Other Names
- JAY COOKE
The CITY OF SANDUSKY, originally built as the steamer JAY COOKE, was a sidewheel steamer that underwent several transformations and changes throughout its history. Here’s a summary of its various phases and significant events:
- Original Construction and Operation:
- The steamer JAY COOKE was built in 1868 in Detroit, Michigan, by John P. Clark.
- It had a wooden hull and was propelled by a vertical beam (walking beam) engine, with a single cylinder and a single boiler.
- The dimensions of the vessel were approximately 162.8 feet in length, 25.7 feet in width, and 9 feet in depth.
- The vessel initially operated as a sidewheel steamer, running between Detroit, Michigan, and Sandusky, Ohio.
- Changes and Renaming:
- The JAY COOKE was later converted and renamed as the CITY OF SANDUSKY.
- In 1894, the vessel underwent significant changes. Its engine was removed in December 1894, and in August 1895, the hull was converted into a dump scow.
- Activities as a Dump Scow:
- The converted CITY OF SANDUSKY was used for hauling street sweepings from Detroit out into Lake Erie. The sweepings were then pumped overboard.
- The vessel was used in this capacity during the horse and buggy era, when such disposal methods were employed.
- Incidents and Rebuilding:
- In July 1895, the vessel was maliciously scuttled at its dock.
- In 1900, the vessel was reported as a total loss but was later rebuilt by Hawley Bros. in Detroit. The rebuild indicated that the hull was in fair condition.
- Subsequent Changes and Fate:
- The CITY OF SANDUSKY was abandoned in 1905.
- In 1908, the vessel’s hull was repurposed as a breakwater at Windmill Point in Lake St. Clair.
- The vessel continued to have various owners and underwent multiple changes in ownership throughout its existence.
- Final Disposition:
- In 1922, the hull of the CITY OF SANDUSKY, which had been serving as a breakwater, burned.
Throughout its history, the vessel went through several phases, from its initial operation as a sidewheel steamer to its transformation into a dump scow, and finally to its use as a breakwater before its eventual destruction by fire in 1922. This history reflects the changing roles and functions of maritime vessels during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
