LYCOMING

Site Description

The Lycoming, a package freighter, was built in West Bay City, Michigan, in 1880. Constructed with wood, the vessel had two decks and a hull number of 7. The F.W. Wheeler Co. was responsible for its construction, with Francis Nelson Jones serving as the master carpenter. The original owner of the Lycoming was the Erie & Western Transportation Co., based in Buffalo, New York.

Powered by a steeple compound engine with two cylinders and a single propeller, the Lycoming had a propulsion system consisting of a screw. The engine, built by H.G. Trout of Buffalo, NY, had a power output of 500 horsepower and operated at 80 revolutions per minute. The vessel was equipped with a 100-pound steam scotch boiler, measuring 11 feet 6 inches by 11 feet 7 inches, manufactured by M. Riter & Co. of Buffalo.

The Lycoming had impressive dimensions, with a length of 251 feet, a beam of 36 feet, and a depth of 15.3 feet. It had a gross tonnage of 1609.53 and a net tonnage of 1423.45.

Throughout its history, the Lycoming was involved in various incidents and undertook different roles. In August 1880, it was enrolled in Port Huron, Michigan, and began operating under the Anchor Line. In 1881, the vessel ran the Chicago-Erie & Buffalo route in the grain trade, towing the ALLEGHANY.

In July 1883, a collision occurred between the Lycoming and the schooner ELBE at the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, piers. Later that year, the Lycoming ran aground at Peche Island in the Detroit River. In 1885, ownership of the vessel transferred to Erie, Pennsylvania, and it began towing the SCHUYLKILL in the Chicago grain trade.

The Lycoming faced further challenges in the late 1880s. In November 1886, it went ashore near North Port on Lake Michigan but was pulled off by the CHAMPLAIN. The vessel also played a role in rescuing the disabled H.J. JEWITT. In May 1887, it encountered another grounding, this time at Stag Island in St. Clair Island, but was released by the schooner M.L. BRECK.

In 1891, the Lycoming suffered damage to its stem in Chicago on Lake Michigan. The vessel experienced major fire damage in 1905 and underwent rebuilding in 1906, transforming it into a bulk freighter. Under new ownership by James O’Connor, the Lycoming was now 251 feet long, 36 feet wide, and had a depth of 15.3 feet. Its tonnage was 1448 gross and 1119 net tons. It operated with the assistance of towed vessels such as the M. BACON and the SWEETHEART.

Tragically, on October 21, 1910, the Lycoming met its final fate. While being towed by the schooner EMMA G. HUTCHINSON, it caught fire and burned off Rondeau, Ontario, in Lake Erie. The vessel was carrying a cargo of coal at the time of the incident, marking the end of its long and eventful history.