IDENTIFICATION & SITE INFORMATION
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VESSEL TYPE DESCRIPTION #
The BERTIE CALKINS was a three-masted wooden schooner, a typical vessel type used on the Great Lakes during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Schooners like the BERTIE CALKINS were designed to carry bulk cargo such as coal, timber, and other goods across the inland seas. With its sturdy construction and substantial cargo capacity, the BERTIE CALKINS served various purposes in the transportation industry, reflecting the adaptability of Great Lakes schooners.
HISTORY #
The BERTIE CALKINS was built in 1874 by Hanson & Scove in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, measuring 134 feet in length with a gross tonnage of 256 tons. Owned initially by Peter Hanson and others in Two Rivers, the schooner had a storied career filled with both challenges and resilience.
In November 1888, the BERTIE CALKINS broke free from its tow in the Chicago River, colliding with the Randolph Street Bridge. Despite the mishap, the schooner survived and continued its service. Around 1909, the vessel was sold to J.S. McQueen of Belleville, Ontario, marking a new chapter in its operational life.
On October 3, 1919, the BERTIE CALKINS faced its greatest challenge when it foundered in a violent storm near Belleville in Quinte Bay on Lake Ontario. The schooner was reported as a total loss, but in a twist of fate, it was later recovered from the depths and continued to operate, even being converted into a barge in its later years.
The vessel’s luck eventually ran out, and around 1930, the BERTIE CALKINS was abandoned, marking the end of its active service on the Great Lakes. The schooner’s last recorded registration occurred in 1931, signaling the conclusion of its seafaring days.
One particularly noteworthy incident involved the steamer M. SICKEN, which came to the aid of the BERTIE CALKINSjust in time, rescuing the sinking schooner off the north shore. The crew, exhausted from battling the water-filled hold, was saved, and the schooner was towed to safety where it discharged its cargo of coal before undergoing repairs.
FINAL DISPOSITION #
The BERTIE CALKINS was ultimately abandoned around 1930 after a long and eventful career on the Great Lakes. Its last active registration was in 1931, and the vessel’s final location near Belleville in Quinte Bay, Lake Ontario, remains a point of historical interest.
CURRENT CONDITION & ACCESSIBILITY #
The remains of the BERTIE CALKINS lie near Belleville in Quinte Bay, Lake Ontario, at the coordinates N44° 15.826′ W77° 38.311′. The site has not been extensively explored or preserved, and the condition of the wreck is not well-documented, making it a potentially intriguing site for underwater exploration.
RESOURCES & LINKS #
- Mapping Great Lakes Shipwrecks – Jack Grove
- International Maritime Library
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes – Website
- David Swayze Shipwreck File
- Library and Archives – Port of Kingston Registry
- Wisconsin Shipwreck Search
- Life and the Lake
- Mercantile Navy List 1928 P. 0668-0847
- Oswego Palladium, 8 July 1912
- Annual List of Merchant Vessels of the United States, Volume 901
BERTIE CALKINS, schooner, Great Lakes shipwrecks, Quinte Bay, Belleville Ontario, 1919 storm, Hanson & Scove, Three-Masted Wooden Schooner, Great Lakes maritime history.
