Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: George Lamont
- Type: Wooden tug
- Year Built: 1875
- Builder:
- Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
- Registered Tonnage:
- Location: Lake Erie
- Original Owners: Not conclusively recorded
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The George Lamont was a wooden-hulled steam tug, a powerful vessel built to tow schooners, barges, or other lake vessels in and out of harbours.
Description
She was constructed with heavy oak framing and pine planking, with a strong steam engine for towing duties. Tugs of this period were compact, with a short hull, high pilothouse, and strong hull bracing to handle ice and collisions in crowded harbours.
History
Launched in 1875, the George Lamont worked out of Lake Erie ports, assisting shipping traffic. Reports note that in 1877, she may have sunk but was later raised and returned to service, a not-uncommon fate for tugboats of the era.
On 14 March 1880, while participating in what was described as a “tug race” — likely a local informal contest between tugs during idle time — she was overtaken by a sudden blizzard on Lake Erie. Unable to make a safe harbour, the tug was overwhelmed by heavy seas and foundered. All three crew members aboard were lost.
Significant Incidents
- In 1877, the George Lamont reportedly sank but was later raised and returned to service.
- On 14 March 1880, the tug foundered during a blizzard, resulting in the loss of all three crew members.
Final Disposition
Declared a total loss after sinking in the 1880 storm. No salvage was recorded.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No modern archaeological survey or diver documentation of the George Lamont has been reported.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”george-lamont-1875″ title=”References & Links”]
The loss of the George Lamont demonstrates the hazards faced by even powerful harbour tugs on Lake Erie in unpredictable weather. Her loss in a March blizzard, while engaged in a competitive run, shows how quickly conditions could turn fatal on the Great Lakes, even close to port.
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
- Vessel Name: George Lamont
- Type: Wooden tug
- Year built and launched: 1875
- Owner: Not conclusively recorded
- Cargo: None (tugboat, not a cargo vessel)
- Date lost: 14 March 1880 (with a separate report of sinking in 1877, but likely refloated)
- Location: Lake Erie (precise coordinates not recorded)
- Crew: 3 fatalities (entire crew lost)
Vessel Type
The George Lamont was a wooden-hulled steam tug, a powerful vessel built to tow schooners, barges, or other lake vessels in and out of harbours.
Description
She was constructed with heavy oak framing and pine planking, with a strong steam engine for towing duties. Tugs of this period were compact, with a short hull, high pilothouse, and strong hull bracing to handle ice and collisions in crowded harbours.
History
Launched in 1875, the George Lamont worked out of Lake Erie ports, assisting shipping traffic. Reports note that in 1877, she may have sunk but was later raised and returned to service, a not-uncommon fate for tugboats of the era.
On 14 March 1880, while participating in what was described as a “tug race” — likely a local informal contest between tugs during idle time — she was overtaken by a sudden blizzard on Lake Erie. Unable to make a safe harbour, the tug was overwhelmed by heavy seas and foundered. All three crew members aboard were lost.
Final Dispositions
Declared a total loss after sinking in the 1880 storm. No salvage was recorded.
Located By & Date Found
No modern archaeological survey or diver documentation of the George Lamont has been reported.
Notmars & Advisories
None noted.
Resources & Links
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
- David Swayze Shipwreck File
- Great Lakes Vessels Index (BGSU)
Conclusion
The loss of the George Lamont demonstrates the hazards faced by even powerful harbour tugs on Lake Erie in unpredictable weather. Her loss in a March blizzard, while engaged in a competitive run, shows how quickly conditions could turn fatal on the Great Lakes, even close to port.
Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms
- Wooden tug
- Lake Erie
- 19th-century shipwreck
- Great Lakes storms
- Foundering
- Tugboat races
- Maritime history
If you’d like, I can help you track down newspaper reports about the 1877 sinking and later refloating, or the fatal 1880 incident — just let me know!
george-lamont-1875 1880-03-14 11:51:00