Site Description #
- Tanker Barge
- 120ft 40m Lengths
- 45ffw 15m Depth
- Lake Erie
- 41 38.36 N 82 29.60 W
History #
The barge Argo, with a gross tonnage of 421 tons, was built in 1911. In October 1937, it foundered on Lake Erie off Pelee Island with two people on board, but fortunately, no lives were lost. The Argo was initially built as a steel-hulled covered lighter and launched for the Independent Pier Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. However, as the demand for fuel oil and gasoline increased, the Argo was converted into a 421-ton tank barge to transport and store fuel products.
At the time of the incident, the Argo was owned by W. J. Townsend of Bayonne, New Jersey, who operated a small fleet of tugs and barges in and around New York Harbor. The Argo often worked in conjunction with the tugboat Syosset, which had been acquired by Townsend from the Long Island Railroad in 1935.
In September 1937, the Syosset and Argo traveled from Oswego harbor through the Erie Canal system to Sault Ste. Marie, Canada. They loaded a cargo of coke oven light oils, which were by-products of the coking operation at Algoma Steel in Sault Ste. Marie. The cargo included approximately 101,000 gallons of benzol and 106,800 gallons of crude light oil.
On October 12, 1937, the Syosset and Argo left Sault Ste. Marie, planning to navigate Lake Erie. However, they encountered worsening weather conditions, and on October 17, they turned back to Amherstburg to wait for better weather. On October 19, they resumed their journey but encountered strong winds and increasing seas. The captain of the Syosset decided to head toward the east side of Pelee Island in search of shelter. The Argo, laden with oil and low in the water, faced constant attack from the waves, which eventually caused the vessel to sink.
Around midnight on October 20, the captain of the Syosset noticed that the lights on the barge had gone out. Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that the barge was in distress and sinking. The crew of the tug managed to rescue the two crew members from the sinking barge before it sank completely.
After the incident, the USCG cutter Tahoma conducted a search for the lost barge but was unsuccessful in locating it. The barge remained lost until its discovery on August 28, 2015, by Tom Kowalczk of Cleveland Underwater Explorers (CLUE) during a historical shipwreck side scan sonar search in Lake Erie. CLUE, in collaboration with the National Museum of the Great Lakes (NMGL), confirmed that the discovered shipwreck was highly likely to be the tank barge Argo.
Due to the potential environmental threat posed by the sunken barge, the USCG and NOAA had previously developed contingency plans. Upon being informed of the discovery, the USCG and NOAA initiated the assessment process to address any environmental concerns associated with the wreck. The wreck was identified as one of 87 shipwrecks considered a possible threat to the environment by NOAA in 2013.
To ensure the protection of the marine environment, CLUE and NMGL decided not to engage in further on-water activities related to the Argo and promptly contacted the USCG. The USCG and NOAA reviewed the evidence provided by CLUE and NMGL, confirming that the discovered shipwreck was likely the Argo. The USCG then initiated the real-time assessment process in response to the discovery.
