Site Description #
- Bulk Freighter
- 255ft 80m Lengths
- 30ffw 10m Depths
- Cove Island, Tobermory ON
- N45.28.222
W081.50.723
The CITY OF CLEVELAND was a notable vessel with a significant history in the Great Lakes region. Built in 1882 by Thomas Quayle & Sons in Cleveland, Ohio, the CITY OF CLEVELAND initially served as a schooner-barge, spending its first two seasons in that capacity. It was owned by M.A. Bradley et al. and was the largest sail craft afloat on the Great Lakes at the time.
In 1884, the vessel underwent a major transformation and was rebuilt as a screw bulk freighter. It was equipped with a fore-and-aft engine by Globe Iron Works, Cleveland, Ohio, and two firebox boilers. After the reconstruction, the CITY OF CLEVELAND measured 225.7 feet in length, 39.5 feet in beam, and 18.4 feet in depth. It had a gross tonnage of 1609 and a net tonnage of 1319. The vessel had a carrying capacity of 2408 tons of iron ore.
Throughout its years of service, the CITY OF CLEVELAND encountered several incidents. In 1889, it ran aground at Bar Point near Amherstburg in the Detroit River and later suffered another grounding at Castle Danger north of Two Harbors in Lake Superior. The vessel was involved in a collision with the schooner CHARGER on Lake Erie in 1890, resulting in the sinking of the latter.
Tragically, on September 17, 1901, the CITY OF CLEVELAND met its final fate near Perseverance Island at the mouth of Georgian Bay on Lake Huron. The vessel, carrying a load of iron ore from Michipicoten Harbor to the Midland Blast Furnace, was caught in a severe storm. It struck a ledge off Little Perseverance Island and began to break up. All crew members safely evacuated to lifeboats and made their way to Fitzwilliam Island, where they were later rescued by the steamer H.R. DIXON.
Efforts were made to salvage the CITY OF CLEVELAND, but they proved unsuccessful. The wreck remained at Cove Island in Georgian Bay, and subsequent attempts to raise the vessel resulted in further damage, leading to its complete loss. The cargo of iron ore was deemed not worth saving.
The CITY OF CLEVELAND’s legacy lives on through accounts of its history and tragic end. It serves as a reminder of the challenges and risks faced by vessels navigating the Great Lakes and the resilience of those who braved these treacherous waters.
