Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Cornelius W. Desmond
- Type: Propeller-driven steam vessel
- Year Built: 1899
- Builder: Buffalo, New York (specific yard not recorded)
- Dimensions: Length: 60 ft (18.3 m); Beam: 14.9 ft (4.5 m); Depth of hold: 5.4 ft (1.6 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 32 gross tons; 22 net tons
- Location: Erie, Pennsylvania, Lake Erie
- Official Number: 127360
- Number of Masts: 1
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Small wooden steam propeller, most likely used for harbour and nearshore freight or passenger trade, possibly also light towing duties.
Description
The Cornelius W. Desmond was a compact, single-deck, wooden-hulled steam propeller, equipped for local coastal operations. It featured a small engine room aft with a steam boiler, and a forward cargo hold or passenger cabin, as was common for small steamers of this class around 1900.
History
Built in Buffalo, NY, in 1899, the Cornelius W. Desmond operated primarily on Lake Erie from Erie, Pennsylvania, performing coastal trade and light freight tasks. Its wooden hull and modest tonnage made it economical for local shipping demands, transporting goods and possibly serving occasional passengers between nearby Lake Erie ports.
On 20 June 1908, the vessel caught fire while operating off Erie, Pennsylvania. Reports do not specify the ignition source, but wooden steamers were extremely vulnerable to fire due to open flames and coal-fired boilers. There is no mention of fatalities, suggesting the crew successfully escaped before the vessel burned and sank.
Significant Incidents
- 20 June 1908: Caught fire while operating off Erie, Pennsylvania, leading to its sinking.
Final Disposition
Declared a total loss by fire on Lake Erie, near Erie, Pennsylvania. No salvage documented.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No known survey or dive documentation confirming the location; presumed destroyed and scattered in shallow water.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”cornelius-w-desmond-us-127360″ title=”References & Links”]
The Cornelius W. Desmond is a typical example of the small wooden steamers operating on the Great Lakes around the turn of the century. Its loss by fire underscores the hazards these vessels faced before modern fire-suppression technology was available. While no confirmed wreck site exists, it remains part of the shipping heritage of Lake Erie.
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.
CORNELIUS W. DESMOND (Official No. 127360, 1899)
Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Cornelius W. Desmond
- Official Number: 127360
- Year built: 1899
- Builder: Buffalo, New York (specific yard not recorded)
- Vessel type: Propeller-driven steam vessel
- Hull material: Wood
- Hull dimensions:
- Length: 18.3 m (60 ft)
- Beam: 4.5 m (14.9 ft)
- Depth: 1.6 m (5.4 ft)
- Gross tonnage: 32
- Net tonnage: 22
- Number of decks: 1
- Propulsion: Steam propeller
- Date lost: 20 June 1908
- Final location: Erie, Pennsylvania, Lake Erie
Vessel Type
Small wooden steam propeller, most likely used for harbour and nearshore freight or passenger trade, possibly also light towing duties.
Description
The Cornelius W. Desmond was a compact, single-deck, wooden-hulled steam propeller, equipped for local coastal operations. It featured a small engine room aft with a steam boiler, and a forward cargo hold or passenger cabin, as was common for small steamers of this class around 1900.
History
Built in Buffalo, NY, in 1899, the Cornelius W. Desmond operated primarily on Lake Erie from Erie, Pennsylvania, performing coastal trade and light freight tasks. Its wooden hull and modest tonnage made it economical for local shipping demands, transporting goods and possibly serving occasional passengers between nearby Lake Erie ports.
On 20 June 1908, the vessel caught fire while operating off Erie, Pennsylvania. Reports do not specify the ignition source, but wooden steamers were extremely vulnerable to fire due to open flames and coal-fired boilers. There is no mention of fatalities, suggesting the crew successfully escaped before the vessel burned and sank.
Final Dispositions
Declared a total loss by fire on Lake Erie, near Erie, Pennsylvania. No salvage documented.
Located By & Date Found
No known survey or dive documentation confirming the location; presumed destroyed and scattered in shallow water.
Notmars & Advisories
None noted.
Resources & Links
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
- Great Lakes Vessels Online Index – Bowling Green State University
- David Swayze Shipwreck File
Conclusion
The Cornelius W. Desmond is a typical example of the small wooden steamers operating on the Great Lakes around the turn of the century. Its loss by fire underscores the hazards these vessels faced before modern fire-suppression technology was available. While no confirmed wreck site exists, it remains part of the shipping heritage of Lake Erie.
Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms
- steam propeller
- wooden hull
- Lake Erie
- Erie Pennsylvania
- fire
- 20th century
- shipwreck
- Great Lakes transportation