Other names #
- LAKE SHORE
History #
The Altadoc, originally built as the Lake Shore, was a propeller steamer that was constructed in 1901 by West Bay City Shipbuilding in West Bay City, Michigan. It was made of steel and had a length of 356 feet, a beam of 50 feet, and a depth of 28 feet. The vessel had a gross tonnage of 3,871 and a net tonnage of 2,997.
The Lake Shore was initially owned by the Gilchrist Transportation Co. and later transferred to the Interlake Steamship Co. in 1913, under the management of Pickands, Mather & Co. In 1926, the vessel was sold to Paterson Steamships Ltd. and renamed the Altadoc.
On December 8, 1927, while bound from Owen Sound, Ontario, for Fort William, Ontario, the Altadoc ran aground during a storm on Keweenaw Point, east of Copper Harbor, Michigan, in Lake Superior. The vessel had encountered a blizzard and had parting wheel chains. Subsequently, it broke in two and was further destroyed by fire in its coal bunker. Fortunately, there was no loss of life, as the crew was rescued by the USCG Crawford on December 11, 1927.
The remains of the Altadoc were eventually cut up for scrap during World War II. The wheelhouse of the vessel was repurposed and used as a summer cottage. It was known for many years as a gift shop and a two-room hotel until it was destroyed by fire on March 22, 1987.
Throughout its history, the Altadoc underwent ownership changes and name changes. It was known as the Indus from 1913 to 1926 when it was owned by the Interlake Steamship Co. The vessel was then sold to Canadian ownership in 1926 and became the Altadoc under the registration number C116577.
