History
The BON VOYAGE was a wooden propeller vessel built in 1891 by Rogers & Brittain in Saugatuck, Michigan. It had a length of 153 feet, a beam of 30 feet, and a depth of 17 feet. The gross tonnage was 500 tons, and the net tonnage was 361 tons.
On May 10, 1901, the Bon Voyage caught fire while on Lake Superior near the south entrance to the Portage Ship Canal. The fire broke out around the vessel’s smokestack and quickly spread. The crew and passengers managed to escape, but tragically, five people lost their lives, including four female members of the Altman family. The vessel was beached in an attempt to save the people on board but burned to a total loss on a bar located 1,000 feet from shore.
An investigation later revealed that the owners of the boat, Singer’s White Line Transit Co. of Duluth, were to blame for the disaster due to inadequate equipment and training. The Bon Voyage was carrying passengers and general freight at the time of the fire.
After the fire, much of the vessel’s machinery and engine were stolen during the summer. However, the thieves were later caught and prosecuted. The wreckage of the Bon Voyage was raised, and its machinery, including the engine, was recovered. The engine was subsequently used in another vessel named Belle P. Cross.
Please note that the information provided is based on historical records and may not include all the details or events surrounding the loss of the Bon Voyage.
