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SS William C. Moreland

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Coordinates: 47°25.047′N 88°19.421′W / 47.417450°N 88.323683°W / 47.417450; -88.323683
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47°25.047′N 88°19.421′W / 47.417450°N 88.323683°W / 47.417450; -88.323683

William C. Moreland on Sawtooth Reef
c. November 1910
History
United States
NameWilliam C. Moreland
OwnerJones and Laughlin Steel Company
OperatorInterstate Steamship Company
Port of registryDuluth, Minnesota
BuilderAmerican Ship Building Company, Lorain, Ohio
Yard number387
Laid downMay 10, 1910
LaunchedJuly 27, 1910
ChristenedEsther Moreland
Maiden voyageSeptember 1, 1910
Out of serviceOctober 18, 1910
IdentificationUS official number 207851
FateWrecked on Lake Superior
General characteristics
Class & typeLake freighter
Tonnage
Length
  • 600 feet (182.9 m) LOA
  • 580 feet (176.8 m) LBP
Beam58 feet (17.7 m)
Depth32 feet (9.8 m)
Installed power
Propulsion1 × fixed pitch propeller
Capacity12,000 long tons (12,193 t)
Crew25

SS William C. Moreland was a steel–hulled American lake freighter in service for less than two months in late–1910. She was built between May and July 1910, by the American Ship Building Company of Lorain, Ohio, for the Interstate Steamship Company, a subsidiary of Jones and Laughlin Steel Company. She entered service on September 1, 1910, upon undertaking her maiden voyage for Superior, Wisconsin. She usually carried coal on upbound voyages, and iron ore when downbound.

At 03:55 on October 18, 1910, William C. Moreland departed Superior amid clement weather, laden with 10,700 long tons (10,872 t) of iron ore destined for Ashtabula, Ohio. With her crew's visibility obscured by several forest fires on the Keweenaw Peninsula, William C. Moreland struck Sawtooth Reef near Eagle River, Michigan, shortly before 21:00 (EST), while running at full speed. Due to her extreme speed and the momentum generated by the immense mass of her cargo, William C. Moreland ran over the first ridges of the reef, coming to a halt over the rocks of the second; all efforts by the crew to free her proved fruitless.

The following day, a storm beset her wreck, moving it further onto the reef and preventing any salvage work. On the morning of October 20, William C. Moreland's hull broke in half between the 10th and 11th hatches, followed by a further split in the hull between the 22nd and 23rd hatches a few hours later. She was abandoned to the underwriters on November 2, by which time approximately 7,000 long tons (7,112 t) of her cargo was dumped into Lake Superior. Salvage efforts, which were plagued by turbulent weather and several mishaps, ended on September 1, 1911, with the recovery of only William C. Moreland's stern, which was later repurposed in the construction of the freighter Sir Trevor Dawson. William C. Moreland's bow section eventually slipped off the reef into 25–40 feet (7.6–12.2 m) of water, where it has since been flattened by ice and waves, eventually ecoming a prominent feature of the Keweenaw Underwater Preserve.

History

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Background

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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. The first iron-hulled merchant ship built on the Great Lakes, Merchant, was constructed in 1862.[1] Despite the success of Merchant, wooden vessels remained preferable to iron ones until the 1880s, due to their lower cost 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.[4][5] In 1884, the first steel freighters were built on the Great Lakes.[6][7] By the 1890s, the majority of ships built on the lakes were steel–hulled.[8] The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw a rapid increase in the size of lake freighters; the first 400-foot (121.9 m) freighter was built in 1895, the first 500-foot (152.4 m) freighter was constructed five years later.[9] These vessels were themselves superseded in size by 1906, upon the arrival of freighters 600 feet (182.9 m) in length.[10]

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.[11] As the railways were unable to keep up with the rapid production of iron ore, most of it was transported by bulk freighters.[11]

With the unprecedented and rapid increase in demand for steel within the United States around the advent of the 20th century, the Jones and Laughlin Steel Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, seeking to facilitate the transport of their raw materials, ventured into the Great Lakes trade in 1906 by ordering the construction of two identical 552 foot (168.2 m) freighters, B.F. Jones and James Laughlin, from the Great Lakes Engineering Works of Ecorse, Michigan.[a][12][13] Both of the vessels operated for the Interstate Steamship company, a subsidiary of Jones and Laughlin based in Cleveland, Ohio, and managed by William Horace Becker, a prominent local fleet manager.[12][13]

To further sate the expanding demand for steel, Jones and Laughlin commissioned two identical vessels for the Interstate Steamship Company; William C. Moreland, and Willis L. King, the latter of which was constructed at the Great Lakes Engineering Works in Ecorse.[14][15]

Design and construction

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William C. Moreland (US official number 207851) was built on the banks of the Black River by the American Ship Building Company in Lorain, Ohio.[12] She was the third and final boat constructed at the yard in 1910.[16][17] Assigned the yard number 387, her keel was laid down on May 10, 1910.[12] She was named in honour of William C. Moreland, a Pittsburgh city lawyer, who additionally held the position of vice president within the Jones and Laughlin Steel Company.[16] By the time her construction concluded, William C. Moreland, one of the so-called "standard 600-footer class", was one of the largest vessels on the lakes.[18][19][20] Her launching took place at 11:30 on July 27, in the presence of a large crowd, which contained numerous officials from Jones and Laughlin, including her namesake. She was christened by Moreland's niece, Esther, and cost nearly $450,000 (equivalent to $10.6 million in 2023[b]) to build.[16][19][21]

Designed with an arched frame system designed to create an unobstructed cargo hold while offering the strength provided by the stanchions of earlier lake freighters, William C. Moreland was built with 35 cargo hatches spaced 12 feet (3.7 m) apart, to optimally accommodate loading at the cargo docks.[22][23] The hatches provided access to her three cargo holds, which were located within the confines of three watertight bulkheads, and allowed her to carry loads of up to 12,000 long tons (12,193 t).[12][22] Additionally, William C. Moreland featured side-ballast tanks located between the hull plating and the cargo hold beneath the deck arches, a feature which similarly to arched hull reinforcement had become a universal feature of lake freighters around the turn of the century.[c][24]

The hull of William C. Moreland had an overall length of 600 feet (182.9 m), a length between perpendiculars of 580 feet (176.8 m), as well as a beam 58 feet (17.7 m) in width.[16][22] The moulded depth (roughly speaking, the vertical height of William C. Moreland's hull) was 32 feet (9.8 m).[16] The measurements of her register tonnage were calculated as 7,514 gross register tons and 5,803 net register tons, respectively.[22][25]

William C. Moreland was powered by a 2,000 hp (1,500 kW) 85 rpm triple-expansion steam engine; the cylinders of the engine were 24 inches (61.0 cm), 39 inches (99.1 cm) and 65 inches (165.1 cm) in diameter, and had a stroke of 42 inches (106.7 cm).[26][22] Steam was provided by two coal–fired, single–ended Scotch marine boilers 16 feet (4.9 m) in diameter, 11 feet 6 inches (3.5 m) in length, with a working pressure of 170-pound-per-square-inch (1,200 kPa). The boilers were each fitted with 6 furnaces, accounting for a combined grate surface of 126 square feet (11.7 m2), and a total heating surface of 6,338 square feet (588.8 m2). Both the engine and boilers were manufactured by William C. Moreland's builder.[26][22]

Service history and final voyage

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Wreck location

Following the successful completion of her sea trials, William C. Moreland was accepted by, and delivered to her owners. She was temporarily enrolled at Cleveland, on August 23, 1910, receiving her permanent registration in Duluth, Minnesota, on September 6.[16][27] She entered service on September 1, under Captain Claude M. Ennes, undertaking her maiden voyage in light trim for Superior, Wisconsin, where she loaded a cargo of iron ore. By mid-October, William C. Moreland had completed four voyages, usually shuttling coal on upbound voyages, and iron ore when travelling downbound.[16][27] The Toronto Marine Historical Society, which extensively covered the career of William C. Moreland in a 1998 article, surmised her dearth of completed voyages occurred likely as a result of her return to Lorain, for adjustments.[27] She was set to be equipped with a wireless system following the completion of her fifth voyage.[28]

William C. Moreland departed Superior, on what was to be her fifth round trip at 3:55 (EST) on the morning of October 18, 1910, under the command of Ennes. She was laden with 10,722 long tons (10,894 t) of iron ore valued at $43,000 (equivalent to $1.02 million in 2023[b], destined for Ashtabula, Ohio.[27][29] Weather conditions on Lake Superior were clement, lacking in notable wind or wave action.[27] As she passed Devils Island within the Apostles at 10:00, her course was altered to E × N ¼ N, placing her 1.75 miles (2.8 km) from shore, mirroring the route of her previous voyages. Around this time, her crew's visibility became partially, albeit not severely obscured by a shroud of smoke originating from several large forest fires burning on the Keweenaw Peninsula, resulting from the prevailing drought-like conditions on the Upper Peninsula at the time.[16][27][30] Ennes instructed his crew to report to him once Eagle Harbor Light was within sight.[30] Shortly before 21:00, Ennes was summoned to the bridge by the mate, who, unsure of William C. Moreland's position, had sighted an unidentified flashing white light. Shortly after his arrival, William C. Moreland ran full steam onto Sawtooth Reef, 1 mile (1.6 km) from Eagle River, Michigan, and 21 miles (33.8 km) northeast of the life–saving station at the Portage Canal.[16][27][31] Owing to her speed and extreme inertia resulting from the immense mass of her cargo, William C. Moreland struck and practically bounced over the first ridges of the reef, coming to a halt over the second ridges. Her bow and the after end of her mid section came to rest on the reef, with her bow in 16 feet (4.9 m) of water, her stern in 19 feet (5.8 m), while her mid section (around the 22nd cargo hatch) lay 30 feet (9.1 m) above the lake bottom. Her crew attempted to back her off the reef, to no avail. Both of her first compartments on both port and starboard sides, as well as her forepeak filled with water as a result of damage sustained.[27][31][32]

Ennes and two crewmen took a yawl ashore by 23:30 to notify both Becker and the surfboat crew from the Portage Life–Saving Station of the grounding by wire and telephone respectively. The surfboat crew and Ennes both arrived on the scene at roughly 03:00 on October 19.[31][33] At roughly 07:00, the beginnings of a storm encroached upon the wrecked William C. Moreland from the north-northeast, gradually worsening until achieving gale force winds by 12:00.[27][31] The severity of the gale necessitated the evacuation of the 25 stranded crewmen by the lifesaving crew over the course of two trips to the shore, removing 12 on the first, and 13 on the second.[29][34] Prior to departing William C. Moreland's wreck, her crew filled her ballast tanks to prevent her from suffering possible further damage through her hull pounding on the reef during the storm.[32][35]

Between 04:00 and 05:00 on October 20, the gale had abated somewhat, leading to the lifesavers transporting five crewmen (Ennes, the mate, engineer, oiler and steward) back to the grounded freighter at around 08:00. It had become apparent that the previous night's storm had pushed William C. Moreland further onto the reef, her cargo holds were flooded, and her midsection had developed a pronounced sag. Since the engine and boiler rooms remained free of water, her crew attempted to raise steam.[27][31] Shortly afterwards, William C. Moreland's hull fractured between the 10th and 11th hatches, leading to the removal of those on board. At 14:00, her hull broke again, this time between the 22nd and 23rd hatches.[36] She was the sixteenth vessel to wreck on the rocks of Sawtooth Reef in as many years.[37]

William C. Moreland wreck

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Salvage

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William C. Moreland's buckled hull, the tugs Sarnia City and Manistique (respectively) in the background

Captains Joseph Kidd of Duluth, a representative of the underwriters, and William H. Hill, Interstate Steamship Company's marine superintendent were placed in charge of the salvage efforts on the wreck.[33][38][39] Later on October 20, the tugboat James Whalen and lighter Empire of the Canadian Towing & Wrecking Company Ltd. arrived on the scene from Fort William, Ontario, while the wrecking tug Favorite and the tug C.L. Boynton of the Great Lakes Towing Company arrived on October 21, from Port Huron, Michigan.[d][36][38] While appraising the state of the wreck, Kidd determined that although jettisoning the iron ore had the potential to further exacerbate the fracturing of William C. Moreland's hull, it was only feasible option to allow for a successful salvage. After the arrival of Favorite and C.L. Boynton, lightering work began.[36][40] By 22:00, salvage crews succeeded in removing roughly 2,000–2,500 long tons (2,032–2,540 t) of iron ore, when a gale with 24 miles per hour (38.6 km/h) winds forced the abandonment of the operation.[40][41] The salvage crews sought shelter in Lily Pond, within the Portage Canal. The crack between the 22nd and 23rd hatches further widened over the nights of October 22 and 23, her hull settling by 18 inches (45.7 cm) at the stern.[e][40]

Turbulent weather prohibited salvors from resuming work on the wreck until 04:00, on October 23. Favorite's pumps where set at the 6th, 8th, 14th and 18th hatches, while William C. Morelad's own pumps were likewise activated.[39] That same day, the wrecking tug J.D. Morrison and lighter Imperial arrived at the site from Port Arthur, Ontario.[40] However, later that day, after further jettisoning a significant amount of William C. Moreland's cargo, another strong storm forced the salvors to seek shelter within the Portage Canal.[39][40] The weather rendered them unable to reach the wreck until October 25, when efforts to remove her cargo recommenced, and the holes in her hull were patched as well as possible. Growing wind once again forced the abandonment of the wreck until about 12:00 the next day, where efforts to remove her cargo continued, but were once again disrupted by heavy weather, again necessitating a retreat into the Portage Canal.[40][45] On October 27, The Buffalo Commercial of Buffalo, New York, reported that chances of recovering William C. Moreland would "not be very good", if weather continuously forced the wreckers to abandon their efforts.[46] The Collingwood Bulletin of Collingwood, Ontario, reported the wreckers' intention to cut the wreck in two, to salvage her stern and machinery.[47] Work on the wreck resumed at around 09:00, on October 30, and continued until 20:00, when weather again thwarted their efforts.[48] They were able to return to the wreck at approximately 11:00 the following day. By 10:00 on November 1, William C. Moreland's hull had been re–floated around the 12th hatch, while her third cargo hold had almost been pumped free of water. However, by 16:00, her hull began to twist and break apart, leading to the flooding of the first cargo hold. The wind increased again, prompting salvors to abandon her wreck once again.[40][49] In a report by The Plain Dealer, Hill claimed William C. Moreland's wreck was "in bad shape and is not worth saving".[50]

Kidd described William C. Moreland as "about the worst wreck" he had ever seen on the Great Lakes.[51] Owing to the condition of the wreck and the lack of success endured by the salvors, Becker abandoned her to the underwriters as a total loss on November 2, by which time approximately 7,000 long tons (7,112 t) of her cargo had been discarded into Lake Superior. By the time she was abandoned, her hull was in three pieces, all roughly identical in length.[52][53] The insurers paid $392,000 (equivalent to $9.27 million in 2023[b]) for William C. Moreland.[f][40] At the time of her grounding, she was the largest vessel ever lost on the Great Lakes.[g][51]

On November 20, the underwriters awarded the Reid Wrecking Company of Sarnia, Ontario, and Port Huron, a "no–cure/no–pay" contract to salvage William C. Moreland.[h] If successful in raising the wreck, the contract stipulated the Reid Wrecking Company would receive 65% of the wreck's sale price, or roughly $75,000 (equivalent to $1.77 million in 2023[b]), upon its successful delivery to Superior.[i][40][58] Shortly after obtaining the salvage contract, James and Thomas Reid, as well as a team lead by diver Louis Meyers arrived at the wreck with the steam lighter Manistique, and the tug Sarnia City. They resumed the removal of the iron ore from William C. Moreland's cargo holds, a process which proceeded slowly, since the cargo had become concreted.[56]

Aftermath

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William C. Moreland's stern section in the St. Marys River, in 1912

On March 25, 1911, William C. Moreland's replacement, the identically sized freighter Thomas Walters was launched in Lorain.[59]

On September 4, 1912, tugs Manistique and James Reid departed the Portage Canal with William C. Moreland's stern in tow, bound for Detroit, Michigan.[60]

The remains of William C. Moreland's forward section rest in 25–40 feet (7.6–12.2 m) of water, roughly 1⁄4 mile (0.4 km) from Eagle River. Despite being flattened as a result of decades of exposure to ice and waves, significant identifiable portions of her bow and machinery remain at the site.[61] The wreck has become a prominent feature of the Keweenaw Underwater Preserve, as its largest wreck.[62]

Notes

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  1. ^ Both vessels were named after founders of the company, Benjamin Franklin Jones, and James H. Laughlin.[12]
  2. ^ a b c d e f 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.
  3. ^ Arched cargo holds and side ballast tanks were first introduced to Great Lakes on the freighter Augustus B. Wolvin, built in 1904.[23]
  4. ^ The Toronto Marine Historical Society stated C.L. Boynton made her way to the wreck from the Soo Locks, rather than Port Huron.[40]
  5. ^ The Detroit Free Press reported that William C. Moreland's hull broke for a third time, abreast of the 4th cargo hatch. This was not reported by any further sources.[42][43][44]
  6. ^ Her cargo was valued at $50,000 (equivalent to $1.18 million in 2023[b]), while the cost of the salvage operations amounted to almost $45,000 (equivalent to $1.06 million in 2023[b]).[28][40]
  7. ^ Since William C. Moreland's wreck was partially recovered, the 550 feet (167.6 m) Canadian freighter James Carruthers, lost in the Great Lakes storm of 1913, became the largest complete wreck on the lakes.[54] She was superseded by the 552 feet (168.2 m) freighters Chester A. Congdon and D.R. Hanna, lost in 1918 and 1919 respectively, which remained the single largest complete wrecks on the lakes until the loss of the self-unloader Carl D. Bradley in 1958.[55]
  8. ^ The Reid Wrecking Company was run by Captain James R. Reid, and his son, Captain Thomas Reid, also known as J.T. "Tom" Reid.[28][56]
  9. ^ "No–cure/no–pay" denotes a salvage contract where the salvor receives payment only if the operation is successful.[28][57]

References

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  1. ^ a b Bugbee (1962a), p. 24.
  2. ^ Bugbee (1962a), p. 26.
  3. ^ Bowlus (2010), p. 85.
  4. ^ a b Thompson (1994), p. 32.
  5. ^ Bugbee (1962b), p. 48.
  6. ^ Bugbee (1962b), p. 50.
  7. ^ Thompson (1994), pp. 40–42.
  8. ^ Bugbee (1962b), pp. 49–51.
  9. ^ Thompson (1994), pp. 59–84.
  10. ^ Thompson (1994), p. 103.
  11. ^ a b National Park Service (2018), p. 16.
  12. ^ a b c d e f Meier (2011), p. 1.
  13. ^ a b Toronto Marine Historical Society (1998), p. 4.
  14. ^ Toronto Marine Historical Society (1998), pp. 4–5.
  15. ^ The Buffalo News (1910a), p. 6.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h i Meier (2011), p. 2.
  17. ^ The Elyria Republican (1910), p. 1.
  18. ^ The Marine Review (1910a), p. 336.
  19. ^ a b The Pittsburgh Post (1910), p. 3.
  20. ^ Driftmyer (1973), pp. 95–96.
  21. ^ The Plain Dealer (1910a), p. 11.
  22. ^ a b c d e f Toronto Marine Historical Society (1998), p. 5.
  23. ^ a b Thompson (1994), pp. 90–92.
  24. ^ Thompson (1994), pp. 91.
  25. ^ Bowling Green State University (2017).
  26. ^ a b Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library (2025).
  27. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Toronto Marine Historical Society (1998), p. 6.
  28. ^ a b c d Meier (2011), p. 4.
  29. ^ a b Gerred (1988), p. 170.
  30. ^ a b Dutton (1949a), p. 12.
  31. ^ a b c d e Dutton (1949a), p. 13.
  32. ^ a b The Plain Dealer (1910b), p. 6.
  33. ^ a b Meier (2011), p. 3.
  34. ^ The Buffalo News (1910b), p. 8.
  35. ^ Amherstburg Echo (1910–1911), p. 66.
  36. ^ a b c Dutton (1949a), p. 14.
  37. ^ The Buffalo News (1910d), p. 17.
  38. ^ a b The Plain Dealer (1910c), p. 13.
  39. ^ a b c Dutton (1949a), pp. 14–15.
  40. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Toronto Marine Historical Society (1998), p. 7.
  41. ^ The Buffalo News (1910c), p. 13.
  42. ^ Detroit Free Press (1910), p. 23.
  43. ^ The Plain Dealer (1910d), p. 13.
  44. ^ Toronto Marine Historical Society (1998), pp. 6–7.
  45. ^ Dutton (1949a), p. 15.
  46. ^ The Buffalo Commercial (1910a), p. 9.
  47. ^ Collingwood Bulletin (1910), p. 4.
  48. ^ Dutton (1949a), pp. 15–16.
  49. ^ Dutton (1949a), p. 16.
  50. ^ The Plain Dealer (1910e), p. 11.
  51. ^ a b Dutton (1949a), p. 17.
  52. ^ The Marine Review (1910b), p. 466.
  53. ^ The Plain Dealer (1910d).
  54. ^ Wicklund (1977), pp. 116–120.
  55. ^ Wicklund (1977), pp. 117–120.
  56. ^ a b Dutton (1949b), p. 76.
  57. ^ International Maritime Organization (1996).
  58. ^ The Buffalo Commercial (1910b), p. 9.
  59. ^ The Marine Review (1911a), p. 158.
  60. ^ Dutton (1949b), p. 78.
  61. ^ Baillod (2003).
  62. ^ Kohl (2005), p. 488.

Sources

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