Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: City of Glasgow
- Type: wooden bulk freighter
- Year Built: 1891
- Builder: West Bay City, Michigan
- Dimensions: Length 297 ft (90.5 m); Beam 41 ft (12.5 m); Depth of hold 20.5 ft (6.25 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 2,002 GT
- Location: Lily Bay, approximately 3 miles north of the Sturgeon Bay Canal, Lake Michigan
- Official Number: 126729
- Original Owners: James Davidson Transportation Co., Buckeye Steamship Co.
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Large wooden bulk freighter, originally constructed with two decks and later converted into a barge. Designed primarily for ore and coal transport on the upper Great Lakes.
Description
- Hull: Wood
- Length: 297 ft (90.5 m)
- Beam: 41 ft (12.5 m)
- Depth: 20.5 ft (6.25 m)
- Gross Tonnage: 2,002 GT
- Net Tonnage: 1,672 NT
- Propulsion (as built):
- Type: Screw propeller
- Engine: Triple-expansion, 20″, 33″, & 54″ × 42″, 1175 hp at 84 rpm
- Engine Builder: Dry Dock Engine Works, Detroit, MI
- Boilers: Two scotch boilers, 11.5′ × 131″, 150 psi, by Lake Erie Boiler Works, Buffalo, NY
History
- 1891: Enrolled at Port Huron. Operated by James Davidson Transportation Co., Hampton, MI.
- 1895: Sold to Buckeye Steamship Co., Willoughby Township, Ohio.
- 1890s-1900s: Regularly towed vessels such as Celtic, Aberdeen, Harold, and Abyssinia.
- 1904-1907: Multiple groundings and salvage incidents including Peshtigo Reef and Green Bay.
- 1907, December: Aground off Green Bay; bunkers caught fire and vessel burned to the waterline and sank.
- 1908: Raised by Leathem & Smith Co., machinery removed.
- 1909–10: Converted to a barge (reduced size and tonnage).
- 1911: Re-enrolled as barge at Milwaukee: 196.5 ft (60 m) length, 958 NT.
- 1917, September: Sunk at Leathem & Smith dock at Sturgeon Bay, later refloated.
- 1917, October 6: Final grounding and abandonment in a storm at Lily Bay, Lake Michigan.
- 1922: Registration documents officially surrendered.
Significant Incidents
- Grounded during a storm and subsequently abandoned on October 6, 1917.
- Multiple groundings and salvage incidents throughout its service history.
- Burned to the waterline after a fire in December 1907.
Final Disposition
Went ashore during a storm and was left as a derelict in Lily Bay, north of the Sturgeon Bay Canal. No fatalities were reported. Her remains, largely dismantled or destroyed by weather and salvage operations, are not currently visible or intact as a dive site.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Not known to be located or surveyed in modern wreck registries. Considered a lost or scattered wreckage site due to fire damage, salvage, and prolonged exposure.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”city-of-glasgow-us-126729″ title=”References & Links”]
The City of Glasgow is a classic example of a late 19th-century wooden bulk freighter repurposed after mechanical obsolescence. With a history of repeated salvage, conversion, and final abandonment, her fate illustrates both the rugged demands of Great Lakes shipping and the eventual decline of wooden freight carriers in the steel-dominated 20th century.
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: City of Glasgow
- Official Number: 126729
- Year Built: 1891
- Built At: West Bay City, Michigan
- Final Location: Lily Bay, approximately 3 miles north of the Sturgeon Bay Canal, Lake Michigan
- Date Lost: 6 October 1917
- Cause: Grounded during a storm and subsequently abandoned
Vessel Type
Large wooden bulk freighter, originally constructed with two decks and later converted into a barge. Designed primarily for ore and coal transport on the upper Great Lakes.
Description
- Hull: Wood
- Length: 297 ft (90.5 m)
- Beam: 41 ft (12.5 m)
- Depth: 20.5 ft (6.25 m)
- Gross Tonnage: 2,002 GT
- Net Tonnage: 1,672 NT
- Propulsion (as built):
- Type: Screw propeller
- Engine: Triple-expansion, 20″, 33″, & 54″ × 42″, 1175 hp at 84 rpm
- Engine Builder: Dry Dock Engine Works, Detroit, MI
- Boilers: Two scotch boilers, 11.5′ × 131″, 150 psi, by Lake Erie Boiler Works, Buffalo, NY
History
- 1891: Enrolled at Port Huron. Operated by James Davidson Transportation Co., Hampton, MI.
- 1895: Sold to Buckeye Steamship Co., Willoughby Township, Ohio.
- 1890s-1900s: Regularly towed vessels such as Celtic, Aberdeen, Harold, and Abyssinia.
- 1904-1907: Multiple groundings and salvage incidents including Peshtigo Reef and Green Bay.
- 1907, December: Aground off Green Bay; bunkers caught fire and vessel burned to the waterline and sank.
- 1908: Raised by Leathem & Smith Co., machinery removed.
- 1909–10: Converted to a barge (reduced size and tonnage).
- 1911: Re-enrolled as barge at Milwaukee: 196.5 ft (60 m) length, 958 NT.
- 1917, September: Sunk at Leathem & Smith dock at Sturgeon Bay, later refloated.
- 1917, October 6: Final grounding and abandonment in a storm at Lily Bay, Lake Michigan.
- 1922: Registration documents officially surrendered.
Final Disposition
Went ashore during a storm and was left as a derelict in Lily Bay, north of the Sturgeon Bay Canal. No fatalities were reported. Her remains, largely dismantled or destroyed by weather and salvage operations, are not currently visible or intact as a dive site.
Located By & Date Found
Not known to be located or surveyed in modern wreck registries. Considered a lost or scattered wreckage site due to fire damage, salvage, and prolonged exposure.
Notmars & Advisories
None noted.
Resources & Links
- Dossin Great Lakes Museum Collections (William MacDonald)
- Milwaukee Public Library – H.G. Runge Collection
- University of Detroit Mercy – Edward J. Dowling Collection
- National Archives – U.S. Enrollments
- Great Lakes Register
- Steamboat Era in the Muskokas by Richard Tatley
Conclusion
The City of Glasgow is a classic example of a late 19th-century wooden bulk freighter repurposed after mechanical obsolescence. With a history of repeated salvage, conversion, and final abandonment, her fate illustrates both the rugged demands of Great Lakes shipping and the eventual decline of wooden freight carriers in the steel-dominated 20th century.
Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms
Tags: wooden bulk freighter, Lake Michigan, Sturgeon Bay, barge conversion, ship fire, Davidson shipyard, coal transport, ore carrier
Glossary:
- Triple Expansion Engine: A steam engine that uses three stages of steam expansion for improved efficiency
- Scotch Boiler: A type of fire-tube boiler commonly used on ships in the 19th century
- Foundered: To fill with water and sink
- Enrolled: Official vessel documentation with the U.S. Coast Guard or Customs office