Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: ALEXANDRA
- Type: Wooden-hulled propeller passenger and freight steamer
- Year Built: 1902
- Builder: Not conclusively recorded, built at Chatham, New Brunswick
- Dimensions: Length: 97 ft (29.6 m); Beam: 24.6 ft (7.5 m); Depth of hold: 9 ft (2.7 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 201 tons
- Depth at Wreck Site: 3.66 m / 12 ft
- Location: Harbor off Government Dock, Little Current, Ontario, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron
- Coordinates: Approximately 12 m (40 ft) east of Government Dock
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
ALEXANDRA was a wooden-hulled propeller steamer built with two decks, intended for passenger service with additional package freight capacity. This style of vessel was widely used around the turn of the century on Canadian and Great Lakes routes.
Description
The vessel had an enclosed main deck that could carry wagons, livestock, and commercial cargo, while the upper deck included a saloon, dining room, and passenger facilities. The machinery and layout reflected typical coastal and lake-going steamers of the early 20th century, with robust but modest accommodations, suitable for regional trade.
History
ALEXANDRA was launched in 1902 at Chatham, New Brunswick, for Atlantic coastal passenger and freight runs. She regularly served Miramichi Bay and nearby communities, including Newcastle, Loggieville, and Escuminac. During summer, she was popular for excursion trips featuring music and dancing, reflecting a common dual-use passenger/freight design.
In 1924, ALEXANDRA relocated to the Great Lakes, joining routes between Little Current, Killarney, Gore Bay, and Cutler, Ontario. She continued operating on these inland routes, integrating well into local passenger and package freight services until her loss in 1927.
Significant Incidents
Significant Incidents:
- On 19 December 1927, while laid up for the winter at Little Current’s Government Dock, ALEXANDRA caught fire and burned completely.
Final Disposition
On 19 December 1927, while laid up for the winter at Little Current’s Government Dock, ALEXANDRA caught fire and burned completely. The remains of the hull and boiler sank in place about 12 m (40 ft) off the dock in water between 9-12 m (30-40 ft) deep.
Current Condition & Accessibility
The wreck site has been known since shortly after the fire, with modern divers confirming its position next to the Government Dock at Little Current. Divers should be cautious because of fragile, burned wooden structure and shifting debris.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”alexandra-1902″ title=”References & Links” show_ref_button=”yes”]
ALEXANDRA represents the versatility of early 20th-century Canadian passenger steamers, transitioning from coastal routes to Great Lakes service. Her final destruction in a harbor fire marks a common but dramatic end for many wooden steamers. Today, the accessible remains near Little Current continue to provide divers and historians with a window into this transitional era of maritime travel and trade.
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
- Name(s): ALEXANDRA (also recorded as ALEXANDRIA in some sources)
- Year Built: 1902
- Vessel Type: Wooden-hulled propeller passenger and freight steamer
- Number of Decks: 2
- Builder: Not conclusively recorded, built at Chatham, New Brunswick
- Dimensions:
- Length: 29.6 m (97 ft)
- Beam: 7.5 m (24.6 ft)
- Depth: 2.7 m (9 ft)
- Gross Tonnage: 201 tons
- Net Tonnage: 136 tons
- Final Location: Harbor off Government Dock, Little Current, Ontario, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron
- Date Lost: 19 December 1927
- Coordinates: Approximately 12 m (40 ft) east of Government Dock
- Depth: 9–12 m (30–40 ft)
Vessel Type
ALEXANDRA was a wooden-hulled propeller steamer built with two decks, intended for passenger service with additional package freight capacity. This style of vessel was widely used around the turn of the century on Canadian and Great Lakes routes.
Description
The vessel had an enclosed main deck that could carry wagons, livestock, and commercial cargo, while the upper deck included a saloon, dining room, and passenger facilities. The machinery and layout reflected typical coastal and lake-going steamers of the early 20th century, with robust but modest accommodations, suitable for regional trade.
History
ALEXANDRA was launched in 1902 at Chatham, New Brunswick, for Atlantic coastal passenger and freight runs. She regularly served Miramichi Bay and nearby communities, including Newcastle, Loggieville, and Escuminac. During summer, she was popular for excursion trips featuring music and dancing, reflecting a common dual-use passenger/freight design.
In 1924, ALEXANDRA relocated to the Great Lakes, joining routes between Little Current, Killarney, Gore Bay, and Cutler, Ontario. She continued operating on these inland routes, integrating well into local passenger and package freight services until her loss in 1927.
Final Disposition
On 19 December 1927, while laid up for the winter at Little Current’s Government Dock, ALEXANDRA caught fire and burned completely. The remains of the hull and boiler sank in place about 12 m (40 ft) off the dock in water between 9–12 m (30–40 ft) deep.
Located By & Date Found
The wreck site has been known since shortly after the fire, with modern divers confirming its position next to the Government Dock at Little Current.
Notmars & Advisories
No specific Notices to Mariners (NOTMAR) are listed, but divers should be cautious because of fragile, burned wooden structure and shifting debris.
Resources & Links
- Great Lakes Ships
- David Swayze Shipwreck File
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
- Marine Museum of the Great Lakes at Kingston
Conclusion
ALEXANDRA represents the versatility of early 20th-century Canadian passenger steamers, transitioning from coastal routes to Great Lakes service. Her final destruction in a harbor fire marks a common but dramatic end for many wooden steamers. Today, the accessible remains near Little Current continue to provide divers and historians with a window into this transitional era of maritime travel and trade.
Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms
- ALEXANDRA
- Wooden propeller steamer
- Little Current
- Georgian Bay
- Lake Huron
- Canadian shipwreck
- passenger steamer
- excursion vessel
- 20th-century ship
- ship fire