AUGUSTUS C96919

Schooner Barge
60ffw
177ft length
Snake Island, Lake Ontario
N44.11.771 w76.33.517

The AUGUSTUS schooner barge, with an official number of C96919, was built in 1893 by Thomas O’Brien at Garden Island, Ontario, for the Calvin Co. It had a gross tonnage of 830.62 tons and a register tonnage of 802.32 tons. The vessel measured 177.5 feet in length, had a capacity of 900,000 board feet, and featured a round stern. Originally equipped with two masts, later photos from 1937 showed a single mast located forward.

Throughout its history, the value of the AUGUSTUS fluctuated. In 1897, it was rated A2 and valued at $24,000. However, by 1903, its value had decreased to $12,000, and further declined to $9,000 in 1906 and $8,500 in 1908. In 1919, the vessel’s value reached $7,000, and it was restricted to operating on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.

The Calvin Co. utilized the AUGUSTUS in the timber trade until at least 1898. Subsequently, it was acquired by the Montreal Transportation Co., underwent docking and caulking in 1902, and was rebuilt in 1906. The vessel required repairs in 1909 after striking a rock near Prescott, Ontario, and again in 1912 following an incident of running aground at Salmon Point in Prince Edward County. During the latter occurrence, Calvins lightered the coal cargo and successfully refloated the AUGUSTUS. Due to the close relationship between the two companies, the Montreal Transportation Co. received a 1/3 discount on the repair bill, which amounted to $510.

The AUGUSTUS was sold to A.A. Larocque for $7,500, and the vessel’s registry was transferred on March 4, 1919. In 1920, it was owned by the Atlas Transportation Co., and from 1921 to at least 1934, it came under the direct ownership of Sincennes-McNaughton (later known as Sin-Mac from 1929). Ultimately, the AUGUSTUS was abandoned at Portsmouth, Ontario, and on November 15, 1937, while en route to be scuttled off Snake Island during a harbor cleanup, it sank.

The vessel AUGUSTUS, classified as a schooner, played a significant role in the transportation of lumber, logs, and forest products. It had a single deck and was constructed using wood as the primary hull material. The original owner of the AUGUSTUS was D.D. Calvin, and it operated as a barge towed by the D.D. CALVIN in 1898. In 1930, ownership transferred to Sin-Mac Lines Ltd. of Montreal, Quebec, until its sinking in the late 1930s.