried iron ore while downbound from Escanaba and Marquette for foundries in Detroit and Cleveland, and carried coal upbound, which fueled the mining equipment.[25] Choctaw made her maiden voyage to Marquette in June 1892.[14] In 1894, she was sold to the Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company.[10]

When Choctaw was travelling on Lake St. Clair on April 19, 1893, one of her cylinder heads exploded, scalding two firemen to death, and severely injuring another.[14][16][17] On May 20, 1896, Choctaw collided with the larger steel freighter L.C. Waldo, which tore a 10-foot (3.0 m) hole in Choctaw's starboard side; she sank onto a shoal at the Soo Locks.[14] On June 1, 1896, temporary repairs were made to Choctaw in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, before she sailed to Cleveland, Ohio.[14][26][27]

At around 12:00 p.m. (EST) on May 26, 1900, Choctaw ran aground near Pointe aux Pins on Lake Superior, near Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.[28] On April 26, 1902, Choctaw struck a rock or hit the bottom after being lifted by waves near Marquette, and partially sank after reaching the shelter of Marquette Harbour.[17][29]

Choctaw was in Marquette Harbour on November 9, 1913, during that year's Great Lakes Storm when her Captain Charles A. Fox saw the 545-foot-long (166 m) steel freighter Henry B. Smith leave the shelter of the harbour. This was the last time Henry B. Smith was seen afloat; she was one of the twelve ships that were lost during the storm.[30]

Final voyage and collision edit

 
Wahcondah c. 1911

On July 11, 1915, the weather conditions on Lake Huron were very foggy.[31] Choctaw, under the command of Captain Fox, was upbound from Cleveland for Marquette with a cargo of coal.[17][32] At around 4:30 a.m. (EST), the Canadian canaller Wahcondah, which was downbound with a cargo of wheat from Fort William, Ontario to Montreal,[33] sighted Choctaw.[34][35] The captain of Wahcondah ordered the engines of his ship to be reversed but this did not stop Wahcondah from slicing into the port side of Choctaw between her first and second cargo hatches.[34] After the collision, the captain of Wahcondah lost sight of Choctaw.[35] The crew of Wahcondah relocated Choctaw after sighting her tall funnel through the heavy fog. Eventually, Captain Fox ordered Choctaw's lifeboats to be lowered but the vessel sank so quickly some of her crew could not make it to her lifeboats in time and had to jump overboard.[36][37][38][39] The crew of Choctaw reached Wahcondah in their own lifeboats.[40] Although Choctaw sank in only 17 minutes, her entire crew of 22 escaped.[14][17][41][b] Despite her bow sustaining significant damage, Wahcondah stayed afloat and took the crew of Choctaw to Sarnia, Ontario.[43][37][44] The approximate location of Choctaw's sinking was given as five–six miles (8.0–9.7 km) east of Presque Isle Light.[45] According to Fox:

We did not see the Wahcondah until she was within ten feet [3.0 m] of us. She caught us on the port side and struck beams or else she would have cut us in two. We put off in the lifeboats as quickly as possible after we knew the ship could not float. The Choctaw listed to port and began to go down at the head. Then she righted and began to list to the starboard. As she shifted to starboard her stern rose out of the water and she rolled over, going down bottom side up. We were in the yawl boats about 400 feet [120 m] away when she rolled. It sounded as if a million dishes and hundreds of sticks were being broken as the ship rolled over.[46]

The day after she sank, Captain Nelson Brown of the steamer James H. Reed spotted Choctaw's upper cabins floating off Presque Isle, Michigan, and was able to read the ship's name as he approached them.[35][43][47] Nine days after Choctaw sank, 40 feet (12 m) of her cabin and several timbers were discovered one mile (1.6 km) north of Middle Island by the coast guard, and a lighthouse keeper.[47][48][49]

Investigation edit

After Choctaw sank, Cleveland-Cliffs libeled Wahcondah, alleging that she was travelling at an excessive speed for the conditions, and should be held responsible for the collision.[50] Choctaw's crew corroborated her owner's claims.[50] Captain Cornelius Dineen accepted the accusation against his vessel, but claimed that Choctaw was also running at full speed, did not maintain a lookout, and accepted Wahcondah's passing signal instead of sounding her alarm and reversing.[33][50] An examination of Choctaw's logbook revealed that despite the fog, she had travelled at full speed throughout the entire year, including at the time of the collision.[50] The judge presiding over the case ruled that Choctaw and Wahcondah were both at fault.[50] Cleveland-Cliffs appealed the decision, claiming that the judge had no right to disregard the testimony of Choctaw's crew based on the logbook details, and argued that not checking a vessel's speed in fog was not a punishable offence.[50] They further argued that the lookout was not needed at the Choctaw's bow because of the monitor ship's high-visibility design, and that even a properly positioned lookout would have had difficulty communicating with the helmsman 200 feet (61.0 m) feet away.[50] The court did not accept this argument, stating that:

His absence from the ordinary and proper location at the bow cannot be justified for these reasons. We find no evidence of such custom; nor is the ship’s type a sufficient excuse. The sea was smooth, and there would have been no difficulty in standing on the bow turret, and that location, seemingly, would not have been beyond calling distance for making reports.[50]

The court eventually determined that:

There is fair probability that they might have avoided this mistake. This view leads to the conclusion that the Choctaw should be condemned for the lack of lookout, and that the damages should be divided.[50]

Choctaw was insured for $80,200 (equivalent to $1.75 million in 2023), while her cargo was valued at $80,000 (equivalent to $1.74 million in 2023).[51][46]

Wreck edit

Choctaw (shipwreck)
 
 
 
 
Coordinates45°32′03″N 83°30′33″W / 45.534270°N 83.509270°W / 45.534270; -83.509270
NRHP reference No.100003214[52][53]
Added to NRHPDecember 10, 2018

Searches edit

Choctaw was a highly sought-after shipwreck due to her unique design. Several unsuccessful attempts to locate the ship were made; several of them resulted in the discovery of one or more other wrecks.[17][54] Shipwreck hunter Stan Stock conducted an independent search for Choctaw in 2003; he located the wreck of the schooner Kyle Spangler but failed to find Choctaw.[17][55] Shipwreck hunters from the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary collaborated with Stock in 2008 to map the wreck of Kyle Spangler. In August 2008, they partnered with the University of Rhode Island but rather than finding Choctaw, they located the wreck of the passenger steamer Messenger.[17]

In 2011, a group consisting of expert shipwreck hunters and high school students tried to locate Choctaw. Their search effort was charted in a documentary named "Project Shiphunt". Although they failed to locate Choctaw, they found the wrecks of the steel hulled freighter Etruria, which sank on the lake after a collision with the steamer Amasa Stone,[56] and the schooner M.F. Merrick, which sank in 1889 after a collision with the steamer Rufus P. Ranney.[54][57][58]

Discovery edit

 
Side-scan sonar image of Choctaw

Between April and July 2017, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary collaborated with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Ocean Exploration and Research to test new equipment including unmanned aircraft systems and autonomous underwater vehicles that were designed to search for missing shipwrecks.[59] On May 23, 2017, researchers from Thunder Bay Marine Sanctuary discovered two shipwrecks in the deep waters of Lake Huron,[60][61] off the coast of Presque Isle.[59][62] The researchers carried out several investigations between June and August; these investigations confirmed the identities of Choctaw and the early wooden-hulled freighter Ohio.[62][63][64] Both wrecks are in a place known as "Shipwreck Alley", which is a 448-square-mile (1,160 km2) area of the Lake Huron shoreline that holds an estimated 200 shipwrecks. The US federal government named the area the nation's first National Freshwater Marine Sanctuary in 2000.[65][66]

Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary did not announce their discovery until September 1, 2017, and avocational shipwreck hunters continued to search for Choctaw.[67] On August 13, 2017, independent researcher Dan Fountain found Choctaw using a modified fishfinder. On August 20, he returned to the site with veteran shipwreck hunters Ken Merryman and Jerry Eliason to survey the wreck with Eliason's homemade high definition drop video system, positively identifying the wreck as Choctaw.[67]

Choctaw today edit

 
Propeller of Choctaw

The remains of Choctaw rest under 300 feet (91 m) of cold, fresh water.[31] The wreck rests on her starboard side, nearly upside down, with the exposed section of her hull rising at an angle from the lake bottom. The upper level of her stern cabins broke away when she sank, leaving only the weather deck level cabins intact. The wreckage of her pilothouse lies beside her hull.[47] The entire bow, including the section between the first and the second hatch where the collision occurred, is completely buried and only the last three of her seven cargo hatches remain exposed.[17] There is a sizeable debris field surrounding her wreck, with most of the visible artefacts located near her stern.[47]

The wreck of Choctaw was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 10, 2018, for its state-level significance in engineering and maritime history.[53][68]

Notes edit

  1. ^ Even though Andaste is considered to be Choctaw's only truly identical sister ship, Yuma looked similar and fell into the same monitor category as the other two. Yuma sailed from her construction in 1893, was renamed Cohasset, and sank in 1948 in Chesapeake Bay.[10][22][23]
  2. ^ Although there were no deaths in Choctaw's sinking, the crew were originally reported as drowned.[42]

References edit

  1. ^ a b Bugbee (1) (1962), p. 24.
  2. ^ Bugbee (1) (1962), p. 26.
  3. ^ Bowlus (2010), p. 85.
  4. ^ a b Thompson (1994), p. 32.
  5. ^ Bugbee (2) (1962), p. 48.
  6. ^ Bugbee (2) (1962), p. 49.
  7. ^ Bugbee (2) (1962), p. 51.
  8. ^ a b National Park Service (1) (2018), p. 16.
  9. ^ National Park Service (1) (2018), p. 43.
  10. ^ a b c d e Bowling Green State University (2) (2010).
  11. ^ a b c d Michigan Shipwreck Research Association (2020).
  12. ^ Greenwood 1998, p. 8.
  13. ^ Devendorf 1996, p. 80.
  14. ^ a b c d e f Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library (2020).
  15. ^ "Lake Marine News". The Plain Dealer. April 1, 1892. p. 4.
  16. ^ a b c National Park Service (1) (2018), p. 7.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g h i j National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2) (2017).
  18. ^ The Marine Review (1893), p. 8.
  19. ^ Vanderlinden & Bascom 1994, pp. 25–26.
  20. ^ National Park Service (1) (2018), p. 5.
  21. ^ Boyer 1989, pp. 59–79.
  22. ^ Bowling Green State University (1) (2010).
  23. ^ Bowling Green State University (3) (2010).
  24. ^ Swayze (2001).
  25. ^ a b National Park Service (1) (2018), pp. 4–5.
  26. ^ Maritime History of the Great Lakes (1) (1896).
  27. ^ Maritime History of the Great Lakes (2) (1896).
  28. ^ Maritime History of the Great Lakes (1900).
  29. ^ Steamboat–Inspection Service (1903), p. 69.
  30. ^ Thompson 2004, p. 353.
  31. ^ a b Adkins (2017).
  32. ^ National Park Service (1) (2018), p. 8.
  33. ^ a b Toronto Marine Historical Society (1980).
  34. ^ a b The Buffalo Enquirer (1915), p. 3.
  35. ^ a b c The Times Herald (1915), p. 1.
  36. ^ The Sheboygan Press (1915), p. 1.
  37. ^ a b Waukegan News-Sun (1915), p. 5.
  38. ^ The Dispatch (1915), p. 1.
  39. ^ South Bend News-Times (1915).
  40. ^ Demers (1915), p. 1.
  41. ^ Escanaba Morning Press (1915), p. 1.
  42. ^ The Tulsa Democrat (1915), p. 1.
  43. ^ a b Detroit Free Press (1915), p. 13.
  44. ^ The Bridgeport Evening Farmer (1915).
  45. ^ National Park Service (1) (2018), p. 10.
  46. ^ a b The Buffalo Commercial (1) (1915), p. 9.
  47. ^ a b c d National Park Service (1) (2018), p. 12.
  48. ^ The Buffalo Commercial (2) (1915).
  49. ^ St. Joseph Daily Press (1915), p. 5.
  50. ^ a b c d e f g h i National Park Service (1) (2018), p. 9.
  51. ^ Johnston, Louis & Williamson, Samuel H. (2023). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved November 30, 2023. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the MeasuringWorth series.
  52. ^ National Park Service (1) (2018).
  53. ^ a b National Park Service (2) (2018).
  54. ^ a b National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2) (2011).
  55. ^ Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary (2021).
  56. ^ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (1) (2011).
  57. ^ Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library (1) (2021).
  58. ^ Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library (2) (2021).
  59. ^ a b National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (1) (2017).
  60. ^ Friends of the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary (2017).
  61. ^ Ainsworth (2017).
  62. ^ a b Karoub (2017).
  63. ^ Association for Great Lakes Maritime History (2018).
  64. ^ Tuninson (2017).
  65. ^ The Toronto Sun (2017).
  66. ^ National Public Radio (2017).
  67. ^ a b Bleck (2017).
  68. ^ National Park Service (1) (2018), pp. 13–21.

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  • "Yuma". Bowling Green, Ohio: Bowling Green State University. 2010. from the original on December 4, 2020. Retrieved March 4, 2018.

External links edit

  •   Media related to Choctaw (ship, 1892) at Wikimedia Commons

choctaw, other, ships, with, similar, name, steel, hulled, american, freighter, service, between, 1892, 1915, great, lakes, north, america, called, monitor, vessel, containing, elements, traditional, lake, freighters, whaleback, ships, designed, alexander, mcd. For other ships with a similar name see USS Choctaw SS Choctaw was a steel hulled American freighter in service between 1892 and 1915 on the Great Lakes of North America She was a so called monitor vessel containing elements of traditional lake freighters and the whaleback ships designed by Alexander McDougall Choctaw was built in 1892 by the Cleveland Shipbuilding Company in Cleveland Ohio and was originally owned by the Lake Superior Iron Company She was sold to the Cleveland Cliffs Iron Company in 1894 and spent the rest of her working life with it On her regular route between Detroit Escanaba Marquette all in Michigan and Cleveland she carried iron ore downbound and coal upbound SS Choctaw painted by Great Lakes marine artist Howard Freeman Sprague 1871 1899 History United States NameChoctaw NamesakeChoctaw people OperatorLake Superior Iron Company 1892 1894 Cleveland Cliffs Iron Company 1894 1915 Port of registryIshpeming Michigan United States BuilderCleveland Shipbuilding Company Yard number17 LaunchedMay 25 1892 In serviceJune 24 1892 Out of serviceJuly 11 1915 IdentificationUS official number 126874 FateRammed by the Canadian steamer Wahcondah on Lake Huron sinking shortly after the collision Wreck discovered May 23 2017General characteristics Class and typeLake freighter Tonnage1573 61 gross register tons 1256 28 net register tons Length266 9 ft 81 4 m Beam38 1 ft 11 6 m Depth17 9 ft 5 5 m Installed powerEngine 900 hp 670 kW triple expansion steam engine Boilers 2 Scotch marine boilers Propulsion1 fixed pitch propeller Capacity2 800 short tons 2 500 t Crew22 On July 11 1915 in foggy conditions Choctaw was upbound for Marquette on Lake Huron with a cargo of coal from Cleveland East of Presque Isle Light the freighter was rammed by the downbound Canadian canaller Wahcondah Although Choctaw sank in only 17 minutes her crew of 22 escaped and was picked up by Wahcondah For a long time shipwreck hunters searched for the wreck of Choctaw due to her unique design The wreck was located by a team from the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary on May 23 2017 almost 102 years after she sank She was discovered resting under 300 feet 90 meters of water lying on her starboard side with the bow partially buried in the lake bottom The wreck was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 10 2018 Contents 1 History 1 1 Background 1 2 Design and construction 1 3 Service history 1 4 Final voyage and collision 1 4 1 Investigation 2 Wreck 2 1 Searches 2 2 Discovery 2 3 Choctaw today 3 Notes 4 References 5 Sources 6 External linksHistory editBackground edit In 1843 the gunship USS Michigan built in Erie Pennsylvania became the first iron hulled vessel built on the Great Lakes 1 In the mid 1840s Canadian companies began importing iron vessels prefabricated by shipyards in the United Kingdom However it would not be until 1862 that the first iron hulled merchant ship Merchant was built on the Great Lakes 1 Despite the success of Merchant wooden vessels remained preferable to iron ones until the 1880s due to their inexpensiveness and the abundance of timber 2 3 4 In the early 1880s shipyards around the Great Lakes began to construct iron ships on a relatively large scale in 1882 Onoko an iron freighter temporarily became the largest ship on the lakes 4 5 In 1884 the first steel freighters were built on the Great Lakes and by the 1890s the majority of ships constructed on the lakes were made of steel 6 7 Throughout the 1880s the iron ore trade on the Great Lakes grew exponentially primarily due to the increasing size of the lake freighters and the rise in the number of trips made by ore boats to the ore docks of Lake Superior 8 As the railways were unable to keep up with the rapid production of iron ore which was normally destined for foundries in Ohio and Pennsylvania most of it was transported by bulk freighters 8 The quantity of iron ore mined from around Lake Superior rose from around 3 500 000 long tons 3 556 164 t in 1886 to over 9 000 000 long tons 9 144 422 t in 1890 9 Design and construction edit Named after the Choctaw Indian tribe from the southern United States Choctaw was built in 1892 on the banks of the Cuyahoga River by the Cleveland Shipbuilding Company for the Lake Superior Iron Company of Ishpeming Michigan 10 11 12 Her hull was 266 9 feet 81 4 m in length with a 38 1 foot 11 6 m beam 13 and had a 17 9 foot deep 5 5 m hold and water bottom She had a gross register tonnage of 1573 61 tons and a net register tonnage of 1256 28 tons 10 14 nbsp Cross section of Choctaw The vessel had a cutaway stern and seven cargo hatches and there were no interior bulkheads between the forward collision bulkhead and the engine bulkhead in her stern Choctaw could carry 2 800 short tons 2 500 t of cargo when she was fully loaded she had a 16 foot 4 9 m draught 15 She was powered by a 900 hp 670 kW triple expansion steam engine steam for which was provided by two coal fired Scotch marine boilers 11 16 17 Designed by Swedish naval architect Arendt Angstrom 18 Choctaw had an unusual design She was a steel freighter similar to the iconic whaleback design invented by Captain Alexander McDougall but unlike a whaleback she had straight sides and a conventional bow 19 This combination meant from the waterline upward her sides sloped inward in a tumblehome configuration Ships with this hybrid design were known as monitors semi whalebacks or straight backs and like the true whalebacks they were vulnerable to getting a wet deck in stormy conditions 11 20 21 Choctaw was one of only three semi whaleback ships ever built she had an identical sister ship named Andaste and a near sister ship named Yuma 11 16 17 a Service history edit nbsp Choctaw beached following her collision with L C Waldo Choctaw was launched on May 25 1892 as hull number 17 24 and entered service later in 1892 with the official number 126874 10 Her regular route was between Detroit Escanaba Marquette all in Michigan and Cleveland Ohio 25 She carried iron ore while downbound from Escanaba and Marquette for foundries in Detroit and Cleveland and carried coal upbound which fueled the mining equipment 25 Choctaw made her maiden voyage to Marquette in June 1892 14 In 1894 she was sold to the Cleveland Cliffs Iron Company 10 When Choctaw was travelling on Lake St Clair on April 19 1893 one of her cylinder heads exploded scalding two firemen to death and severely injuring another 14 16 17 On May 20 1896 Choctaw collided with the larger steel freighter L C Waldo which tore a 10 foot 3 0 m hole in Choctaw s starboard side she sank onto a shoal at the Soo Locks 14 On June 1 1896 temporary repairs were made to Choctaw in Sault Ste Marie Michigan before she sailed to Cleveland Ohio 14 26 27 At around 12 00 p m EST on May 26 1900 Choctaw ran aground near Pointe aux Pins on Lake Superior near Sault Ste Marie Ontario 28 On April 26 1902 Choctaw struck a rock or hit the bottom after being lifted by waves near Marquette and partially sank after reaching the shelter of Marquette Harbour 17 29 Choctaw was in Marquette Harbour on November 9 1913 during that year s Great Lakes Storm when her Captain Charles A Fox saw the 545 foot long 166 m steel freighter Henry B Smith leave the shelter of the harbour This was the last time Henry B Smith was seen afloat she was one of the twelve ships that were lost during the storm 30 Final voyage and collision edit nbsp Wahcondah c 1911 On July 11 1915 the weather conditions on Lake Huron were very foggy 31 Choctaw under the command of Captain Fox was upbound from Cleveland for Marquette with a cargo of coal 17 32 At around 4 30 a m EST the Canadian canaller Wahcondah which was downbound with a cargo of wheat from Fort William Ontario to Montreal 33 sighted Choctaw 34 35 The captain of Wahcondah ordered the engines of his ship to be reversed but this did not stop Wahcondah from slicing into the port side of Choctaw between her first and second cargo hatches 34 After the collision the captain of Wahcondah lost sight of Choctaw 35 The crew of Wahcondah relocated Choctaw after sighting her tall funnel through the heavy fog Eventually Captain Fox ordered Choctaw s lifeboats to be lowered but the vessel sank so quickly some of her crew could not make it to her lifeboats in time and had to jump overboard 36 37 38 39 The crew of Choctaw reached Wahcondah in their own lifeboats 40 Although Choctaw sank in only 17 minutes her entire crew of 22 escaped 14 17 41 b Despite her bow sustaining significant damage Wahcondah stayed afloat and took the crew of Choctaw to Sarnia Ontario 43 37 44 The approximate location of Choctaw s sinking was given as five six miles 8 0 9 7 km east of Presque Isle Light 45 According to Fox We did not see the Wahcondah until she was within ten feet 3 0 m of us She caught us on the port side and struck beams or else she would have cut us in two We put off in the lifeboats as quickly as possible after we knew the ship could not float The Choctaw listed to port and began to go down at the head Then she righted and began to list to the starboard As she shifted to starboard her stern rose out of the water and she rolled over going down bottom side up We were in the yawl boats about 400 feet 120 m away when she rolled It sounded as if a million dishes and hundreds of sticks were being broken as the ship rolled over 46 The day after she sank Captain Nelson Brown of the steamer James H Reed spotted Choctaw s upper cabins floating off Presque Isle Michigan and was able to read the ship s name as he approached them 35 43 47 Nine days after Choctaw sank 40 feet 12 m of her cabin and several timbers were discovered one mile 1 6 km north of Middle Island by the coast guard and a lighthouse keeper 47 48 49 Investigation editAfter Choctaw sank Cleveland Cliffs libeled Wahcondah alleging that she was travelling at an excessive speed for the conditions and should be held responsible for the collision 50 Choctaw s crew corroborated her owner s claims 50 Captain Cornelius Dineen accepted the accusation against his vessel but claimed that Choctaw was also running at full speed did not maintain a lookout and accepted Wahcondah s passing signal instead of sounding her alarm and reversing 33 50 An examination of Choctaw s logbook revealed that despite the fog she had travelled at full speed throughout the entire year including at the time of the collision 50 The judge presiding over the case ruled that Choctaw and Wahcondah were both at fault 50 Cleveland Cliffs appealed the decision claiming that the judge had no right to disregard the testimony of Choctaw s crew based on the logbook details and argued that not checking a vessel s speed in fog was not a punishable offence 50 They further argued that the lookout was not needed at the Choctaw s bow because of the monitor ship s high visibility design and that even a properly positioned lookout would have had difficulty communicating with the helmsman 200 feet 61 0 m feet away 50 The court did not accept this argument stating that His absence from the ordinary and proper location at the bow cannot be justified for these reasons We find no evidence of such custom nor is the ship s type a sufficient excuse The sea was smooth and there would have been no difficulty in standing on the bow turret and that location seemingly would not have been beyond calling distance for making reports 50 The court eventually determined that There is fair probability that they might have avoided this mistake This view leads to the conclusion that the Choctaw should be condemned for the lack of lookout and that the damages should be divided 50 Choctaw was insured for 80 200 equivalent to 1 75 million in 2023 while her cargo was valued at 80 000 equivalent to 1 74 million in 2023 51 46 Wreck editChoctaw shipwreck U S National Register of Historic Places nbsp nbsp Show map of Michigan nbsp nbsp Show map of the United StatesCoordinates45 32 03 N 83 30 33 W 45 534270 N 83 509270 W 45 534270 83 509270NRHP reference No 100003214 52 53 Added to NRHPDecember 10 2018 Searches edit Choctaw was a highly sought after shipwreck due to her unique design Several unsuccessful attempts to locate the ship were made several of them resulted in the discovery of one or more other wrecks 17 54 Shipwreck hunter Stan Stock conducted an independent search for Choctaw in 2003 he located the wreck of the schooner Kyle Spangler but failed to find Choctaw 17 55 Shipwreck hunters from the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary collaborated with Stock in 2008 to map the wreck of Kyle Spangler In August 2008 they partnered with the University of Rhode Island but rather than finding Choctaw they located the wreck of the passenger steamer Messenger 17 In 2011 a group consisting of expert shipwreck hunters and high school students tried to locate Choctaw Their search effort was charted in a documentary named Project Shiphunt Although they failed to locate Choctaw they found the wrecks of the steel hulled freighter Etruria which sank on the lake after a collision with the steamer Amasa Stone 56 and the schooner M F Merrick which sank in 1889 after a collision with the steamer Rufus P Ranney 54 57 58 Discovery edit nbsp Side scan sonar image of Choctaw Between April and July 2017 Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary collaborated with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research to test new equipment including unmanned aircraft systems and autonomous underwater vehicles that were designed to search for missing shipwrecks 59 On May 23 2017 researchers from Thunder Bay Marine Sanctuary discovered two shipwrecks in the deep waters of Lake Huron 60 61 off the coast of Presque Isle 59 62 The researchers carried out several investigations between June and August these investigations confirmed the identities of Choctaw and the early wooden hulled freighter Ohio 62 63 64 Both wrecks are in a place known as Shipwreck Alley which is a 448 square mile 1 160 km2 area of the Lake Huron shoreline that holds an estimated 200 shipwrecks The US federal government named the area the nation s first National Freshwater Marine Sanctuary in 2000 65 66 Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary did not announce their discovery until September 1 2017 and avocational shipwreck hunters continued to search for Choctaw 67 On August 13 2017 independent researcher Dan Fountain found Choctaw using a modified fishfinder On August 20 he returned to the site with veteran shipwreck hunters Ken Merryman and Jerry Eliason to survey the wreck with Eliason s homemade high definition drop video system positively identifying the wreck as Choctaw 67 Choctaw today edit nbsp Propeller of Choctaw The remains of Choctaw rest under 300 feet 91 m of cold fresh water 31 The wreck rests on her starboard side nearly upside down with the exposed section of her hull rising at an angle from the lake bottom The upper level of her stern cabins broke away when she sank leaving only the weather deck level cabins intact The wreckage of her pilothouse lies beside her hull 47 The entire bow including the section between the first and the second hatch where the collision occurred is completely buried and only the last three of her seven cargo hatches remain exposed 17 There is a sizeable debris field surrounding her wreck with most of the visible artefacts located near her stern 47 The wreck of Choctaw was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 10 2018 for its state level significance in engineering and maritime history 53 68 Notes edit Even though Andaste is considered to be Choctaw s only truly identical sister ship Yuma looked similar and fell into the same monitor category as the other two Yuma sailed from her construction in 1893 was renamed Cohasset and sank in 1948 in Chesapeake Bay 10 22 23 Although there were no deaths in Choctaw s sinking the crew were originally reported as drowned 42 References edit a b Bugbee 1 1962 p 24 Bugbee 1 1962 p 26 Bowlus 2010 p 85 a b Thompson 1994 p 32 Bugbee 2 1962 p 48 Bugbee 2 1962 p 49 Bugbee 2 1962 p 51 a b National Park Service 1 2018 p 16 National Park Service 1 2018 p 43 a b c d e Bowling Green State University 2 2010 a b c d Michigan Shipwreck Research Association 2020 Greenwood 1998 p 8 Devendorf 1996 p 80 a b c d e f Alpena County George N Fletcher Public Library 2020 Lake Marine News The Plain Dealer April 1 1892 p 4 a b c National Park Service 1 2018 p 7 a b c d e f g h i j National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2 2017 The Marine Review 1893 p 8 Vanderlinden amp Bascom 1994 pp 25 26 National Park Service 1 2018 p 5 Boyer 1989 pp 59 79 Bowling Green State University 1 2010 Bowling Green State University 3 2010 Swayze 2001 a b National Park Service 1 2018 pp 4 5 Maritime History of the Great Lakes 1 1896 Maritime History of the Great Lakes 2 1896 Maritime History of the Great Lakes 1900 Steamboat Inspection Service 1903 p 69 Thompson 2004 p 353 a b Adkins 2017 National Park Service 1 2018 p 8 a b Toronto Marine Historical Society 1980 a b The Buffalo Enquirer 1915 p 3 a b c The Times Herald 1915 p 1 The Sheboygan Press 1915 p 1 a b Waukegan News Sun 1915 p 5 The Dispatch 1915 p 1 South Bend News Times 1915 Demers 1915 p 1 Escanaba Morning Press 1915 p 1 The Tulsa Democrat 1915 p 1 a b Detroit Free Press 1915 p 13 The Bridgeport Evening Farmer 1915 National Park Service 1 2018 p 10 a b The Buffalo Commercial 1 1915 p 9 a b c d National Park Service 1 2018 p 12 The Buffalo Commercial 2 1915 St Joseph Daily Press 1915 p 5 a b c d e f g h i National Park Service 1 2018 p 9 Johnston Louis amp Williamson Samuel H 2023 What Was the U S GDP Then MeasuringWorth Retrieved November 30 2023 United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the MeasuringWorth series National Park Service 1 2018 a b National Park Service 2 2018 a b National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2 2011 Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary 2021 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 1 2011 Alpena County George N Fletcher Public Library 1 2021 Alpena County George N Fletcher Public Library 2 2021 a b National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 1 2017 Friends of the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary 2017 Ainsworth 2017 a b Karoub 2017 Association for Great Lakes Maritime History 2018 Tuninson 2017 The Toronto Sun 2017 National Public Radio 2017 a b Bleck 2017 National Park Service 1 2018 pp 13 21 Sources edit 2017 Award Program Madison Wisconsin Association for Great Lakes Maritime History 2018 Archived from the original on March 25 2018 Retrieved March 25 2018 Adkins Corey 2017 Northern Michigan in Focus Shipwreck Discoveries Cadillac Michigan WWTV Archived from the original on December 21 2018 Retrieved December 21 2018 Ainsworth Amber 2017 Researchers Discover Remains of 2 Century old Shipwrecks in Lake Huron Detroit Michigan WDIV TV Archived from the original on January 8 2021 Retrieved December 8 2020 Andaste Bowling Green Ohio Bowling Green State University 2010 Archived from the original on January 8 2021 Retrieved March 4 2018 Andaste Holland Michigan Michigan Shipwreck Research Association 2020 Archived from the original on January 3 2018 Retrieved March 4 2018 Bleck Christie 2017 In Lake Huron Underwater Treasures and a Marine Sanctuary Boost Tourism Industry Marquette Michigan The Mining Journal Archived from the original on December 17 2019 Retrieved January 13 2020 Boat Was Cut in Two Crew of Sixteen Saved Waukegan Illinois Waukegan News Sun 1915 Archived from the original on November 26 2021 Retrieved November 27 2021 via Newspapers com Bowlus W Bruce 2010 Iron Ore Transport on the Great Lakes The Development of a Delivery System to Feed American Industry Jefferson North Carolina McFarland amp Company Inc ISBN 978 0 786433 26 1 Archived from the original on August 14 2021 Retrieved March 3 2021 Boyer Dwight 1989 1968 Ghost Ships of the Great Lakes New York City Dodd Mead and Company ISBN 978 0 912514 47 5 Bugbee 1 Gordon P 1962 Iron Merchant Ships An Upper Lakes Centennial Part One PDF Detroit Michigan Great Lakes Maritime Institute Archived PDF from the original on July 13 2021 Retrieved February 21 2021 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint numeric names authors list link Bugbee 2 Gordon P 1962 Iron Merchant Ships An Upper Lakes Centennial Part Two PDF Detroit Michigan Great Lakes Maritime Institute Archived PDF from the original on May 20 2021 Retrieved February 21 2021 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint numeric names authors list link Captain And Crew of Choctaw Safe Tulsa Oklahoma The Tulsa Democrat 1915 Archived from the original on November 26 2021 Retrieved November 27 2021 via Newspapers com Capt Fox s Statement Buffalo New York The Buffalo Enquirer 1915 Archived from the original on November 27 2021 Retrieved November 27 2021 via Newspapers com Choctaw Bowling Green Ohio Bowling Green State University 2010 Archived from the original on January 8 2021 Retrieved March 4 2018 Choctaw 1892 Bulk Freighter Alpena Michigan Alpena County George N Fletcher Public Library 2020 Archived from the original on April 29 2018 Retrieved April 28 2018 Choctaw Propeller U126874 sunk by collision 20 May 1896 Ontario Canada Maritime History of the Great Lakes 1896 Archived from the original on January 8 2021 Retrieved March 23 2018 Choctaw Propeller U126874 aground 26 May 1900 Ontario Canada Maritime History of the Great Lakes 1900 Archived from the original on January 8 2021 Retrieved March 23 2018 Choctaw Shipwreck Site National Register of Historic Places Registration Form PDF Washington D C National Park Service 2018 Archived from the original PDF on January 1 2019 Retrieved December 31 2018 Crew of Choctaw Is Safe Sheboygan Wisconsin The Sheboygan Press 1915 Archived from the original on November 26 2021 Retrieved November 27 2021 via Newspapers com Crew of Choctaw Landed Safely After Ship Sinks Detroit Michigan Detroit Free Press 1915 Archived from the original on November 26 2021 Retrieved November 27 2021 via Newspapers com Cool Nerve Saved Many Escanaba Michigan Escanaba Morning Press 1915 Archived from the original on November 27 2021 Retrieved November 27 2021 via Newspapers com Demers L A 1915 Wreck Report For the Choctaw and the Wahcondah 1915 PDF London Board of Trade Archived PDF from the original on April 28 2018 Retrieved March 5 2018 Details of the Collision of the Steamers Choctaw and Wahcondah Buffalo New York The Buffalo Commercial 1915 Archived from the original on November 26 2021 Retrieved November 27 2021 via Newspapers com Devendorf John F 1996 Great Lakes Bulk Carriers 1869 1985 Niles Michigan J F Devendorf ISBN 978 1 889043 03 6 Etruria Washington D C National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2011 Archived from the original on May 12 2018 Retrieved May 11 2018 Finding History The Discovery of Two Lost Shipwrecks in Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary Washington D C National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2017 Archived from the original on March 24 2018 Retrieved March 4 2018 Greenwood John Orville 1998 The fleets of Cleveland Cliffs Detroit and Cleveland Navigation Traverse City Transportation and the Hawgood Family Grand Rapids Michigan Freshwater Press ISBN 978 0 912514 57 4 Archived from the original on January 26 2022 Retrieved March 25 2018 The Choctaw was named for the Choctaw Indian tribe of the southern United States In Lake Huron Underwater Treasures and a Marine Sanctuary Boost Tourism Industry Washington D C National Public Radio 2017 Archived from the original on January 7 2021 Retrieved May 1 2018 Karoub Jeff 2017 Two Century old Shipwrecks Discovered in Lake Huron Detroit Michigan The Detroit News Archived from the original on November 11 2020 Retrieved March 23 2018 Kyle Spangler Alpena Michigan Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary 2021 Archived from the original on September 9 2021 Retrieved December 18 2021 L C Waldo Propeller U141421 collision 20 May 1896 Ontario Canada Maritime History of the Great Lakes 1896 Archived from the original on March 24 2018 Retrieved March 23 2018 Merrick M F 1863 Schooner Alpena Michigan Alpena County George N Fletcher Public Library 2021 Archived from the original on December 18 2021 Retrieved December 18 2021 National Resister of Historic Places Weekly List 20181210 Washington D C National Park Service 2018 Archived from the original on December 19 2018 Retrieved December 19 2018 Pick Up Wreckage of Lost Steamer St Joseph Michigan St Joseph Daily Press 1915 Archived from the original on November 27 2021 Retrieved November 27 2021 via Newspapers com Project Shiphunt Washington D C National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2011 Archived from the original on August 12 2011 Retrieved March 11 2018 Ranney Rufis P 1881 Bulk Freighter Alpena Michigan Alpena County George N Fletcher Public Library 2021 Archived from the original on December 18 2021 Retrieved December 18 2021 Saves Wrecked Crew Choctaw Goes Down Before Men Can Launch Lifeboats South Bend Indiana South Bend News Times 1915 Archived from the original on May 2 2018 Retrieved March 5 2018 via Library of Congress Scientific Men in Lake Ship Yards Cleveland Ohio The Marine Review 1893 Archived from the original on February 16 2022 Retrieved March 11 2021 Ship of the Month No 96 Wahcondah Toronto Ontario Toronto Marine Historical Society 1980 Archived from the original on March 18 2016 Retrieved March 5 2018 Steamboat Inspection Service 1903 Annual Report of the Supervising Inspector general Steamboat inspection Service Year ending June 30 1903 Washington D C Government Printing Office Archived from the original on January 24 2021 Retrieved May 7 2020 via HathiTrust Steamer Sinks After Collision Crew Reaches Port Bridgeport Connecticut The Bridgeport Evening Farmer 1915 Archived from the original on April 6 2019 Retrieved January 12 2019 via Library of Congress Str Choctaw Is Sent to the Bottom in a Dense Fog Port Huron Michigan The Times Herald 1915 Archived from the original on November 26 2021 Retrieved November 27 2021 via Newspapers com Swayze David D 2001 Great Lakes Shipwrecks C Port Huron Michigan Boatnerd Archived from the original on June 15 2002 Retrieved January 6 2021 Thompson Mark L 2004 Graveyard of the Lakes Great Lakes Books Series Detroit Wayne State University Press ISBN 978 0 814332 26 9 Archived from the original on January 9 2021 Retrieved January 7 2021 Thompson Mark L 1994 Queen of the Lakes Detroit Michigan Wayne State University Press ISBN 0 8143 2393 6 Archived from the original on August 14 2021 Retrieved February 24 2021 Two Historic Great Lakes Shipwrecks Discovered in Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary Alpena Michigan Friends of the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary 2017 Archived from the original on January 13 2019 Retrieved January 12 2019 Two Historic Shipwrecks Discovered in Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary Washington D C National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2017 Archived from the original on December 21 2018 Retrieved March 4 2018 Two Century old Shipwrecks Found in Lake Huron Toronto Ontario The Toronto Sun 2017 Archived from the original on February 16 2022 Retrieved March 25 2018 Tuninson John 2017 Two Century old Steamer Shipwrecks Discovered in Lake Huron Grand Rapids Michigan Mlive Archived from the original on January 9 2021 Retrieved May 1 2018 Vanderlinden Peter J Bascom John H 1994 1979 Great Lakes Ships We Remember Vol 1 Cleveland Freshwater Press pp 25 26 ISBN 978 0 912514 24 6 Wrecked Crew Is Saved Moline Illinois The Dispatch 1915 Archived from the original on November 26 2021 Retrieved November 27 2021 via Newspapers com Wreckage From Choctaw Buffalo New York The Buffalo Commercial 1915 Archived from the original on November 27 2021 Retrieved November 27 2021 via Newspapers com Yuma Bowling Green Ohio Bowling Green State University 2010 Archived from the original on December 4 2020 Retrieved March 4 2018 External links edit nbsp Media related to Choctaw ship 1892 at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title SS Choctaw amp oldid 1171109520, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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