KINGHORN

The barge KINGHORN, with no assigned number, was listed on the Registry Books of the Dominion of Canada as of December 31, 1874. It had a registered tonnage of 303 tons and was built in Montreal, Quebec, in 1871. The home port of the barge was Montreal, and its dimensions were recorded as 131.0 feet in length, 24.8 feet in beam, and 9.8 feet in depth. The owner of the barge was the Montreal Transportation Company.

Moving forward to December 31, 1886, the barge KINGHORN was still listed on the Registry Books. It remained unnumbered and had a registered tonnage of 303 tons. The initial construction of the barge was noted to have taken place in Montreal, Quebec, in 1853. Its home port was still listed as Montreal, and its dimensions remained the same. Ownership of the barge continued to belong to the Montreal Transportation Company.

However, it is worth noting that the KINGHORN was eventually dropped from the Canadian register in 1898. The barge had an iron frame constructed by the London and Glasgow Engineering and Iron Ship Building Co. Ltd. at their Middleton Yard in Govan, Scotland, on the Clyde. The iron frame was assembled in 1871 in Montreal by J.B. Auger for the Montreal Transportation Company. It was registered as No. 12 in 1871 in Montreal. The exact date of its sinking off Rockport, Ontario, is uncertain, with reports ranging from 1897 to 1910. However, the most likely date is April 26, 1897.

The KINGHORN sank in 100 feet of water on April 26, 1897, while being towed by the Montreal Transportation Co. tug JAMES A. WALKER, just off Rockport, Ontario. It was carrying a cargo of wheat from Kingston, Ontario, to Montreal. The sunken hull of the barge remains at the bottom of the river near Rockport and has become a popular dive site. It was not officially removed from the register until February 9, 1915.

Additional historical notes mention that the KINGHORN had two iron watertight bulkheads and underwent several rebuilds and revaluations over the years. Its final depth after sinking was recorded as 100 feet, and its final cargo was wheat. The barge experienced grounding and sinking during a storm on April 26, 1897, in the St. Lawrence River. The barge’s iron frame was built in Scotland, and its assembly and completion took place in Montreal in 1871. The KINGHORN had a long history and was involved in the grain trade, often towed alongside the barge MINNEDOSA by the tug JAMES A. WALKER.

Photo Gallery 2022 Matt Charlesworth CC #

Photo Gallery 2008 Tom Rutledge CC #

Photo Gallery 2000 James Pate / Tom Rutledge CC #

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