Bulk Freighter D.C. Whitney (*Later Gargantua) (1882–1950)

Identification & Site Information

• Name: D.C. Whitney (*later Rebuilt as Gargantua)
• Other Names: Gargantua (after 1909 Rebuild)
• Official Number: 157075 (U.S.), C122435 (Canada, post-1909)
• Vessel Type at Loss: Wooden Bulk Freighter (later converted to a Barge and floating drydock)
• Builder: Simon Langell, St. Clair, Michigan
• Year Built & Launched: 1882
• Specifications:  Length: 229 ft (69.8 m) Beam: 40 ft (12.2 m) Depth: 14.7 ft (4.5 m)
• Gross Tonnage: 1,090 GT
• Net Tonnage: 1,013 NT
• Hull Material: Wood
• Decks: Originally 1, converted to 2 in 1885
• Propulsion: Screw (propeller-driven) steam engine
• Engine: For-and-aft compound, 2 cylinders (27” + 44”), 40” stroke, 600 HP, 85 RPM
• Boiler: Firebox, 104 psi, built by Desotelle & Hutton, Detroit, 1882

Ownership & Service History

• 1882: Built for D.C. Whitney of Detroit, Michigan.
• 1885: Converted to two decks and increased to 22 ft Draft.
• 1891: Owned by Whitney Transportation Company, Hamtramck, Michigan.
• 1899: Transferred to Whitney Transportation Co., Detroit.
• 1901: Sold to J.C. Gilchrist, Cleveland, Ohio, then to Inland Star Transit Co., Mentor, Ohio.
• 1908: Sold Canadian, purchased by Joseph Ganley, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
• 1909: Rebuilt as the propeller Gargantua (C122435).

Notable Incidents & Accidents

• 1883: Collided with a railroad bridge that failed to open.
• 1887, September: Stranded on Point Hope Reef with Barge Ashland.
• 1890, November 14: A crewman was killed, another fatally injured, and two seriously hurt in a fall into the hold.
• 1891, October 12: Stranded on Raspberry Island, Lake Superior; later released.
• 1893, May 12: Stranded with Barge Wayne at Round Island, Lake Huron; freed by Tug Merrick.
• 1905, November 25: Stranded in a storm near Washington Island, Wisconsin (Lake Michigan).
• 1906, November 11: Burned at Racine, Wisconsin but was repaired.
• 1909, August 5: Beached at Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.

Final Years & Fate

• 1912: Beached at Beausoleil Island, Georgian Bay. The Hull was later recovered and converted into a Barge in Kingston, Ontario.
• 1920: Removed from official documentation; converted into a floating drydock in Midland, Ontario.
• 1950: Abandoned at Wingfield Basin, Cabot Head, Ontario (Georgian Bay, Lake Huron).

Final Disposition & Salvage

• Some remains may still exist at the site but have not been extensively documented.
• Hull left to deteriorate in Wingfield Basin
• No confirmed modern wreck discovery, though parts of the Hull may still be present in Wingfield Basin.

NOTMARs & Advisories

Wingfield Basin at Cabot Head, Ontario, was historically used as a sheltered anchorage and dumping ground for Abandoned vessels Some shipwreck remnants may still exist in the basin, but they are poorly documented.

Resources & Links

• Maritime History of the Great Lakes: http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca
• Great Lakes Maritime Database (GLMD): https://greatlakeships.org
• David Swayze Shipwreck File: https://usace.contentdm.oclc.org
• Great Lakes Vessel Database (BGSU): https://greatlakes.bgsu.edu/vessels

Conclusion

The D.C. Whitney was one of the many large wooden bulk freighters that dominated Great Lakes shipping in the late 19th century. After decades of service, accidents, and rebuilds, she was converted into the Gargantua and eventually Abandoned at Wingfield Basin in 1950. While no confirmed wreck documentation exists today, her Hull may still be present, making her one of the forgotten relics of Ontario’s maritime history.