History #
The AURANIA was a propeller ship that was built in 1895 by the Chicago Shipbuilding Co. in Chicago. Initially launched as a barge, she was later converted to a steel bulk freighter in 1899. The ship had a length of 352 feet, a width of 44.16 feet, and a depth of 21.75 feet. Her gross tonnage was 3,218 tons, and her net tonnage was 2,899 tons.
On April 29, 1909, the AURANIA met with a tragic fate near Parisienne Island in Lake Superior. She was trapped in pack ice along with several other vessels in Whitefish Bay since mid-April. As the ice pressed against her hull, the ship started to take on water and was slowly crushed. Eventually, she sank, but fortunately, there was no loss of life. The crew of the AURANIA managed to evacuate the ship and walk to the steamer J.H. BARTOW, which was also stuck in the ice.
The AURANIA was carrying a cargo of coal at the time of the incident. The wreck of the ship was located in 1972. It is worth noting that when the AURANIA was launched, she was the largest steel schooner on the Great Lakes.
