Identification & Site Information

• Name: Clarion
• Former Names: None
• Official Number: 5526
• Date Built and Launched: 1881
• Builder: Detroit Dry Dock Co., Wyandotte, Michigan
• Hull Number: 45
• Vessel Type: Package Freighter (Duplicate design of Lehigh)
• Hull Material: Iron
• Number of Decks: 2
• Number of Masts: 1
• Measurements: Length: 240.9 ft (73.4 m) Beam: 36.1 ft (11 m) Depth: 15.5 ft (4.7 m)
• Tonnage: 1,711 Gross Tonnage, 1,513 Net Tonnage
• Propulsion: Screw Propeller
• Engine: 2 cylinders (27 in. and 40 in. diameter, 44 in. stroke)
• Boiler: 12 ft x 14 ft 6 in. with three circular furnaces
• Propeller: 11 ft (3.35 m) diameter
• Original Owner: Pennsylvania Railroad Co., The Anchor Line, Erie, Pennsylvania
• Date Lost: December 8, 1909
• Place of Loss: Southwest Shoal, Lake Erie
• Type of Loss: Fire
• Final Cargo: Flour, feed, oil cakes, glucose
• Loss of Life: 15 crew members (13 lost in lifeboat, 2 died in the fire), 6 rescued

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Vessel Type

Iron-hulled package freighter designed for mixed cargo transport, part of the Pennsylvania Railroad’s Anchor Line fleet, a major shipping operation on the Great Lakes.

Description:

The Clarion was a large, iron-hulled package freighter constructed in 1881 by the Detroit Dry Dock Company at Wyandotte, Michigan. As a duplicate of the Steamer Lehigh, she featured advanced engineering for her time, including a powerful Screw Propulsion system driven by a dual-cylinder engine and a large boiler with three circular furnaces. Measuring nearly 241 feet (73.4 m) in length, the Clarion had substantial cargo capacity and was a key vessel in the Pennsylvania Railroad’s efforts to transport goods efficiently across the Great Lakes.

History:

The Clarion served in the bustling package freight trade, carrying a variety of goods such as coal, flour, feed, and industrial products between major ports like Chicago, Detroit, and Erie. Her operational history was marked by several significant incidents:

• October 25, 1881: Shortly after entering service, the Clarion struck rocks at Lime-Kiln Crossing while upbound for Detroit with coal. The impact tore out the bottom of the vessel, and she was subsequently beached at Grosse Isle for repairs.
• June 7, 1883: In a collision near the St. Clair Flats, the Schooner Hercules was sunk.
• May 14, 1888: The Clarion collided with and sank the Schooner Monguagon in Milwaukee.
• September 12, 1890: She underwent significant repairs at the Milwaukee dry dock.

Despite these mishaps, the Clarion continued to operate for nearly three decades until her final, tragic voyage in 1909.

Final Disposition:

On December 8, 1909, while on a routine run from Chicago, Illinois to Erie, Pennsylvania, the Clarion caught fire near Southwest Shoal on Lake Erie. The fire quickly spread through the vessel, overwhelming the crew’s ability to control it. In the ensuing chaos, 13 crew members attempted to escape in a lifeboat, but they were lost and never found. Two crew members died aboard the vessel, while six were successfully rescued. The ship ultimately sank, taking with it its cargo of flour, feed, oil cakes, and glucose.

Located By & Date Found:

No confirmed modern discovery or documentation of the wreck site has been reported.

NOTMARs & Advisories:

Southwest Shoal remains a navigational feature in Lake Erie, but no specific advisories related to the Clarion have been issued in recent times.

Resources & Links:

• Dossin Great Lakes Museum
• Edward J. Dowling Collection, University of Detroit – Mercy
• David Swayze Shipwreck File
• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• C. Patrick Labadie Collection

Conclusion

The Clarion‘s nearly 30-year service life reflects the challenges and dangers of maritime transport on the Great Lakes during the industrial boom of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Despite multiple accidents and groundings, she remained a key vessel in the Pennsylvania Railroad’s fleet until her catastrophic loss to fire in 1909, which claimed the lives of 15 crew members. Her wreck remains unlocated, but her story is etched into the maritime history of Lake Erie.

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Keywords: Package Freighter, Lake Erie Shipwreck, Southwest Shoal, Pennsylvania Railroad, Maritime Fire, Industrial Shipping
Categories: Great Lakes Freighters, Lake Erie Shipwrecks, 19th Century Industrial Shipping
Glossary Terms: Screw Propulsion, Package Freight, Iron-Hulled Vessel, Lifeboat Disaster