- Tug
- 10ffw 3m
- 68ft Length
- Bay Village OH, Lake Erie
- 41 29.576 81 56.431
The Paddy Murphy was a tugboat (towboat) that was launched in 1882 in Saugatuck, Michigan. It was specifically built for towing purposes in Chicago, Illinois. The vessel was initially owned by Patrick Murphy and Henry Gilman, based in Chicago.
In 1888, the ownership of the Paddy Murphy transferred to Thomas Axworthy of Cleveland, Ohio. However, on April 23, 1888, a tragic event occurred. The tugboat caught fire off Dover Bay, which is located west of Cleveland, and burned to the water’s edge. The incident occurred while the Paddy Murphy was towing the schooner Republic to Lorain, Ohio.
The Paddy Murphy had a length of 68.8 feet, a beam of 17.4 feet, and a depth of 8.9 feet. It had a gross tonnage of 42.21 tons. The vessel was propelled by a screw-type propulsion system.
This unfortunate incident marked the end of the Paddy Murphy’s career, as it was destroyed by the fire and ultimately lost in Dover Bay, in the Cleveland area of Lake Erie.
