Identification & Site Information

• Name: WILLIAM B. MORLEY
• Former Names: CALEDONIA (1889), GALE STAPLES (1916)
• Official Number: 81191
• Type at Loss: Bulk Freighter, wood-hulled
• Date Built and Launched: 1888
• Builder: Morley & Hill, Marine City, Michigan
• Measurements: 277.2 ft (84.5 m) length, 42 ft (12.8 m) beam, 13.9 ft (4.2 m) depth (later modified to 24.7 ft depth during 1900 Rebuild); 1846 gross tons, 1468 net tons (later 2197 gross, 1509 net tons)
• Date Lost: October 1, 1918
• Place of Loss: Near Au Sable Point Lighthouse, Lake Superior, approximately 5/8 mile from shore
• Final Depth: 15 ft (4.6 m)

Vessel Type

Wooden Bulk Freighter (later converted to Schooner Barge)

Description

The WILLIAM B. MORLEY was a wooden-hulled bulk freighter built in 1888 by Morley & Hill in Marine City, Michigan. At 277.2 feet in length with a 42-foot beam, the vessel was a sizable freighter for its time, designed to carry large quantities of ore, coal, and grain throughout the Great Lakes. She featured four masts and a Screw Propulsion system powered by a triple expansion engine built by Dry Dock Engine Works in Detroit, Michigan.

The vessel underwent significant modifications throughout her life. In 1900, she was Rebuilt in Duluth, Minnesota, where her dimensions were altered, increasing her depth to 24.7 feet and her Gross Tonnage to 2197 tons. During the 1907-1908 winter, her engine was removed and installed in another vessel, the POLYNESIA, converting the MORLEY into a Schooner-Barge. She was re-engined in 1909 using machinery from the KITTIE M. FORBES.

History

The WILLIAM B. MORLEY had a dynamic and varied career on the Great Lakes. After being enrolled in Port Huron, Michigan, in 1888, she quickly changed ownership, reflecting her utility and value in the bulk freight trade. In 1889, she was renamed CALEDONIA and entered the ore, coal, and grain trade under the ownership of James Corrigan and John Huntington of Cleveland, Ohio.

By 1908, she had been converted to a Schooner-Barge, a common practice for older steamships that could still serve as towed vessels. The CALEDONIA (formerly MORLEY) continued to operate under various owners, including the Caledonia Steamship Co. of Grand Island, New York, and later the Great Lakes Engineering Works of Ecorse, Michigan.

In 1916, she was sold to the Davidson & Smith Elevator Co. of Port Arthur, Ontario, and renamed GALE STAPLES.

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Final Voyage & Wreck

On October 1, 1918, while operating as the GALE STAPLES, the vessel was carrying a load of coal when she encountered heavy weather near Au Sable Point Lighthouse on Lake Superior. She ran aground on a shoal approximately 5/8 mile from shore. Despite efforts to salvage the vessel, the harsh conditions and shoal impact led to her becoming a Total Loss. The wreck settled in shallow water, at a depth of 15 feet.

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Final Disposition

Ran aground on a shoal near Au Sable Point Lighthouse, Lake Superior, on October 1, 1918, during heavy weather. The vessel became a Total Loss and rests in 15 feet of water.

Located By & Date Found

Nil—no formal reports of the GALE STAPLES (formerly WILLIAM B. MORLEY) being located, though the shallow depth suggests it may have been accessible to divers or salvors.

NOTMARs & Advisories

Nil—no current navigational advisories related to the wreck near Au Sable Point, Lake Superior.

Resources & Links

• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• Great Lakes Ships Database
• David Swayze Shipwreck File
• Au Sable Point Lighthouse Information

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Conclusion

The WILLIAM B. MORLEY’s long and eventful career reflects the evolution of Great Lakes freighters in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Originally launched as a wooden bulk freighter, she underwent multiple modifications, including a transformation into a Schooner-Barge to extend her usefulness in the changing maritime industry. Her final wreck near Au Sable Point in 1918 during a coal run serves as a reminder of the unpredictable conditions on Lake Superior, where even experienced crews and robust ships were vulnerable to shoals and storms. Her transformation from MORLEY to CALEDONIA to GALE STAPLES also illustrates the common practice of renaming vessels as they changed roles or owners, a testament to the economic pressures and shifting demands of Great Lakes shipping.

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Keywords, Categories, and Glossary Terms

• Keywords: WILLIAM B. MORLEY shipwreck, GALE STAPLES shipwreck, Au Sable Point Lake Superior shipwreck, wooden bulk freighter loss, Corrigan Transit Co., Davidson & Smith Elevator Co.
• Categories: Lake Superior Shipwrecks, Wooden Bulk Freighters, Schooner-Barges, Coal Freighter Losses, Shoal-Related Shipwrecks
• Glossary Terms:
• Schooner-Barge: A sailing vessel converted into a Barge to be towed by steam-powered vessels, often retaining masts for auxiliary sail power.
• Triple Expansion Engine: A steam engine design that uses three stages of steam expansion to maximize efficiency, common in late 19th-century maritime engines.
• Au Sable Point Lighthouse: A historic lighthouse on Lake Superior, marking a hazardous stretch of shoreline known for shipwrecks due to its shoals and shifting sands.