On November 29, 1905, the steamer J.H. OUTHWAITE, along with the schooner MARY MITCHELL that was in tow, ran ashore on Point Sable due to a broken steering gear on the steamer. Later, the J.H. OUTHWAITE caught fire and was completely destroyed. Both vessels were loaded with iron ore and were on their way from Escanaba to Ohio ports. Fortunately, there was no loss of life reported in the incident. The schooner MARY MITCHELL was believed to be potentially released, and tugs were dispatched to assist her.
The J.H. OUTHWAITE was a wooden steamer with a gross tonnage of 1304 and was built in 1886. It was owned by W.C. Richardson of Cleveland and had a value of $45,000. The vessel was stranded at Little Sable Point in the Straits of Mackinac, resulting in its total loss.
As per the records from 1906, the J.H. OUTHWAITE had the official number 76636 and was of 1304 gross tons and 1699 net tons. It was a steam screw vessel built in Cleveland, Ohio, with a size of 224.0 feet in length, 37.4 feet in width, and 18.6 feet in depth. The vessel had a nominal horsepower of 700.
This incident serves as a reminder of the risks and challenges that ships faced in navigating the Great Lakes, especially during adverse weather conditions or mechanical failures.
