The B.W. Arnold was a wooden propeller bulk freighter, also known as a “lumber hooker,” built in 1885 by F.W. Wheeler in West Bay City, Michigan. It had the official number 3333. The vessel had a length of 202.3 feet, a beam of 36 feet, and a depth of 13.2 feet. It had a gross tonnage of 944.30 tons and a net tonnage of 673.56 tons.
On November 21, 1896, the B.W. Arnold met its fate off Ontonagon, Michigan, in Lake Superior. The ship was carrying a cargo of 800,000 board feet of lumber and was bound for Duluth with the schooner-barge James Mowatt in tow. A fire broke out in the deck load of the Arnold, and despite efforts to extinguish it, the fire spread along the length of the vessel. The crew abandoned ship and took refuge on the James Mowatt. The tow line was cut, and the B.W. Arnold drifted ashore approximately 7 miles below the Portage Entrance to the ship canal. It burned out completely, becoming a total loss.
At the time of the incident, both the B.W. Arnold and the James Mowatt were owned by Mills Transportation of Marysville, Michigan. The vessel was reported to be the largest steamer in the lumber trade at the time of its construction and had accommodations for up to 20 passengers.
The insurance on the B.W. Arnold amounted to approximately $13,000, with coverage provided by Worthington & Sill of Buffalo and C.A. McDonald & Co. of Chicago. The remaining $25,000 of insurance was placed with the Port Huron pool, a group of vessel owners in Port Huron, Michigan.
The B.W. Arnold had a previous incident in 1893 when it towed the schooner James D. Sawyer, which was lost during a storm in the Beaver Islands.
After the fire on November 21, 1896, the documents for the B.W. Arnold were surrendered, and the vessel was owned by Mills Transportation Co.
