MORNING STAR

• Side Wheel Steamer
• 65ffw 21m
• 243ft Length
• Lorian OH, Lake Erie
• 41 36.813     82 12.531

The Morning Star, a steamer constructed in 1862, had a tragic end on August 1, 1868. Built in Trenton, Michigan, the vessel had a sidewheel propulsion system and was owned by John Owen and others from Detroit. It featured two stacks and a wooden hull with a single deck. The master carpenter responsible for its construction was G.H. Garrett.

Powered by a vertical beam engine, the Morning Star had a single cylinder and two firebox boilers. The engine, measuring 60.5 x 132 inches, was originally installed on the Ocean in 1850 before being transferred to the Morning Star. The Detroit Locomotive Works provided the 6′ x 19′ firebox boilers. The steamer had 38-foot wheels.

With dimensions of 243 feet in length, 34 feet in beam, and 13 feet 6 inches in depth, the Morning Star had a tonnage of 1075 48/95 based on the old measurement standards.

Tragically, the Morning Star met its final fate on Lake Erie, four miles off Vermilion, Ohio, on August 1, 1868. The steamer was en route from Cleveland, Ohio, to Detroit, Michigan when it collided with the bark Courland. The vessel sank, resulting in the loss of 32 lives. The survivors were rescued by the steamer R.N. Rice.

At the time of the sinking, the Morning Star was carrying a cargo consisting of iron bars, glass, farm equipment, and general merchandise.

Throughout its history, the Morning Star had a series of incidents, including striking an anchor near Malden in the Detroit River in May 1863. In April 1865, the vessel was readmeasured and its dimensions were adjusted to 248 x 34 x 14.7 feet, with a gross tonnage of 1265.91 tons. Later that year, the steamer ran ashore near Oswego, New York, while carrying a load of lumber. In July 1866, it collided with a dock on the Detroit River in Detroit, resulting in damage. The steamer was subsequently rebuilt in Saginaw, Michigan.

In November 1866, an attempted arson incident occurred, and the Morning Star experienced machinery failures on the Detroit River. In May 1868, the vessel encountered issues with its machinery near Cleveland, leading to disabled operations. On June 5, 1868, ownership of the Morning Star was transferred to the Detroit & Cleveland Steam Navigation Co. However, just weeks later, on June 20, 1868, the steamer sank in Lake Erie, marking its tragic end.