C.P. Morwy – Lake Ontario Tug Shipwreck (1895)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Morey, C.P.
• Type: Wooden tug, screw towboat
• Year Built: 1869
• Builder: VanSlyke & Notter, Buffalo, NY
• Dimensions: 63 ft (19.20 m) length; 14 ft 9 in (4.52 m) beam; 7 ft 6 in (2.32 m) depth
• Registered Tonnage: 30.28 gross, 15.14 net
• Location: Oswego, NY
• Official Number: 5714
• Original Owners: Martin & Murphy, Captain Fred Pappa, G. Cousins

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

• Wood‐hulled screw‐propelled tug (towboat) built by VanSlyke & Notter in Buffalo.

Description

• A compact wooden tow tug with single screw propulsion, ideal for harbour towing. Specifics on deck layout or engine type are not documented but typical for 19th‐century tugs of the era.

History

• 1869: Completed and enrolled at Buffalo.
• 1871: Under Martin & Murphy, the tug grounded in Sodus Bay, Lake Ontario; subsequently refloated by the Revenue Cutter Chase.
• 1875: Ownership transferred to Captain Fred Pappa.
• 5 Dec 1877: The tug sank after being flung against Oswego breakwater while attempting to assist the schooner Wayne.
• 1879: Refloated, repaired and returned to service.
• 1882–1886: Continued in Oswego waters under Pappa and later G. Cousins.
• 1895: Officially abandoned; last noted out of service without formal sinking.

Significant Incidents

• Grounded in Sodus Bay, Lake Ontario in 1871.
• Sank after collision with Oswego breakwater in 1877.
• Refloated and returned to service in 1879.
• Officially abandoned in 1895.

Final Disposition

• The Morey C.P. was abandoned in 1895. There is no record of deliberate scuttling or salvage, suggesting she either deteriorated until left in situ or was left derelict ashore or afloat and eventually scrapped informally.

Current Condition & Accessibility

• No record of underwater discovery or survey. The wreck location is unknown; likely deteriorated or salvaged in part over time.

Resources & Links

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The Morey, C.P. was a typical 19th‐century wooden screw tug integral to port operations in the Oswego–Sodus Bay region. Her service life spanned 26 years with notable incidents including grounding and sinking. Ultimately abandoned in 1895, the tug’s fate remains uncertain: she may have decayed ashore, been dismantled, or lie as a buried/obscured wreck. Without confirmed discovery, her role remains of historical interest rather than as a documented dive site. Her career reflects the life cycle of similar working vessels in the era—built, damaged, repaired, and ultimately left to time.