Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Alert (formerly Chippewa)
- Type: Wooden Canal Tug
- Year Built: 1886
- Builder: William Ross & Sons
- Dimensions: 58.4 ft (17.8 m); Gross Tonnage: 47 tons; Net Tonnage: 32 tons
- Registered Tonnage: 47 tons
- Location: Niagara River, near Chippewa, Ontario
- Official Number: 90699
- Original Owners: Welland Canal Tug Co., Montreal Transportation Co., Harrigan Tug Line, E.O. Leahey
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The Alert was a wooden canal tug purpose-built for operations on the Welland Canal and Lake Erie. Designed by William Ross & Sons, it featured compact dimensions for lock navigation and was outfitted with a reused steam engine rated at 28 horsepower. Its valuation in 1890 was $6,000, an indication of its functional importance in regional towing and logistics services.
Description
Originally named Chippewa, the vessel launched in 1886 under the ownership of the Welland Canal Tug Co., managed by the Carter family. By 1895, the tug had been renamed Alert.
History
Originally named Chippewa, the vessel launched in 1886 under the ownership of the Welland Canal Tug Co., managed by the Carter family. By 1895, the tug had been renamed Alert.
- Montreal Transportation Co. Ownership (pre-1921): The tug was incorporated into the growing fleet of the Montreal Transportation Co., which used her for auxiliary towing and harbor assistance.
- Sale in 1921: Alert was sold, along with tugs Escort and P.B. McNaughton, to Harrigan Tug Line for a total of $15,000.
- Final Private Ownership: By 1924, Alert belonged to E.O. Leahey of Niagara Falls, Ontario.
Significant Incidents
- Sinking: In 1926, Alert sank in the Niagara River near Chippewa, Ontario. The exact cause of the sinking remains unknown.
Final Disposition
In 1926, Alert sank in the Niagara River near Chippewa, Ontario. The exact cause of the sinking remains unknown. The vessel was not salvaged and was subsequently removed from the Canadian shipping register on December 31, 1937. The wreck has not been identified as a dive site and is believed to be heavily degraded or buried.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Presumed remains lie in the Niagara River. No formal dive or archaeological survey has documented the site to date. Strong currents and sedimentation likely obscure most remains.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”alert-c-90699-chippewa” title=”References & Links” show_ref_button=”yes”]
The Alert (formerly Chippewa) exemplifies the crucial yet often overlooked workhorses of canal and harbor transport in the Great Lakes region during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Serving for 40 years, its transition through multiple owners and final loss in 1926 reflect the wear endured by canal craft over long service lives. Though its physical remnants are unverified, the vessel holds historical value as a representative of Welland Canal maritime activity.
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.
Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Wreck Name: Alert (formerly Chippewa)
- Type: Wooden Canal Tug
- Build Location: Port Robinson, Welland Canal, Ontario
- Year Built: 1886
- Builder: William Ross & Sons
- Dimensions: 58.4 feet (17.8 meters) length; Gross Tonnage: 47 tons; Net Tonnage: 32 tons
- Machinery: Repurposed engine from another vessel, 28 rated horsepower
- Final Location: Niagara River, near Chippewa, Ontario
- Final Disposition: Sank in 1926; removed from the Canadian vessel registry on December 31, 1937
VESSEL TYPE DESCRIPTION
The Alert was a wooden canal tug purpose-built for operations on the Welland Canal and Lake Erie. Designed by William Ross & Sons, it featured compact dimensions for lock navigation and was outfitted with a reused steam engine rated at 28 horsepower. Its valuation in 1890 was $6,000, an indication of its functional importance in regional towing and logistics services.
HISTORY
Originally named Chippewa, the vessel launched in 1886 under the ownership of the Welland Canal Tug Co., managed by the Carter family. By 1895, the tug had been renamed Alert.
- Montreal Transportation Co. Ownership (pre-1921): The tug was incorporated into the growing fleet of the Montreal Transportation Co., which used her for auxiliary towing and harbor assistance.
- Sale in 1921: Alert was sold, along with tugs Escort and P.B. McNaughton, to Harrigan Tug Line for a total of $15,000.
- Final Private Ownership: By 1924, Alert belonged to E.O. Leahey of Niagara Falls, Ontario.
FINAL DISPOSITION
In 1926, Alert sank in the Niagara River near Chippewa, Ontario. The exact cause of the sinking remains unknown. The vessel was not salvaged and was subsequently removed from the Canadian shipping register on December 31, 1937. The wreck has not been identified as a dive site and is believed to be heavily degraded or buried.
CURRENT CONDITION & ACCESSIBILITY
Presumed remains lie in the Niagara River. No formal dive or archaeological survey has documented the site to date. Strong currents and sedimentation likely obscure most remains.
RESOURCES & LINKS
- Montreal Transportation Co. Annual Directors’ Reports (1918–1920)
- Montreal Transportation Co. Directors’ Minutes (May 3, 1917; Jan 11, 1921)
- Bascom and Gillham, Early Ships of Canada Steamship Lines
- Beeson’s Marine Directory (1917)
- Canadian Heritage Ship Information Database
- Canada List of Shipping (1910, 1918, 1924, 1929)
- Inland Lloyd’s Vessel Register – Canadian Hulls (1890)
- Mercantile Navy List (1897, 1923, 1925)
- New Mills List
- Kingston Daily News, May 7, 1874
- Watertown Herald, May 12, 1917
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes (www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca)
- David Swayze Shipwreck File
- Niagara River Historical Society Archives
CONCLUSION
The Alert (formerly Chippewa) exemplifies the crucial yet often overlooked workhorses of canal and harbor transport in the Great Lakes region during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Serving for 40 years, its transition through multiple owners and final loss in 1926 reflect the wear endured by canal craft over long service lives. Though its physical remnants are unverified, the vessel holds historical value as a representative of Welland Canal maritime activity.
TAGS #GreatLakes #Shipwrecks #NiagaraRiver #WellandCanal #MaritimeHistory #AlertTug #Chippewa #WoodenTug #19thCenturyShips
alert-c-90699-chippewa 1926-03-14 07:51:00