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.
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.
Identification Card
Other Names: None
Official Number: Not recorded
Registry: Canada (Quebec)
Vessel Type: Wooden sidewheel steamer
Builder: A. Cantin, Bryson (Havelock), Quebec
Year Built: 1862
Dimensions: Not recorded
Tonnage: Not recorded
Cargo on Final Voyage: N/A (dockside)
Date of Loss: 13 April 1869
Location: Bryson, Quebec (Ottawa River)
Coordinates: Unknown
Depth: Destroyed by fire — no remains
Home Port: Aylmer, Quebec
Owners: Cummings & Co. (1862–1868); Union Forwarding Co. (1868–1869)
Crew: Unknown
Casualties: None reported
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.
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.
Located By & Date Found
The Calumet left no surviving hull remains. No underwater wreck site has been identified — the vessel was completely consumed by fire at dockside.
Notmars & Advisories
No modern NOTMARs are issued for the Calumet. Its remains do not present a navigational hazard.
Dive Information
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
Crew & Casualty Memorials
No casualties reported. Crew and passenger names not recorded in surviving archives. Local newspapers of April 1869 may contain eyewitness accounts.
Documented Statements & Extracts
“The steamer Calumet, so long a familiar sight on the Ottawa River, was consumed by fire at her dock in Bryson on Tuesday last. The flames spread so rapidly that no effort at salvage could be made.” — Ottawa Citizen, 15 April 1869
Registry, Enrollment & Insurance Trails
The vessel was enrolled under Canadian registry but no surviving official number has been located. Insurance records are not available in public archives.
Site Documentation & Imaging
No known site documentation; the vessel was completely destroyed by fire. Illustrative engravings of sidewheel steamers from the Ottawa River trade period provide context.
Resources & Links
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
- Naval Marine Archive — Canadian maritime history
- City of Ottawa Archives
References
- Ottawa Citizen, 15 April 1869 — report of destruction by fire
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes — vessel database entries
- Naval Marine Archive (Belleville, ON) — Union Forwarding Co. references
NOAA Shipwreck Record Card
Other Names: None
Official Number: None located
Coordinates: Dockside, Bryson, Quebec
Depth: None (destroyed by fire)
Location Description: Ottawa River, Bryson
Vessel Type: Sidewheel steamer
Material: Wood
Dimensions: Unknown
Condition: Destroyed
Cause of Loss: Fire, 13 April 1869
Discovery Date: N/A
Discovered By: N/A
Method: N/A
Legal Notes: Registry closed 1869
Hazards: None
Permits Required: None