The freighter SENATOR DERBYSHIRE met its final fate as a wreck off Point Petre in Lake Ontario. With dimensions of 220.0 feet in length, 40.8 feet in breadth, and 16.8 feet in depth, it had a gross tonnage of 1246 and a net tonnage of 987. The vessel was originally built in 1897 in West Bay City, Michigan, by James Davidson.
Registered under the official Canadian number 112351, the SENATOR DERBYSHIRE was initially known by the foreign name BERMUDA. It was owned by the George Hall Coal Co. of Montreal, Quebec and operated from its home port in Montreal. The freighter had a power of 73.5 horsepower and played a significant role in the Great Lakes maritime industry.
Constructed as a wooden bulk freighter, the SENATOR DERBYSHIRE featured a single deck and was propelled by a screw propulsion system. It was equipped with a steeple compound engine with two cylinders, powered by a single boiler. The vessel’s dimensions included a length of 220 feet, a beam of 41 feet, and a depth of 16.6 feet. It had a gross tonnage of 1312 and a net tonnage of 1079.
Tragically, on November 10, 1924, the SENATOR DERBYSHIRE suffered a devastating fate as it burned and sank off Point Petre. This marked the end of its journey, bringing an end to its years of service in the maritime industry.
Throughout its operational history, the SENATOR DERBYSHIRE had notable milestones. In 1898, it towed the barge LIZZIE A. LOW, and later the barge GRAMPION in the spring. The freighter continued towing the LIZZIE A. LOW in 1900 and the Grampion in 1903. In April 1909, it was sold to the Brockville Transportation Co. in Brockville, Ontario, and began operating under the U.S. flag. It was renamed SENATOR DERBYSHIRE in April 1910 and was registered as Canadian C11235 with a gross tonnage of 1246 and a net tonnage of 987.
Sadly, in 1924, the SENATOR DERBYSHIRE was removed from the Canadian Registry, marking the end of its official status as a vessel
