Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Calumet
- Type: Wooden sidewheel steamer
- Year Built: 1862
- Builder: A. Cantin, Bryson (Havelock), Quebec
- Dimensions: Not recorded
- Registered Tonnage: Not recorded
- Location: Bryson, Quebec (Ottawa River)
- Coordinates: Unknown
- Official Number: Not recorded
- Original Owners: Cummings & Co. (1862–1868); Union Forwarding Co. (1868–1869)
- Number of Masts: Not applicable
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The Calumet was a wooden-hulled, sidewheel steamer purpose-built for service on the Ottawa River and its tributaries. Its propulsion system consisted of twin sidewheels powered by a steam plant, granting it maneuverability in strong currents and through rapids. It was designed to carry both freight and passengers, linking communities along the Ottawa River corridor.
Description
The Calumet was a wooden-hulled, sidewheel steamer purpose-built for service on the Ottawa River and its tributaries. Its propulsion system consisted of twin sidewheels powered by a steam plant, granting it maneuverability in strong currents and through rapids. It was designed to carry both freight and passengers, linking communities along the Ottawa River corridor.
History
Construction and Early Service: Launched on 3 May 1862 at Bryson, Quebec, the Calumet was built by A. Cantin for Cummings & Co. of Aylmer, Quebec. It quickly established itself as a vital transport link, moving passengers and cargo through a region where river travel remained essential.
Ownership Transition: In 1868, the vessel was sold to the Union Forwarding Co., which consolidated freight and passenger operations along the Ottawa River. This acquisition reflects the importance of the Calumet in maintaining regular navigation through the Calumet Rapids area.
Significant Incidents
Final Disposition: On 13 April 1869, while docked at Bryson, Quebec, the Calumet was destroyed by fire. The origin of the blaze was never determined. No casualties were reported, but the vessel was declared a total loss. Given its wooden construction and the prevalence of open flame and coal-fired boilers, fire was a common hazard among mid-19th-century steamers.
Final Disposition
The Calumet left no surviving hull remains. No underwater wreck site has been identified — the vessel was completely consumed by fire at dockside.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No modern NOTMARs are issued for the Calumet. Its remains do not present a navigational hazard.
Access: None (wreck destroyed)
Entry Point: N/A
Conditions: N/A
Depth Range: N/A
Emergency Contacts: Canadian Coast Guard (Ottawa River)
Permits: Not applicable
Dive Support: Not applicable
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”calumet-1862″ title=”References & Links” show_ref_button=”yes”]
No casualties reported. Crew and passenger names not recorded in surviving archives. Local newspapers of April 1869 may contain eyewitness accounts.
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