IDENTIFICATION & SITE INFORMATION #
VESSEL TYPE DESCRIPTION #
Originally constructed as a wooden package freight propeller, the Russel Sage was a robust and versatile vessel, designed for transporting a wide range of goods across the Great Lakes. In 1906, it was converted into a bulk propeller, enhancing its capacity for carrying larger, bulkier cargos. After its conversion into a barge in 1917, renamed Atlasco, it continued to serve as a bulk carrier, primarily transporting goods between ports in Canada.
HISTORY #
The Russel Sage was launched on May 21, 1881, and officially enrolled in Buffalo, New York, on June 10 of the same year. Initially owned by the Wabash Pacific & Saint Louis Railway Company, the vessel was later owned by the Lake Erie Transportation Company, and then by various other parties, including M.W. Humphry and Frank S. Upton.
In 1906, the vessel was rebuilt into a coarse freighter and saw a series of ownership changes. It was eventually sold to George C. Bayless in 1907. Tragedy struck in 1912 when the Russel Sage caught fire, sank, and was abandoned in Oswego, New York. After being rebuilt in 1917 as a barge, it was renamed Atlasco and was owned by the Sincennes-McNaughton Line, and later by the Atlas Transportation Company.
FINAL DISPOSITION #
On August 7, 1921, the Atlasco foundered during a storm off South Bay Point in Lake Ontario. The ship, unable to withstand the violent weather, sank to its final resting place near Point Travers. The exact cause of the foundering is attributed to the severe storm conditions it encountered.
NOTMARs & ADVISORIES #
There are no current Notices to Mariners (NOTMARs) specifically related to the wreck of the Atlasco (formerly Russel Sage). However, mariners should exercise caution around Point Travers, where the wreck lies.
