Other Names #
- BENJAMIN F. BRUCE
History #
The BENJ. F. BRUCE, also known as BENJAMIN F. BRUCE, was a three-masted wooden schooner built in 1873 by William Crosthwaite in East Saginaw, Michigan. It had a length of 196 feet, a beam of 33.5 feet, and a depth of 13.9 feet. The vessel had a gross tonnage of 729 and a net tonnage of 693. It was originally owned by William Crosthwaite of East Saginaw, Michigan.
On October 17, 1895, the BENJ. F. BRUCE was carrying a cargo of iron ore while being towed by the steamer CUMBERLAND near Sailor’s Encampment in the St. Mary’s River, Lake Huron. The schooner struck a boulder in the narrow waters, causing its bottom to be torn out. As a result, the vessel sank in approximately 30 feet of water. There were no reported casualties in the incident.
The wreck of the BENJ. F. BRUCE was located at the head of Mud Lake in the St. Mary’s River. In 1896, the wreck was dynamited as a hazard to navigation. The vessel was owned by J.C. Gilchrist of Cleveland, Ohio, at the time of its sinking. Its final registration was on April 23, 1894, in Sandusky, Ohio.
The value of the BENJ. F. BRUCE was estimated at $18,000, and it was listed as a total loss.
