CHARLES B PACKARD 135940

ELFIN-MERE

• Bulk Freighter
• 40ffw
• 190ft Length
• Point Pelee, Lake Erie
• 41 55.221    82 43.658

On September 16, 1906, the steamer Charles B. Packard met with an unfortunate fate on Lake Erie. While navigating through a storm, the vessel struck the wreckage of the sunken schooner Armenia and foundered on Colchester Shoal, approximately 7.75 miles northwest of Pelee Passage light in the area known as the “Middle Ground.” The Packard was bound for Chicago, towing the barge Harold at the time of the accident. The ship was owned by J. A. Calbick of Chicago, with Captain J. McCaffery serving as the master.

The Packard sank relatively quickly after colliding with the wreckage. There were no reported casualties in the incident. However, the crew members faced significant losses as they managed to escape with only what they were wearing. The first mate, who had been off duty and watching, even lost his shoes in the chaotic events.

It is worth noting that the Packard had a history of incidents and name changes. Originally built as a propeller named Elfin-Mere in 1887 by F. Wheeler in West Bay City, Michigan, the vessel underwent a name change to Charles B. Packard in 1902. It measured 191 feet in length, 34 feet in width, and 21 feet in depth, with a gross tonnage of 1054 and net tonnage of 796. The ship had undergone a complete rebuilding after being almost entirely destroyed by a fire in Green Bay in November 1901.

Efforts were made to salvage the Packard after its sinking, as mentioned in subsequent news reports. However, the decision was ultimately made not to raise the vessel that year. The ship remained abandoned and was eventually dismantled in 1913.