Site Description #
- Bulk Freighter
- 138ft 41m Lengths
- Unknown
- Michipicoten Island
- Lake Superior
The City of Montreal was a propeller freighter built in 1871 by Hyslop & Ronald in Chatham, Ontario. It had a length of 138 feet, a beam of 25.6 feet, and a depth of 11.6 feet, with a gross tonnage of 400. The vessel was powered by a single screw and had one mast, propelled by a single-cylinder engine and a boiler.
Initially owned by McKay of Hamilton, Ontario, the City of Montreal was part of the Montreal Chicago Line. In July 1872, it underwent repairs for leaking boiler tubes and was refastened in Windsor, Ontario. Over the years, the ownership of the vessel changed hands, including ownership by Lamont of Chatham and later by Milloy & Search of Toronto.
In November 1878, the City of Montreal was reported missing on Lake Michigan but was found without a pilot house on Manitou Island. It continued to change ownership, with Malloy of Chatham owning it in 1879. The vessel was reported wrecked in February 1881 but was rebuilt in Owen Sound, Ontario, and converted into a steam barge with a new boiler.
In 1888, the City of Montreal was owned by A. Campbell of Toronto. On October 19, 1888, the vessel was wrecked on Michipicoten Island in Lake Superior. It had been driven ashore during a heavy easterly storm after riding out the tempest at anchor for two days. The ship was carrying 475 tons of building stone and was towing the barge Keewatin, which remained undamaged.
Tragically, one life was lost in the incident. The crew and passengers of the City of Montreal drifted for three days in a lifeboat before reaching safety. The vessel had departed from Vertist, Ontario, bound for Chicago. The City of Montreal was originally registered under the official number C71108.
