The waters of Lake Superior, majestic and formidable, have witnessed countless stories of adventure and tragedy. Among them, the tale of the schooner-barge Comrade stands as a poignant reminder of the unpredictable forces that can swiftly transform a voyage into a disaster. With the vessel’s harrowing loss in 1890, the Comrade became a symbol of the challenges faced by mariners navigating the tempestuous waters of the Great Lakes.
In 1883, the schooner-barge Comrade was constructed at R. Mills & Co. in Buffalo, NY. Built to transport cargo by tow, the vessel was equipped with the infrastructure of a steam barge, though its machinery was never installed. With dimensions of 199x34x14 feet and a tonnage of 910 gross and 880 net, the Comrade had the capacity to carry significant loads of freight.
The vessel’s ill-fated voyage occurred on September 13, 1890. Bound for Cleveland from Ashland, WI, laden with 1,650 tons of iron ore, the Comrade was in tow of the steambarge Columbia. The journey took a perilous turn as a storm, likely a southeast or west-southwest gale, roared across Lake Superior. Amidst the tempest, the Comrade was cast adrift from the Columbia, a tragic separation that would seal the fate of the vessel and its crew.
With eight souls aboard, the Comrade fought valiantly against the elements but was ultimately overpowered by the relentless storm. As it struggled somewhere between Keweenaw and Isle Royale, the vessel foundered, taking with it the lives of all those on board. Among the lives lost was the master, Captain Peterson, whose seamanship skills were unable to prevail against the ferocity of the lake’s fury.
The wreckage of the Comrade told a grim tale of the storm’s wrath and the courage of the crew who faced it. The valiant attempts to anchor, slipping cables, and the cast adrift yawl with a drag attached all bore witness to the crew’s efforts to survive. The fate of the eight men stood as a testament to the harsh reality of life on the Great Lakes, where nature’s unpredictability could quickly turn a promising voyage into a tragic ordeal.
The loss of the schooner-barge Comrade in Lake Superior serves as a poignant reminder of the risks that sailors undertook in the pursuit of trade and commerce on the Great Lakes. The story of the Comrade encapsulates the essence of maritime history, where vessels were both tools of trade and conduits of human stories. The storm that claimed the Comrade is a reminder of the immense power and unpredictability of nature, prompting us to honor the memory of those lost and to reflect on the sacrifices made by mariners of the past.
