History
In October 1894, the tugs PURITAN and STAUBER were set to begin the search for the iron steamship BRUNSWICK, which had sunk off Dunkirk on December 12, 1881, following a collision with the schooner CARLINGFORD. The Cavenaugh Wrecking Co. from New York was entrusted with the task of raising the vessel.
The BRUNSWICK, contrary to a previous report, did not carry 5,000 tons but rather around 1,700 tons. It had been bound for Duluth at the time of the accident. Built by the Detroit Drydock Co. in Wyandotte, the BRUNSWICK was one of the first boats launched by the company. It entered service in the summer of 1881, operating a route from Buffalo to Duluth with coal at a rate of $1.50 per ton. It then transported cargo from Duluth to Ashland, followed by Ashland to Chicago with lumber priced at $4.50 per thousand board feet. Finally, it carried grain from Chicago to Buffalo at the prevailing rates.
According to the Master List of Vessels compiled by the Milwaukee Marine Historical Co., the BRUNSWICK was an iron bulk propeller launched on May 5, 1881. It had an official number of 3148 and measured 1120 gross tons. The vessel’s dimensions were recorded as 235 feet in length, 35.6 feet in breadth, and 15.6 feet in depth. The collision with the schooner CARLINGFORD occurred on November 12, 1881, off Dunkirk in Lake Erie, resulting in the loss of three lives.
Additional information from the Detroit/Wyandotte Master Shipbuilding List, maintained by the Institute for Great Lakes Research in Perrysburg, Ohio, confirms that the BRUNSWICK, an iron bulk propeller, was built on May 21, 1881. Its official number was U.S. 3148, and it had a gross tonnage of 1120 tons. The vessel’s dimensions were reported as 235.0 feet in length, 35.6 feet in breadth, and 15.6 feet in depth. The sinking occurred as a result of the collision with the schooner CARLINGFORD near Dunkirk, New York, in Lake Erie, and sadly, three lives were lost in the incident.
