- Barge
- Cornwall ON
- Old Canal, High Current Low Vis
The lake barge CORNWALL, with registration number C 94889, operated from 1890 to 1913. It had a gross tonnage of 607.72 tons and a register tonnage of 585.96 tons. The vessel measured 178.6 feet between perpendiculars and 184.6 feet overall. Its capacity allowed for the transportation of 45,000 bushels on the lakes and 36,000 bushels at a draft of 9 feet in canals. Built by Ainsley of the Montreal Transportation Co., the CORNWALL was launched in Kingston, Ontario on June 16, 1890. Originally equipped with three masts, it later operated with no masts. The barge featured a round stern and had a cabin on the deck.
Upon its launch, CORNWALL was already loaded and prepared for service, setting off for Montreal just three days later. However, it encountered several incidents throughout its operational years. It sank on October 31, 1903, but was successfully raised. In 1906, the barge was involved in a collision with the steamer DUNDURN in the Soulanges Canal, resulting in another sinking in 16 feet of water. On June 11, 1907, CORNWALL struck a rock near Smith’s Island in the narrows of Brockville, Ontario, and sank once again. It ran aground on Howe Island near Kingston in 1911. The barge faced its final mishap in the Cornwall Canal at Dickinson’s Landing, Ontario, on October 2, 1913. Due to the swelling of its grain cargo and the subsequent opening of its seams, the vessel was abandoned and sank when the lines from the tug EMERSON broke. Its registry was closed on November 4, 1913.
Following its demise, the wreck of CORNWALL was stripped of valuable equipment, including pumps, before being sold to A.J. Lee of Montreal for a symbolic price of $1. The Montreal Transportation Co. wrote off the vessel’s value as $4,500.
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