The MAGNET, also known as HAMILTON, was a steamer built in 1847 at Niagara, Ontario. The hull of the vessel was constructed in Dunbarton, Scotland by Alexander Denny & Co and then disassembled and reassembled in Niagara. It had an iron hull and featured two decks. The original owners of the MAGNET were W.J. Gunn and J. Sutherland, based in Niagara.
The steamer was powered by a sidewheel propulsion system and had a vertical beam (walking beam) engine with a single cylinder measuring 43 1/2″ x 10′. The engine was acquired from a Gildersleeve vessel and modified by the Niagara Dock & Harbour Co.
In terms of dimensions, the MAGNET had a length of 173 feet, a beam of 26.7 feet, and a depth of 7.6 feet. Its tonnage, according to the old measurement style, was 433.
The MAGNET had a long history of operations and incidents. In 1849, while bound for Kingston, Ontario to Toronto, it sank at Darlington, Ontario, in Lake Ontario. In 1853, upper cabins were added to the vessel, and it operated on the Royal Mail Line between Hamilton, Ontario, and Prescott, Ontario.
Over the years, the ownership of the MAGNET changed hands. In 1859, it was owned by Alexander Milloy from Montreal, and the vessel underwent rebuilding, resulting in new dimensions of 175.2 x 25.2 x 10.8′ and a tonnage of 279. Additional repairs and modifications were carried out in subsequent years.
During the Fenian raid in 1866, the MAGNET was used as a gunboat on Lake Ontario. In 1872, it ran ashore in foggy conditions at Toronto but was later released with the assistance of the tug WILLIAM. The vessel experienced various incidents and changes in ownership, including being owned by the Richelieu & Ontario Navigation Co. and undergoing further rebuilding.
In 1909, the MAGNET came under the ownership of the Empire Refining Co. and was converted into a barge. It underwent several changes and renovations, including being renamed HAMILTON and rebuilt in Sorel, Quebec. The vessel had a gross tonnage of 938 and a net tonnage of 477, and it operated on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.
Finally, in 1928, the MAGNET was owned by Louis Goodchild of Amherstburg, Ontario. It was eventually abandoned and left inside the dock of Regent Refining Co. near Texas Landing in the Detroit River, Amherstburg, Ontario.
