Shotline Diving

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J.V. Lutts (C.B. Wallace) US 76124

Explore the history of the J.V. Lutts, a wooden steambarge transformed into a sidewheel vessel, lost to fire in 1897 at Toledo, Ohio.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: J.V. LUTTS
  • Type: Steambarge (original), later passenger & freight sidewheeler
  • Year Built: 1880
  • Builder: I.G. Gillespie, Port Clinton, Ohio
  • Dimensions: 101.7 ft × 18 ft × 3.1 ft (31 m × 5.5 m × 0.94 m)
  • Registered Tonnage: 98.96 gross, 82.32 net
  • Location: At dock, Toledo, Ohio
  • Official Number: 76124
  • Original Owners: M.I. Wilcox of Toledo (final owner)
  • Number of Masts: 2

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

Originally constructed as a wooden-hulled steambarge, J.V. LUTTS was later rebuilt into a sidewheel passenger and freight vessel—a hybrid workhorse typical of nearshore Lake Erie commercial operations during the late 19th century.

Description

J.V. LUTTS began her life as a modestly sized wooden steambarge in 1880. With a single-cylinder engine and sidewheel propulsion, she served commercial and possibly passenger functions out of Sandusky, Port Clinton, and Toledo. The 1891 rebuild into the C.B. WALLACE expanded her length significantly and added a second deck—likely improving her appeal for ferrying both freight and passengers.

These modifications turned her into a light but capable inland lake steamer. She was active primarily on western Lake Erie routes until her destruction by fire in 1897.

History

Registered first in Sandusky in 1880, J.V. LUTTS changed ownership several times through the 1880s. She passed from Port Clinton-based owners to the McFall Brothers of Sandusky and later to John Lange of Perrysburg. By 1891, in Toledo, she underwent a complete rebuild that lengthened her to over 101 ft and re-registered her as the C.B. WALLACE, designed to carry passengers and freight more efficiently.

Her final owner, M.I. Wilcox of Toledo, maintained her until her destruction by fire while docked at Toledo on 25 September 1897. The incident occurred while moored and resulted in a total loss of the vessel.

Significant Incidents

  • Burned at dock in Toledo, Ohio on 25 September 1897.
  • No casualties reported.

Final Disposition

Burned at dock in Toledo, Ohio. She was not underway at the time. No salvaging record exists, and the vessel was presumed a complete loss due to fire damage. There is no known wreck site or remains.

Current Condition & Accessibility

Nil return. No recovery, wreck location, or survey has been documented.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”j-v-lutts-c-b-wallace-us-76124″ title=”References & Links”]

J.V. LUTTS, later renamed C.B. WALLACE, serves as a fine example of the wooden steam-powered vessels active on Lake Erie in the late 1800s. Her 1891 conversion reflected the changing demands of inland lake transport—shifting from barge to multipurpose steamer. Her sudden destruction by fire at the dock in 1897 ended nearly two decades of varied service. No remains are known to exist today, but her documentation reflects Toledo’s significance as a maritime hub during the era.

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: J.V. LUTTS
  • Former Name(s): C.B. WALLACE (after 1891 rebuild)
  • Official Number: 76124
  • Date Built: 1880
  • Builder: I.G. Gillespie, Port Clinton, Ohio
  • Hull Material: Wood
  • Vessel Type: Steambarge (original), later passenger & freight sidewheeler
  • Construction Details:
    • Original Dimensions: 69.9 ft × 18 ft × 4.4 ft (21.3 m × 5.5 m × 1.3 m)
    • Original Tonnage: 36.25 gross tons, 20 net tons
  • Rebuild (1891): Converted to sidewheel passenger & freight vessel
    • New Dimensions: 101.7 ft × 18 ft × 3.1 ft (31 m × 5.5 m × 0.94 m)
    • Tonnage Post-Rebuild: 98.96 gross, 82.32 net
    • Number of Decks: 2
  • Propulsion: Single-cylinder, sidewheel propulsion
    • Engine: 12 × 36 in (30.5 × 91.4 cm)
    • Boiler: Tubular, 3’5″ × 8′ (1.04 × 2.44 m), 100 psi
  • Date Lost: 25 September 1897
  • Location Lost: At dock, Toledo, Ohio (Lake Erie)
  • Cause of Loss: Burned at dock
  • Casualties: None reported

Vessel Type

Originally constructed as a wooden-hulled steambarge, J.V. LUTTS was later rebuilt into a sidewheel passenger and freight vessel—a hybrid workhorse typical of nearshore Lake Erie commercial operations during the late 19th century.

Description

J.V. LUTTS began her life as a modestly sized wooden steambarge in 1880. With a single-cylinder engine and sidewheel propulsion, she served commercial and possibly passenger functions out of Sandusky, Port Clinton, and Toledo. The 1891 rebuild into the C.B. WALLACE expanded her length significantly and added a second deck—likely improving her appeal for ferrying both freight and passengers.

These modifications turned her into a light but capable inland lake steamer. She was active primarily on western Lake Erie routes until her destruction by fire in 1897.

History

Registered first in Sandusky in 1880, J.V. LUTTS changed ownership several times through the 1880s. She passed from Port Clinton-based owners to the McFall Brothers of Sandusky and later to John Lange of Perrysburg. By 1891, in Toledo, she underwent a complete rebuild that lengthened her to over 101 ft and re-registered her as the C.B. WALLACE, designed to carry passengers and freight more efficiently.

Her final owner, M.I. Wilcox of Toledo, maintained her until her destruction by fire while docked at Toledo on 25 September 1897. The incident occurred while moored and resulted in a total loss of the vessel.

Final Disposition

Burned at dock in Toledo, Ohio. She was not underway at the time. No salvaging record exists, and the vessel was presumed a complete loss due to fire damage. There is no known wreck site or remains.

Located By & Date Found

Nil return. No recovery, wreck location, or survey has been documented.

Notations & Advisories

  • The site is a former dock location in Toledo, now likely redeveloped or unidentifiable.
  • No obstruction or navigational hazard warnings remain.

Resources & Links

Conclusion

J.V. LUTTS, later renamed C.B. WALLACE, serves as a fine example of the wooden steam-powered vessels active on Lake Erie in the late 1800s. Her 1891 conversion reflected the changing demands of inland lake transport—shifting from barge to multipurpose steamer. Her sudden destruction by fire at the dock in 1897 ended nearly two decades of varied service. No remains are known to exist today, but her documentation reflects Toledo’s significance as a maritime hub during the era.

Keywords & Categories

Keywords: J.V. LUTTS, C.B. WALLACE, Lake Erie steambarge, Toledo dock fire, sidewheel steamer, 19th-century lake transport
Categories: Ship Conversion History, Maritime Fire Losses, Lake Erie Vessels
Glossary: Sidewheel, tubular boiler, net tonnage, rebuild registry, dock loss

Would you like a mapped history or reconstruction drawing based on historical data?

j-v-lutts-c-b-wallace-us-76124 1897-09-25 13:12:00