The Hercules was a propeller vessel built in 1843 in Buffalo, New York. It may have been the first all-freight propeller on the Great Lakes. The construction of the vessel involved wood, and it had two decks. Carrick & Bidwell were the builders of the Hercules, with J.W. Banta serving as the master carpenter. The original owner was Robert Hollister from Buffalo, New York.
The Hercules was powered by a high-pressure Ericsson patent engine with two cylinders, measuring 14 + 14 x 28 inches. The engine, providing 50 horsepower, was built at Auburn prison in New York. The vessel was propelled by two 6 feet 4 inches propellers, utilizing a screw propulsion system.
With a length of 136 feet 3 inches, a beam of 24 feet 10 inches, and a depth of 8 feet 1 inch, the Hercules had a tonnage of 256 39/95 according to the old measurement style. It had a capacity to carry 2,200 barrels of cargo.
On June 6, 1883, the Hercules met its final disposition. While traveling upbound, it sank in a collision with the propeller Clarion in the St. Clair River near Algonac, Michigan.
Throughout its history, the Hercules operated on various routes and underwent repairs and ownership changes. It ran between Buffalo, New York, and Chicago, Illinois, and had encounters with collisions and incidents. Over the years, it changed ownership multiple times and underwent rebuilding and repairs in different locations, including Detroit and Algonac, Michigan.
In 1867, the Hercules was rebuilt as a barge in Algonac by Francis Martin. It had one deck and new dimensions of 139 x 25 x 8 feet, with a gross tonnage of 195.09. The vessel was later owned by John W. Hannaford, Come Allen, Charles Cash, and others.
The Hercules met its final sinking in 1883 in the St. Clair River. Despite its long history and various transformations, it eventually met its end in the waters where it had traveled for many years.
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