Other Names #
- AVON
- Wreck (X, or Y, TR, 6)
History #
The Avon, also known as the Stormont, was a wooden package freighter and propeller vessel that was built in 1877 by the Union Dry Dock Co. in Buffalo, New York. It had official number 105733 and measured 251 feet in length, 35.33 feet in width, and 15 feet in depth. The Avon had a gross tonnage of 1702.33 and a net tonnage of 1538.84.
The vessel was originally owned by the Union Steamboat Co. in Buffalo, New York. It was equipped with a steeple compound steam engine with two cylinders and a single propeller. The engine, manufactured by King Iron Works in Buffalo, had a power output of 600 horsepower.
The Avon primarily operated as a package freighter, transporting cargo between Buffalo, Chicago, and Milwaukee. It had a capacity of 2,000 tons and played a significant role in the freight transportation industry in the Great Lakes region.
Throughout its history, the Avon faced several incidents and accidents. In 1881, it was involved in a collision with the Thomas A. Scott in Milwaukee Bay, which resulted in the sinking of the Scott. In November 1883, the Avon stranded and suffered damage near Buffalo due to a steering failure.
The vessel underwent various rebuilds and modifications over the years. In 1901, after an explosion and fire near Point Aux Pins on Lake Superior while carrying grain, the Avon was declared a total loss. However, it was later recovered and rebuilt in Buffalo as a bulk freighter.
Ownership of the Avon changed hands multiple times. It was owned by the Harahan Coal & Transportation Co. in October 1901 and by John Hannan in 1904. The Ogdensburg Coal & Towing Co. owned it in 1906.
In 1918, the Avon underwent another rebuild in Kingston, Ontario, and was renamed Stormont with registry C105733. It was owned by the Montreal Transportation Co. in May 1919.
The vessel met its final demise on November 2, 1920, when it sank in the Morrisburg Canal. It was later declared a constructive total loss and abandoned in Kingston, Ontario, in 1921. The wreck was eventually removed and scuttled at the Nine Mile Point Graveyard in Lake Ontario in 1937.
