Other Names
- ALEXANDRA
Site Description
- Sidewheeler
- 10ft 3M Depth
- 160ft 40m Length
- Scarborough Bluffs, Lake Ontario
- N 43 43.741 W 079 12.678
History
The tugboat ALEXANDRA, also known as ALEXANDRIA, was built in 1866 at Hull, Quebec. Its construction utilized wood, and it had a single deck. The vessel was originally owned by the Ottawa River Navigation Co. and was built on the bottom of another ship named AlEXANDRA from 1854. The tugboat was powered by a sidewheel propulsion system with a low-pressure engine featuring one cylinder. The cylinder had a diameter of 33 inches and a stroke length of 120 inches. The engine itself was sourced from the ships SPEED (1846) and PHOENIX (1849).
In terms of its dimensions, the ALEXANDRIA had a length of 161.7 feet, a beam width of 25.2 feet, and a depth of 8.1 feet. Its tonnage, measured in the old style, amounted to 940.
Tragically, the final fate of the ALEXANDRIA occurred on August 3, 1915. The vessel was wrecked during a storm near the Scarborough Bluffs on Lake Ontario. At the time of the incident, it was carrying a cargo consisting of sugar, vinegar, and canned tomatoes, bound for Toronto. The tugboat ran aground on a bar due to the combination of storm and fog. As a result, the relentless action of the waves ultimately led to its destruction. The wreck was later stripped by souvenir hunters.
Throughout its history, the ALEXANDRIA primarily served as a towing vessel, transporting barges between Montreal and Ottawa. In 1873, the ship underwent significant repairs and came under the ownership of Hepburn Bros. and the Ontario & Quebec Navigation Co., which utilized it as a towboat on rivers. In November 1880, the vessel was wrecked off the highlands near Scarborough, close to Toronto. However, it was rebuilt at the Cantin Shipyard in Montreal in 1883 to be used for passenger service. The reconstruction involved converting the vessel into a double-decked ship, and it was given the new name ALEXANDRIA, maintaining the official number C85768.
Further modifications occurred in 1889 when the engine was replaced with a 38-inch diameter and 120-inch stroke engine by Beauchamp & Sons in Sorel, Quebec. The ALEXANDRIA experienced another mishap in May 1890 when it ran aground on the shoal near the Jack Straw lighthouse near Gananoque, Ontario. Ownership of the ship changed hands over the years, with Arthur W. Hepburn becoming the owner and registering it in Picton, Ontario, on May 11, 1901. Bernard R. and James D. Hepburn later acquired the vessel on March 2, 1905, and it was subsequently transferred to the Ontario and Quebec Navigation Co. on April 17, 1905.
The wreck of the ALEXANDRIA in 1915 marked the end of its maritime journey, leaving behind a legacy of towing, river navigation, and passenger service.
