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SS Russia (1872)
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SS Russia (1872)
SS Russia was an iron-hulled American Great Lakes package freighter that sank in a Lake Huron gale on April 30, 1909, near DeTour Village, Michigan, with all 22 of her crew and one passenger surviving.
Russia was built in 1872 in Buffalo, New York, by the King Iron Works, with the Gibson & Craig shipyard as the subcontractor. She was built for Charles Ensign of Buffalo and was operated as part of the Holt & Ensign Commercial Line, also of Buffalo. In 1884, after Ensign's death, Russia was sold for the first time. She would end up changing hands multiple times during her career.
In the evening of April 29, 1909, Russia left Alpena, Michigan, with a cargo of cement, wire fencing, galoshes and multiple barrels of dry goods, destined for Duluth, Minnesota. Around the time she passed Middle Island, the breeze which had been following Russia since she left Alpena suddenly began to strengthen; the combination of the gale and her heavy deck load caused Russia to roll severely. An eventual lull in the storm convinced Captain John McLean to continue towards Point DeTour, instead of turning back. However, Russia's cargo shifted, causing her to list to port. Her crew began to move her cargo of cement in order to compensate for the list; after about two hours, she righted herself. However, Russia suddenly rolled over to port and then over to starboard. Further efforts failed to counteract the list. Eventually, Captain McLean ordered the crew to throw the bags of cement into Lake Huron. When this effort to save Russia was also unsuccessful, Captain McLean gave the order to abandon her early in the morning of April 30. The crew and the one passenger boarded the lifeboats and rowed to the DeTour Reef Light.
The wreck of Russia was discovered in 220 feet (67 m) of water on July 23, 2019, over 110 years after she sank, by a team of shipwreck hunters led by Tom Farnquist of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society.
In 1843, the gunship USS Michigan, built in Erie, Pennsylvania, became the first iron-hulled vessel built on the Great Lakes. Beginning 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. Despite the success of Merchant, wooden vessels remained preferable to iron ones until the 1880s, due to their inexpensiveness and the abundance of timber. In the early 1880s, shipyards around the lakes began constructing iron ships on a relatively large scale; in 1882, Onoko, an iron freighter, temporarily became the largest ship on the lakes. 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.
Russia (US official number 110063) was built in 1872 in Buffalo, New York, by the King Iron Works, with the Gibson & Craig shipyard as the subcontractor. She was built under the direction of master carpenter was David Bell. She was launched on August 20, 1872, as hull number #12. Russia was the third of five sister ships built between 1872 and 1873. She was preceded in construction by Cuba, Java and was succeeded in construction by Scotia and Arabia, although, some sources do not acknowledge Arabia as one of Russia's sister ships.
Russia's hull had an overall length of 246 feet (75 m) and a length between perpendiculars of 231.58 feet (70.59 m) (some sources state 231 feet (70 m), 231.7 feet (70.6 m) or 232 feet (71 m)). Her beam was 35.58 feet (10.84 m) (some sources state 35.6 feet (10.9 m), 35.7 feet (10.9 m) or 36 feet (11 m)) wide. Her hull was 13.35 feet (4.07 m) (some sources state 13 feet (4.0 m) or 13.3 feet (4.1 m)) deep. Russia had a gross register tonnage of 1,501.77 (one source states 1,501 and another states 1,502) tons and a net register tonnage of 1,334.57 (one source states 1,335) tons.
Russia was powered by two, two-cylinder 600 hp (450 kW) 72 rpm Steeple compound engines; the cylinders of these engines were 20 inches (51 cm) and 40 inches (100 cm) in diameter, and had a stroke of 36 inches (91 cm). Steam for the engines was produced by two 8 foot (2.4 m) × 16 foot (4.9 m) 75 psi firebox boilers. The engine and boilers were manufactured by the King Iron Works. She was propelled by two fixed pitch propellers.
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SS Russia (1872)
SS Russia was an iron-hulled American Great Lakes package freighter that sank in a Lake Huron gale on April 30, 1909, near DeTour Village, Michigan, with all 22 of her crew and one passenger surviving.
Russia was built in 1872 in Buffalo, New York, by the King Iron Works, with the Gibson & Craig shipyard as the subcontractor. She was built for Charles Ensign of Buffalo and was operated as part of the Holt & Ensign Commercial Line, also of Buffalo. In 1884, after Ensign's death, Russia was sold for the first time. She would end up changing hands multiple times during her career.
In the evening of April 29, 1909, Russia left Alpena, Michigan, with a cargo of cement, wire fencing, galoshes and multiple barrels of dry goods, destined for Duluth, Minnesota. Around the time she passed Middle Island, the breeze which had been following Russia since she left Alpena suddenly began to strengthen; the combination of the gale and her heavy deck load caused Russia to roll severely. An eventual lull in the storm convinced Captain John McLean to continue towards Point DeTour, instead of turning back. However, Russia's cargo shifted, causing her to list to port. Her crew began to move her cargo of cement in order to compensate for the list; after about two hours, she righted herself. However, Russia suddenly rolled over to port and then over to starboard. Further efforts failed to counteract the list. Eventually, Captain McLean ordered the crew to throw the bags of cement into Lake Huron. When this effort to save Russia was also unsuccessful, Captain McLean gave the order to abandon her early in the morning of April 30. The crew and the one passenger boarded the lifeboats and rowed to the DeTour Reef Light.
The wreck of Russia was discovered in 220 feet (67 m) of water on July 23, 2019, over 110 years after she sank, by a team of shipwreck hunters led by Tom Farnquist of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society.
In 1843, the gunship USS Michigan, built in Erie, Pennsylvania, became the first iron-hulled vessel built on the Great Lakes. Beginning 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. Despite the success of Merchant, wooden vessels remained preferable to iron ones until the 1880s, due to their inexpensiveness and the abundance of timber. In the early 1880s, shipyards around the lakes began constructing iron ships on a relatively large scale; in 1882, Onoko, an iron freighter, temporarily became the largest ship on the lakes. 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.
Russia (US official number 110063) was built in 1872 in Buffalo, New York, by the King Iron Works, with the Gibson & Craig shipyard as the subcontractor. She was built under the direction of master carpenter was David Bell. She was launched on August 20, 1872, as hull number #12. Russia was the third of five sister ships built between 1872 and 1873. She was preceded in construction by Cuba, Java and was succeeded in construction by Scotia and Arabia, although, some sources do not acknowledge Arabia as one of Russia's sister ships.
Russia's hull had an overall length of 246 feet (75 m) and a length between perpendiculars of 231.58 feet (70.59 m) (some sources state 231 feet (70 m), 231.7 feet (70.6 m) or 232 feet (71 m)). Her beam was 35.58 feet (10.84 m) (some sources state 35.6 feet (10.9 m), 35.7 feet (10.9 m) or 36 feet (11 m)) wide. Her hull was 13.35 feet (4.07 m) (some sources state 13 feet (4.0 m) or 13.3 feet (4.1 m)) deep. Russia had a gross register tonnage of 1,501.77 (one source states 1,501 and another states 1,502) tons and a net register tonnage of 1,334.57 (one source states 1,335) tons.
Russia was powered by two, two-cylinder 600 hp (450 kW) 72 rpm Steeple compound engines; the cylinders of these engines were 20 inches (51 cm) and 40 inches (100 cm) in diameter, and had a stroke of 36 inches (91 cm). Steam for the engines was produced by two 8 foot (2.4 m) × 16 foot (4.9 m) 75 psi firebox boilers. The engine and boilers were manufactured by the King Iron Works. She was propelled by two fixed pitch propellers.
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