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

• Official number: C92617 (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
• Build year & place: 1893, Port Arthur, Ontario (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
• Dimensions: 74 ft × 15 ft × 7 ft (length × beam × depth); gross tonnage 44 gc, net 30 nc (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
• Type: Wooden propeller-driven steam tug (Wikipedia)

Vessel Type

A wooden steam-powered tug designed for harbor and coastal towing on Lake Superior—likely serving log booms, barges, and larger vessels.

Description

Constructed with a wooden hull, Georgina featured a vertical high‑pressure steam engine. With moderate tonnage, it was well-suited for inland Great Lakes operations.

History & Operational Record

• Built and registered in Port Arthur (now part of Thunder Bay), Georgina operated under the Lake Superior Tug Co. (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
• Remained registered until 1958, indicating long-term recognition despite its loss (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
• No records found of other names, ownership changes, or crew/fares in primary sources reviewed thus far.

Final Disposition

• Date of loss: Circa 1907 (exact date uncertain) (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
• Location: Thunder Bay, Ontario, Lake Superior (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
• Cause: Destroyed by fire—records note she was gutted in port (“in the harbor”) (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
• Casualties: Unknown; no documentation on fatalities or survivors.

Noted Gaps & Next Research Steps

Although this provides a clear skeleton, crucial details remain missing—particularly:

• Exact loss date and cause of ignition
• Crew list at time of fire
• Casualty reports, if any
• Insurance or incident reports

To locate these data, the following sources are key:

• Historic Port Arthur / Thunder Bay newspapers (circa 1907) – e.g. Fort William Times-Journal, Port Arthur News-Chronicle, Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal.
• HCGL (Bowling Green) vessel files: casualty lists, correspondence, enrollment logs.
• Ontario Archives – vessel registry files, port logs, fire investigator records.
• Canadian Pacific Railway or Lake Superior Tug Co. archives – company logs, insurance records.
• Local maritime museums – e.g. Marine Museum of the Great Lakes (Kingston) or Thunder Bay Museum, which may hold photographs or oral histories.

Recommended Research Path

• Conduct a Targeted newspaper search (July–December 1907) in chroniclingamerica.loc.gov, newspapers.com, and local archives.
• Submit requests to Bowling Green’s HCGL, specifically asking for Georgina (C92617) files.
• Query the Ontario Ministry’s shipping registry for official incident or closure notices.
• Explore Thunder Bay Museum collections for contemporaneous imagery or documentation.
• Review Canadian maritime insurance repositories for fire claims on wooden tugs of that period.

Conclusion

Georgina was a well-known wooden steam tug built in 1893, operating from Port Arthur under the Lake Superior Tug Company. In 1907, she was destroyed by fire in Thunder Bay Harbour. Although her registry lingered until 1958, formal records of the incident are sparse.

Next steps involve archival deep dives into 1907 newspapers, HCGL documents, and Ontario shipping records. If you’re planning a deeper dive or fieldwork (e.g., wreck search or documentation), I recommend engaging with Thunder Bay’s maritime institutions and diving archives related to wooden steamboats and tugs.

georgina-c-92617 1907-07-24 10:02:00