MONS MEG C107688

WILLIAM ARMSTRONG #

• Drill Boat
• ?
• 105ft Length
• Trent River/Bay of Quinte
• Trenton ON, abandoned in place

The car ferry (rail ferry) William Armstrong, with the official number C80613, was built in Ogdensburg, NY. Its construction was completed by A. & J.W. Wood, with the bow reinforced for ice and sheathed in iron. The vessel had a wooden hull and a single deck. The original owner was Captain David H. Lyon from Brockville, Ontario.

The William Armstrong was propelled by a screw and powered by a high-pressure engine with one cylinder. The engine, built by Jno King & Co. in Oswego in 1875, had dimensions of 16 x 16 inches and generated 340 horsepower at 140 revolutions per minute. The propulsion system included one propeller. The vessel had two firebox boilers, measuring 5′ x 10′ and weighing 95 pounds each, manufactured by King Works.

In terms of dimensions, the William Armstrong had a length of 105 feet, a beam of 31 feet, and a depth of 9.4 feet. It had a gross tonnage of 181 and a net tonnage of 90.

Eventually, the William Armstrong found its final location in Trenton, Ontario, in the Bay of Quinte on Lake Ontario. However, in 1938, it was abandoned and left in place. It is likely that the vessel is currently buried under the town piers.

In the List of Vessels on the Registry Books of the Dominion of Canada as of December 31, 1920, the William Armstrong is mentioned as the drill boat Mons Meg, with the official Canadian number 107688. It had a registered tonnage of 291 and was built in Ogdensburg, NY, in 1876. The home port was listed as Kingston, Ontario, and the owner was Robert Weddell from Trenton, Ontario. The dimensions of the vessel were recorded as 105.0 x 31.0 x 9.4.

Throughout its history, the William Armstrong experienced various incidents. In 1889, it sank due to improperly loaded rail cars, causing the stern to dip under water. The vessel was submerged under 83 feet of water. However, it was raised and repaired by the Ogdensburg Marine Railway Company in 1890 and relaunched the same year.

The ownership of the William Armstrong changed over the years, with D.H. Lyons and others taking ownership in 1899. In 1904, the vessel sank again at Ogdensburg, NY, but was once more raised and repaired. In 1912, it was reregistered under the Canadian office with the new official number C107688, and its dimensions were listed as 100′ x 30′ x 6′.

In 1913, the William Armstrong underwent a rebuilding process and was transformed into a drill barge. It was renamed Mons Meg during this conversion. Ultimately, in 1938, the vessel was abandoned in place, and it is likely that it remains buried beneath the town piers to this day.