Other Names #
- Hull 70
- H.A. BARR U96218
The H.A. Barr was a schooner-barge that was built in 1893 by Jas. Davidson in West Bay City, Michigan. It had a wooden hull and was equipped with three masts. The vessel measured 217 feet in length, 35 feet in beam, and had a depth of 17 feet. It had a gross tonnage of 1,119 tons and a net tonnage of 1,063 tons.
Originally owned by W.C. Richardson of Cleveland, Ohio, the H.A. Barr was primarily used for towing purposes. It was often towed by the steamer J.H. Outhwaite. In April 1898, the H.A. Barr ran aground on Middle Island in Lake Huron during an easterly gale. The crew was rescued by a lifesaving crew and the vessel was later released with the assistance of the J.H. OUTHWAITE. It was then brought to Alpena and underwent repairs at Springwells Shipyard in Detroit.
In 1901, the H.A. Barr was sold to the Algoma Central Railway Company, based in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. It was re-registered with the official number C107489. The vessel continued its operations under the ownership of Algoma Central Railway, carrying various cargoes, including iron ore.
On September 24, 1902, while en route from Lake Superior to Buffalo, New York, in tow of the “saltie” (a term used for a foreign ocean-going vessel) named THEANO, the H.A. Barr encountered a severe storm on Lake Erie. The schooner-barge broke its towline in the giant waves and foundered. Despite efforts to pump out the water from the hold, the vessel continued to sink. The crew of the H.A. Barr was rescued by Theano before the schooner-barge sank. Fortunately, there was no loss of life in the incident.
The exact location of the wreck is uncertain, but it is believed to have sunk approximately 30 miles off Port Stanley, near Braddock Point, in Lake Erie. The H.A. Barr was carrying a cargo of iron ore at the time of the sinking. The vessel’s demise was attributed to the stormy weather conditions.
The H.A. Barr had a previous incident in 1898 when it ran aground on False Presque Isle in Lake Huron. However, it was successfully refloated and continued its operations.
After the sinking, the wreck of the H.A. Barr was marked as a potential danger to navigation, along with other wrecks in the area, such as the City of Venice. The Canadian government vessel PETREL later removed the mast and floating wreckage of the sunken vessel in 1902.
The H.A. Barr’s history includes various ownership changes and incidents, highlighting its role as a towed vessel and its involvement in the transportation of goods on the Great Lakes during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
