Europe (1870)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Europe
• Type: Wooden sidewheel steamer
• Year Built: 1870
• Builder: Unknown (likely Simpson or similar local builder)
• Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
• Registered Tonnage: Unknown
• Location: St. Catharines, Ontario
• Coordinates: Unknown
• Official Number: Unknown
• Original Owners: Unknown
• Number of Masts: Unknown

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

• Type: Wooden sidewheel steamer for passenger and freight operations
• Construction: Single-deck wooden hull powered by sidewheels—typical of Great Lakes river and canal service

Description

• Built: 1870, St. Catharines, Ontario (wooden, 1-deck, sidewheel steamer)
• Final disposition: Burned April 19, 1884, in St. Catharines; hull later converted into the steamer Erie

History

• Built in 1870 at St. Catharines shipyards (likely Simpson or similar local builder)
• Operated locally—details of ownership, routes, and capacity remain unverified and require further archival review

Significant Incidents

• Apr 19, 1884: Caught fire while “in the lock at St. Catharines”, sustaining extensive damage and rendered unusable (nyshistoricnewspapers.org, docsouth.unc.edu, en.wikipedia.org, greatlakesrex.wordpress.com)
• No loss of life reported
• Hull stripped and salvaged; portions later repurposed into a new vessel named Erie

Final Disposition

• The vessel was rendered unusable after the fire and its hull was salvaged and repurposed.

Current Condition & Accessibility

• Details on the current condition of the wreck are not available; further research is needed.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”europe-1870″ title=”References & Links”]

The Europe represents a classic example of a mid-19th century sidewheel steamer that, despite its initial promise, succumbed to fire—a frequent hazard of wooden steamers. While its hull didn’t simply vanish, its conversion into Erie offers a fascinating link in vessel reuse and lifecycle in early Canadian maritime practice. Filling out historic and technical details—ownership, construction plans, engine specs—will not only clarify Europe‘s history but also chart the lineage of Erie.