Site Description #
- Bulk Freighter
- 296ft 99m
- 10ffw 3m Depths
- Port Colborne, Lake Erie
History #
The Briton was a steel bulk freighter built in 1891 by the Globe Iron Works in Cleveland, Ohio. It had a length of 296 feet, a beam of 40 feet, and a depth of 24.6 feet. The vessel had a gross tonnage of 2,434 tons and a net tonnage of 1,802 tons. It was powered by a triple expansion steam engine with three cylinders and a total horsepower of 1,200. The Briton had two boilers and a single propeller.
Initially owned by the Menominee Transit Company, the Briton encountered a significant incident on June 2, 1892, when it collided with and sank the steamer Progress in the Detroit River. The Briton was subsequently repaired.
Over the years, ownership of the vessel changed several times. It was later owned by the National Steel Company, chartered by the Canada Atlantic Line, and subsequently owned by the Pittsburgh Steamship Company and the Intercoast Steamship Company. In 1923, ownership transferred to the Buckeye Steamship Company of Cleveland.
On November 13, 1929, the Briton met its final fate near Buffalo, New York, on Lake Erie. Due to a faulty navigation aid on shore and foggy conditions, the vessel ran aground at Point Abino. There were no casualties among the crew of 24. Salvage efforts were undertaken, but the ship was ultimately deemed a navigational hazard and was dynamited around 1932. The wreck of the Briton remains submerged near Point Abino.
In its operational years, the Briton transported various cargoes, including flax and wheat. Despite its ultimate demise, the Briton played a role in the shipping industry and the transportation of goods on the Great Lakes.
