Other Names
- CLIFTON 33565 Propeller
History
In the heart of maritime history lies the enigmatic tale of the barge CLIFTON. Born in the shipyards of Dexter, New York, in 1846, she was originally crafted as a passenger propeller, later transformed into a tug in 1860, and eventually rebuilt as a barge in 1866 at Marysville, MI. Her journey was marked by reinvention, sailing through the waters of transformation like the waves that cradled her hull.
With dimensions of 101 feet in length, 18 feet in breadth, and 7 feet in depth, the CLIFTON was a vessel that carried within her the whispers of change. Her journey through time led her to the embrace of Lake Erie, where she would meet her fate in a storm that echoed with the ferocity of nature’s wrath.
The year was 1874, and October held within its grasp the tempestuous forces of a brewing storm. The CLIFTON, waterlogged and laden with lumber, found herself caught in the clutches of a maelstrom halfway between Point Pelee and Cleveland. The relentless storm tore at her timbers, and she succumbed to its fury, breaking apart as the waves crashed against her weakened frame.
In the face of disaster, her tow steamer, the “HENRY HOWARD,” made the difficult decision to abandon the “CLIFTON,” returning to rescue the crew. But the lake’s tempestuous rage had other plans. The stricken barge, now adrift and abandoned, was discovered by the “PACIFIC,” a ship that presumed the worst, assuming that all hands had met their fate in the churning waters.
Yet, the story took an unexpected turn. The “CLIFTON,” left to her own devices, floated upon the surface for a time, a ghostly reminder of the storm’s aftermath. Yet, when salvagers sought to recover her, she had vanished without a trace. It was as if the lake had chosen to keep her secrets hidden beneath its depths.
Her official document, once a symbol of her existence, was surrendered at Port Huron on January 10, 1878, bearing the chilling annotation “Wrecked in September, 1874.” The mystery of the “CLIFTON” persisted, leaving behind only whispers of her final moments.
