Comprehensive History of the CITY OF LONDON:
The CITY OF LONDON was a propeller-driven freighter built in 1866 by L. Shickluna in St. Catharines, Ontario. It had a wooden hull and measured approximately 145 feet in length, 27 feet in width, and 12 feet in depth. With a gross tonnage of 440 and a net tonnage of 307, it was primarily used for transporting passengers.
On August 20, 1874, tragedy struck as the CITY OF LONDON was engulfed in a devastating fire in Collins Inlet, located in Georgian Bay on Lake Huron. The fire resulted in the complete loss of the vessel, amounting to an estimated value of $25,000. Despite efforts to salvage the hull and machinery, the damaged hull was likely abandoned without being reconstructed.
There were reports suggesting that the CITY OF LONDON was lost in 1875, but these claims were found to be erroneous. The vessel’s homeport was registered as Port Stanley.
The Northern Transportation Co. initially owned the CITY OF LONDON upon its construction. Ownership then changed hands to the North Shore Transportation Co. in 1869 and 1871, and finally to the Canadian Lake Superior Transit Co. in 1874. The vessel operated between Chicago and Collingwood as part of its regular route.
During the unfortunate incident, one life was tragically lost when a deckhand named Campbell perished in the fire. Passengers on board narrowly escaped with their lives but lost all their personal belongings in the blaze.
The CITY OF LONDON’s engine, which was built by G. N. Oill in St. Catharines and measured 30×36, was later transferred to another vessel named the CITY OF OWEN SOUND. The loss of the CITY OF LONDON marked the second vessel lost by the Georgian Bay Transportation Company in the span of two years.
Efforts were made to salvage the wreck of the CITY OF LONDON, and the hull was eventually raised and towed to Owen Sound by the wrecking tug MARY ANN. The vessel was sold to Smith & Wyatt of Toronto, who intended to rebuild it. However, details regarding the progress of the reconstruction are not available in the provided information.
