Other Names
- WISSAHICKON
On November 6, 1910, the wooden steamer WASAGO, formerly known as WISSAHICKON, met a tragic fate when it burned to the water’s edge at Copper Harbor, Michigan, on Lake Superior. The vessel was bound from Toronto to Fort William, Ontario, carrying a cargo of farming machinery and supplies. The fire broke out while the ship was seeking shelter from heavy northwest gales. The crew of 15 men and one woman managed to escape with their lives, but the vessel sank in 30 feet of water, resulting in a total loss of the hull and cargo, amounting to $200,000. The engines of the WASAGO could be salvaged despite the destruction of the rest of the ship.
The incident marked the second steamer destroyed by fire in the region within three weeks, with the steamer MORELAND being the other vessel that was wrecked on Eagle River. The steamer LANGHAM had also burned off Bete Gris and sank a week prior to the WASAGO incident. Both the WASAGO and the MORELAND were total losses and abandoned by underwriters.
It is worth noting that the WASAGO, originally named WISSAHICKON, was built on June 1, 1876, as a package freight propeller made of wood. It had a gross tonnage of 1619 and a net tonnage of 1423, with dimensions of 238′ x 35′ x 14′. The vessel was later renamed WASAGA and registered under the Canadian flag (C 117084).
These unfortunate incidents highlight the dangers and risks faced by vessels navigating the treacherous waters of Lake Superior during that time.
