History #
The ATHENS was a schooner-barge that was built in 1897 by James Davidson in West Bay City, Michigan. It had a length of 293.5 feet, a beam of 44.5 feet, and a depth of 19 feet. The vessel had a gross tonnage of 2073 and a net tonnage of 1953.
On October 7, 1917, the ATHENS foundered in Lake Huron, approximately 25 miles west of Southampton, Ontario. The vessel was being towed by the Canadian tug LUCKNOW during a blizzard and gale. It broke in two and sank, resulting in the loss of five lives. The ATHENS was classified as a total loss.
The ATHENS had a history of incidents prior to its sinking. On May 15, 1899, it collided into the East Pier in Fairport, Ohio, causing damage. On November 22, 1906, it was reported as foundered in Lake Erie but was later found two days later off Huron, Ohio, with its steering damaged.
At the time of its loss, the ATHENS was owned by Boland and Cornelius of Cleveland. The vessel had a crew of seven members.
