SMITH

1 min read

Tug
165ffw 53m
120ft Length
Long Point, Lake Erie
42 28.486 79 59.061

The steamship SMITH has a rich history dating back to its enrollment in Buffalo, NY, on June 9, 1881. Initially operating in Buffalo-Niagara River ports, it went through several ownership changes over the years. On May 9, 1885, the SMITH came under the ownership of the South Shore Transportation Co. in Chicago, IL. John B. Lyon of Chicago became the owner on April 28, 1886. During the summer of 1886, the vessel operated in excursion trips between Port Huron, MI, and Port Hope, ONT.

On July 31, 1886, ownership of the SMITH transferred to Wm Botsford and others in Port Huron. The vessel underwent significant reconstruction on June 5, 1888, under the supervision of C. J. Rathborne in Port Huron. It was rebuilt with two decks, no mast, and had dimensions of 118 x 23 x 10 feet, weighing 240.57 gross tons and 124.63 net tons. C. D. Thompson of Port Huron became the new owner. The SMITH was equipped with a steeple compound engine, manufactured by Frontier Engine Works in 1872, with dimensions of 20 3/8 + 36 x 28 inches, producing 295 horsepower at 100 revolutions per minute. It also had a firebox boiler measuring 9 1/3 x 16 feet, with a pressure of 115 pounds, built by M. Riter in Buffalo in 1872.

In 1893, the engine of the SMITH was transferred to the I. N. FOSTER. Tragedy struck on January 5, 1893, when the SMITH burned in Grand Haven, MI, on Lake Michigan. On March 17, 1893, the vessel came under the ownership of Leatham & Smith Towing & Wrecking Co. in Sturgeon Bay, WI. It was described as a wrecker in 1899. The SMITH underwent a rebuild in 1900.

Another significant reconstruction took place on October 15, 1906, in Sturgeon Bay. The vessel now had one deck, two masts, and measured 127 x 21.7 x 10.5 feet, weighing 191 gross tons and 130 net tons. It was renamed SMITH. Documents of the vessel were surrendered in Milwaukee, WI, on December 7, 1916, indicating a foreign sale to Reid Wrecking Co. in Sarnia, ONT, according to reports.

At some point, the SMITH came under the ownership of the Georgian Bay Lumber Co. It was equipped with an HPNC engine, manufactured by Cuyahoga Iron Works in Cleveland, OH, with dimensions of 24 x 34 inches.

By 1930, the Sincennes McNaughton Co. in Montreal, QUE, became the owner of the SMITH. The vessel measured 127 x 21 2/3 x 10 feet and featured a fore-and-aft compound engine with dimensions of 30 + 54 x 45 inches, built by H. G. Trout in Buffalo in 1884. It had a firebox boiler measuring 8 1/2 x 17 feet, with a pressure of 110 pounds, constructed by M. Riter Co. in Buffalo in 1884.

Tragically, on October 24, 1930, the SMITH foundered off Long Point, ONT, in Lake Erie. The vessel now rests in 165 feet of water, tilted slightly to the port side. The wheelhouse remains intact, housing the spoked wheel and Chadburn at the helm. The stack has fallen, but the whistle can still be found loosely on top of the pilothouse. On the port side, a mushroom anchor can be seen, and the stern reveals the vessel’s name and port of registry, once the zebra mussels are cleared away.