Other Names #
- ARCTURA
History #
The barge ARCTURAS, under tow of the tug BRADY, met a tragic fate on August 19, 1888. Laden with 275 tons of sand, the wooden barge sprang a leak at 2 o’clock on Sunday night and subsequently sank 20 miles north of Point Aux Barques in Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron. Fortunately, the crew members aboard the barge were able to reach safety.
Built in 1853 by B. Jones (also cited as F.D. Ketchum) in Huron, Ohio, originally as a schooner, the ARCTURUS (also spelled as ARCTURA) had a length of 140 feet, a beam of 28 feet, and a depth of 11 feet. It had a gross tonnage of 300 and a net tonnage of 291. The barge primarily carried coal during its operations.
At the time of the sinking, the vessel was under the ownership of A. A. Pinet from East Saginaw, Michigan, and was under the command of Captain John Price. The sinking of the ARCTURA resulted in the loss of the vessel, but fortunately, no lives were lost in the incident.
It is worth noting that the ARCTURA had a history of incidents. It underwent major repairs in 1881 after sustaining damage during the “Alpena Storm” in October 1880. Additionally, it is speculated that the vessel may have been involved in a collision off Long Point, Lake Erie, in April 1868, and subsequently recovered in August of the same year. Furthermore, an intriguing anecdote suggests that during a spring gale in 1853, the crew of the ARCTURA rolled a locomotive overboard in Lake Michigan (presumably to maintain stability and prevent capsizing).
Overall, the sinking of the ARCTURA in Saginaw Bay marked another eventful chapter in the vessel’s history, further highlighting the challenges and risks faced by vessels navigating the Great Lakes during that era.
