Legacy Notes & Full Historical Record

This section preserves the original unedited Shotline content for this wreck so that no historical detail is lost as we transition to the new logbook format.

Composite Steam Barge / Package Freighter / Bulk Carrier (1884–1927)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Names: Sir S.L. Tilley (launched 1884); renamed Advance circa 1899
• Official No.: Canadian registry C 28632
• Type: Composite steam vessel (iron frame, wood hull), used as package freighter and later bulk carrier
• Builder: L. Shickluna, St. Catharines, Ontario
• Launch Date: 8 May 1884
• Dimensions: 168 ft (between perpendiculars) × ~35 ft beam × ~15 ft depth (pre-1904); rebuilt to 175 ft length thereafter
• Tonnage: 1,177.8 grt / 669.2 nrt (original); post-rebuild: 1,031 grt / 568 nrt
• Engine: Fore-and-aft compound steam engine, 510 IHP (116 RHP)
• Cargo Capacity: ~37,000 bu wheat (~1,100 tons) or ~450,000 board feet; draft capacity up to 1,200 tons at 14 ft
• Final Loss: Grounded and wrecked 5 December 1927 on Manitoulin Island, Lake Huron; declared constructive total loss

Source: Great Lakes Shipwreck Files – ADVANCE / Sir S.L. Tilley

Historical Overview & Chronology

• 1884–96 (Sir S.L. Tilley): Owned by Sylvester Neelon & James Norris (Merchant’s Lake & River Line), serving Duluth and other Great Lakes ports
• 1889: Struck Detroit River lighthouse; entailed legal and repair fees
• 1897–99: Lengthened by 60 ft by Polson Iron Works, Toronto.
  • 26 August 1899: Caught fire ~7 mi off Fairport, Ohio; grounded and abandoned
  • Rebuilt 1899–1900 in Toronto; renamed Advance
• 1903: Coal cargo fire at Sault Ste. Marie destroyed upper decks; hull saved and later sold to Montreal Transportation Co.
• 1904 Rebuild: Reconfigured as bulk carrier at Kingston, Ontario; cut down amidships, reinforced with steel structures. Ownership by Montreal Transportation Co.
• Subsequent events:
  • 1905 wage dispute in Welland Canal
  • 1909 broke rudder and grounded on Galops Rapids (cargo: pig iron)
  • 1916 involved in three-way collision in Lachine Canal
  • Repairs and operational service through 1919
• 1921–23 transfers: Ownership transferred to Canada Steamship Lines; sold to Reid Wrecking (Sarnia) in 1923
• 1927 Grounding & Loss: Stranded and wrecked near Alexandria Bay, NY on 5 December 1927; confirmed as total loss

Sources: Great Lakes Shipwreck Files entry adv details; cross-referenced incident logs from GL Shipwreck Files.

Vessel Description

Advance – Originally built as a package freighter with iron framing for extended durability, Sir S.L. Tilley was later extensively rebuilt. Her conversion included lengthening, steel arch reinforcement, and structural modifications to serve as a dedicated bulk freighter—a testament to adaptability amid evolving trade demands. She possessed a rounded stern and a mid-level cargo hatch suited for grain or heavy bulk cargoes.

Final Disposition

After a long career marked by ownership shifts and repeated repairs, Advance was stranded in a late‑season storm and declared a constructive total loss in December 1927. The wreck was left in place and later broken up on-site in 1935. No known remains have been documented via diving or sonar surveys.

Significance

• Considered likely the last hull built by Louis Shickluna, famed composite shipbuilder
• Illustrates commercial evolution from small package freighter to large bulk freighter
• Served multiple transport lines and operators including early Canadian rail-shipping companies
• Notable for extensive rebuilds and resilience despite several catastrophic incidents

Resources & Links

All archives and entries listed are explicitly documented in published and institutional sources:

• Great Lakes Shipwreck Files – ADVANCE (ex Sir S.L. Tilley)
  Official loss details, dimensions, incidents, ownership chronology
• Wisconsin Shipwrecks Database (distinct vessel of same name) – clarifies that shipwreck site near Door County belongs to different Advance (built 1853), distinguishing from our Advance
• Montreal Transportation Co. records (Board meetings, engineering logs, annual reports 1905–20) – ship’s logs detail rebuild, maintenance, and operational use
• Neelon & Norris line documents, Polson Iron Works rebuilding logs, and dredging/collision records (marine review, newspapers) – report 1889 lighthouse strike, 1899 fire, 1903 coal fire
• Lloyd’s Register, Bureau Veritas Great Lakes Register, Canada List of Shipping (1905, 1915, 1918, 1921): confirm registry C 28632, official tonnage, and ownership transitions
• Gillham Ships in Trouble 1880–1950, Greenwood Namesakes 1930–55, Bascom & Gillham Early Ships of Canada Steamship Lines – narrative accounts and vessel significance
• Miramar Ship Index, Buffalo Evening News, Detroit Free Press, Marine Museum of the Great Lakes files, Milwaukee Public Library Marine Collection – coverage of incidents and valuation reports (1899, 1903, 1909, 1923, 1927)

Summary Table

Attribute	Detail
Built	8 May 1884, St. Catharines (Shickluna)
Converted	1904–05 rebuild as bulk freighter
Engine	Compound steam, ~510 IHP (116 RHP)
Major Incidents	1889 collision, 1899 fire, 1903 fire, 1909 grounding, 1916 collision, 1927 grounding
Owners	Neelon/Norris (1884–96), Mackay (1896–1900), Carruthers (1900–04), Montréal Transportation Co., CSL, Reid Wrecking
Final Loss	Stranded off Manitoulin Island in storm, 5 Dec 1927
Fate	Declared total loss; broken up on site in 1935

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