The NORTH WEST, a magnificent twin-screw steamer, was launched at the Globe Iron Company yards in Cleveland on January 6, 1894. This vessel, built for the Northern Steamship Company, was intended to operate between Buffalo and Duluth in conjunction with the Great Northern Railway. The launch drew a large crowd of ship and engine builders from the major lake cities. With a graceful slide down the ways and a drop of five feet into the water, the NORTH WEST marked a momentous occasion.
Considered one of the finest ships ever constructed on the Great Lakes, the NORTH WEST boasted impressive features. It measured a total length of 383 feet overall, with a breadth of 44 feet and a depth of 26 feet. The vessel had four decks, including the lower, main, upper, and hurricane deck. Its design mirrored that of top-notch sea-going steamships, complete with twin screws measuring 4-bladed and 13 feet in diameter. The powerful vessel was equipped with 7,000 horsepower engines, enabling it to achieve a speed of 20 miles per hour.
The NORTH WEST accommodated both passengers and cargo. The lower deck forward housed the quarters for 350 emigrants, followed by three water-tight compartments housing the 28 boilers. Moving aft, the engine space contained two quadruple expansion engines, and surrounding the boiler space were coal bunkers. The vessel could support a crew of 150 individuals and featured an electric lighting plant on the lower deck, providing power for 1,300 lights.
Noteworthy among the NORTH WEST’s amenities was its exquisite dining saloon, a spacious room measuring 52 by 38 feet. The saloon boasted elegant white and gold finishes, complemented by intricately carved cherry wainscoting. Cherry sideboards and a grand mantle with a central grate added to the room’s opulence. The upper deck held 140 state rooms, while the deck house aft stretched 114 feet and contained a luxurious ladies’ deck saloon furnished with Mahogany.
Despite its promising beginnings, the NORTH WEST faced several challenges throughout its history. In August 1894, it ran aground in fog near Bar Point on Lake Erie but was successfully released. In 1901, the vessel underwent a significant rebuild, adding 30 new cabins and incorporating ten 12’6″ x 11’6″ scotch boilers. However, tragedy struck on June 3, 1911, when the NORTH WEST burned in Buffalo, New York. The vessel was subsequently raised but remained idle in Buffalo.
Over the years, the NORTH WEST changed ownership multiple times. In 1915, it was owned by the Susquehanna Finance Company of Buffalo, followed by Charles A. Finnegan in 1917. Later that year, the ship was cut in two at Buffalo Dry Dock and transported to the East Coast to support the war effort. Ownership transferred to Theodore Hofeller and Samuel J. Feldman before ultimately being acquired by J.F. Darcy of Montreal.
On November 28, 1918, tragedy struck once again when the NORTH WEST’s bow half sank in a storm near Consecon, Ontario, in Lake Ontario. Two lives were lost as the crew succumbed to exposure in a life raft. The remaining stern portion of the vessel became part of the steamer MAPLECOURT, which met its demise in World War II. The NORTH WEST’s final chapter unfolded on February 6, 1941, when it was torpedoed by a German submarine in the Irish Sea while en route from Montreal, Quebec, to Preston, Great Britain
