Barge 43 was an unrigged steel scow barge built in 1911 in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. It had no other known names and was assigned the official number 172728. The specifications of the barge were approximately 150 feet in length, 36 feet in beam, and 12 feet in depth. It had a capacity of 546 tons.
On May 24, 1961, Barge 43 experienced a hull failure and was lost in the outer harbor at Buffalo, located on Lake Erie. The barge was being utilized in a harbor improvement project, specifically for the burning of salvaged timbers. However, it was discovered to be leaking, and despite efforts to save it by using pumps, the barge eventually sank just outside the channel.
Subsequent salvage attempts were made, but they were ultimately unsuccessful. As a result, the barge remains in the location where it went down, lying on the lakebed. Fortunately, there were no reported casualties associated with the loss of Barge 43.
