JAY GOULD

description

The Jay Gould, a package freighter, was built in 1869 in Buffalo, New York. It had a unique design with two stacks and wooden arches. Constructed by Bidwell & Mason, it was originally owned by the Union Steamboat Company in Buffalo. The vessel was one of the early compound marine engines on the Great Lakes, featuring a steeple compound engine with two cylinders. It had a single mast and was powered by a screw propulsion system, with a 24″ and 46″ x 36″ engine manufactured by Shepard Iron Works and a 10.5′ propeller. The hull measured 213.8 feet in length, 33 feet in beam, and 11.7 feet in depth. It had a gross tonnage of 996.63 and a net tonnage of 836.76.

The Jay Gould met its final fate on June 18, 1918, when it foundered in a gale at a location 50 degrees, 3.5 miles off Southest Shoal Light in Lake Erie. It sank to a depth of 40 feet. The crew members were rescued by the steamer MIDVALE, and the wreck was later dynamited as it posed a hazard to navigation.

Throughout its history, the Jay Gould experienced various incidents and underwent several repairs and modifications. In 1874, it received a steeple compound engine with 500 horsepower. In 1877, the vessel underwent major repairs and had new arches installed. Repairs were made to its firebox boiler in 1879. The ship was involved in collisions with other vessels, such as the tug SWAIN at the mouth of the Detroit River in September 1881 and the schooner G.S. HAZARD in October 1882, resulting in significant damage.

In April 1885, the Jay Gould was overhauled in Duluth and converted into a passenger steamer with accommodations for 30 to 40 passengers. It faced several instances of stranding but was successfully released with the assistance of other vessels. The ship was rebuilt in Buffalo in May 1888, replacing the wooden arches with steel and adding a full-length passenger cabin with 35 state rooms, providing accommodations for 100 passengers.

Over the years, the Jay Gould encountered further incidents and repairs. In April 1892, it struck a reef outside Racine, Wisconsin, resulting in damage to its shoe and requiring towage to Milwaukee for repairs. The vessel underwent repairs to its bottom in Superior, Wisconsin, in November 1894. In May 1900, the Van Buren Street bridge in Chicago collapsed onto the ship, causing hull damage.

In June 1906, the Jay Gould underwent a rebuild and was measured at 213.8 feet in length, 33.9 feet in beam, and 11.5 feet in depth. It was then owned by Thomas L. Handy of Bay City, Michigan. Ownership of the ship changed hands multiple times, with the Rochester Transportation Company, H.N. Jex of Toledo, C.E. La Beau, and finally the Citizens Sand & Gravel Company of Toledo. The vessel was eventually rebuilt as a bulk carrier in Detroit, Michigan, in 1916.

Unfortunately, the Jay Gould’s journey came to an end in 1918 when it foundered in Lake Erie. The vessel and its documents were lost, and its documents were surrendered at Toledo.