| Rappahannock | 308′ Wooden Freighter | Jackfish Bay | 85′ | 48° 48.77′ N 86° 57.78′ W |
The Rappahannock was a steam screw ship that sank on July 25, 1911, in Lake Superior near Jackfish Bay. It was owned by Captain James Davidson of Bay City, Michigan. The vessel had a gross tonnage of 2,380 tons and was built in 1895 in West Bay City.
On the day of the sinking, the Rappahannock was carrying a cargo of coal from Ashtabula, Ohio, to Duluth, Minnesota. It encountered severe weather conditions, including a 70-mile gale, which caused the ship to develop a significant leak in the middle of Lake Superior. Captain W. A. Rattray, who was in command of the vessel, changed course and headed for Jackfish Harbor.
Unfortunately, the leak worsened, and the Rappahannock started taking on water rapidly. The crew managed to run the ship aground on Jackfish Point in 18 feet of water and safely disembarked before the vessel slipped off the point and sank in 50 feet of water.
All 18 crew members aboard the Rappahannock were saved. The barge Montezuma, which was being towed by the Rappahannock, broke away during the storm but was later found at anchor off Grand Island by the steamer Sacramento, another ship from the Davidson fleet.
The Rappahannock’s sinking resulted in its abandonment. The vessel remained at the bottom of Lake Superior following the incident. No lives were lost in the sinking of the Rappahannock.
