MYLES (also known as CATARACT and THERESE T.)C77698

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IDENTIFICATION & SITE INFORMATION #

Vessel Name: MYLES (also known as CATARACT and THERESE T.)
Registry: Canadian
Official Number: 77698
Built By: Archibald M. Robertson
Place of Construction: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Year Built: 1882

DIMENSIONS & CAPACITY #

Length: 175 feet (53.3 meters)
Beam: 33.6 feet (10.2 meters)
Depth: 14.6 feet (4.4 meters)
Gross Tonnage: 1,199 tons
Net Tonnage: 742 tons

VESSEL TYPE DESCRIPTION #

The MYLES was a package freighter, a type of vessel designed to transport assorted cargo in packages, barrels, or other units. The ship had two decks, with iron frames and an oak hull, providing a balance of strength and durability. It was powered by a for-and-aft compound engine with two cylinders, producing 465 horsepower, and featured a screw propulsion system, a common design for freighters of this period.

HISTORY #

The MYLES was launched on September 2, 1882, at Hamilton, Ontario, and registered there on October 25, 1882. It was initially chartered to the Western Express Line and operated routes between Duluth, Minnesota, Port Arthur, Ontario, and Montreal, Quebec. Over the years, it encountered various incidents and underwent multiple repairs and modifications:

1885: A boiler explosion in Duluth resulted in two fatalities.
1886: The vessel wrecked on Hare Island in Lake Ontario but was refloated and repaired.
1893: The MYLES lost its rudder off Cabot Head in Georgian Bay.
1904: It was sunk by the THOMAS CRANAGE on Russell Island in the St. Clair River.
1906: Acquired by Cataract Ice Co. and converted into a screw steam barge, renamed CATARACT.
1918: Reengineered and rebuilt, receiving a new engine and revised tonnage.

Throughout its service life, the MYLES underwent several ownership changes and was eventually converted into a schooner barge. The vessel continued operating in various capacities until it was abandoned in Kingston, Ontario, in 1945. By 1965, the hull remained intact at the Canadian Dredge & Dock Co. Wharf in Kingston’s inner harbor.

FINAL DISPOSITION #

The MYLES was abandoned in Kingston, Ontario, on Lake Ontario in 1945. As of 1965, the hull of the vessel was still intact, located at the Canadian Dredge & Dock Co. Wharf in Kingston’s inner harbor.

RESOURCES & LINKS #

KEYWORDS #

Steamer, MYLES, CATARACT, THERESE T., Kingston, Great Lakes, Maritime History, Freighter, Shipwreck, Canada

ANALYSIS #

The MYLES exemplifies the robust, yet often perilous, life of Great Lakes freighters during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Built to serve a growing industrial economy, the ship’s multiple incidents and rebuilds reflect both the harsh conditions of Great Lakes shipping and the adaptability required to keep vessels in service. The transition from a package freighter to a coal barge highlights the evolving demands of the maritime industry during this period. The eventual abandonment and long presence in Kingston’s harbor symbolize the decline of many such vessels as they became obsolete or too costly to maintain.