Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: M. Fannie Stafford
- Type: Screw steamer (steam-powered tug or towboat)
- Year Built: 1863
- Builder: Buffalo, New York
- Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
- Registered Tonnage: 42 tons
- Location: Chicago River, just off Lake Michigan, Chicago, Illinois
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
A small steam-powered towboat using a screw (propeller), typical of mid-19th-century river operations. With wooden hull and modest tonnage, she served nearshore and riverine duties under steam power.
Description
Built in Buffalo in 1863, the M. Fannie Stafford was rigged with a steam engine driving a single screw propeller. It featured a wooden hull and simple superstructure, suitable for towing schooners and small cargo vessels on inland waterways, especially the Chicago River.
History
- 1863: Registered (“enrolled”) in Chicago, Illinois, shortly after construction in Buffalo, reflecting her use for Great Lakes river commerce.
- 19 June 1865: While towing a schooner down the Chicago River toward Lake Michigan, the tug’s boiler exploded, resulting in her immediate destruction. One crew member perished in the incident.
Significant Incidents
- Boiler explosion while towing a schooner on 19 June 1865, resulting in the loss of one life.
Final Disposition
The explosion obliterated the vessel, rendering her a total loss. Debris would have been confined to the Chicago River and possibly Lake Michigan. No salvage or recovery records survive.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Not located. There are no documented wreck surveys or archaeological identifications. The site remains approximate based on contemporary records.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”m-fannie-stafford-1863″ title=”References & Links”]
The M. Fannie Stafford represents a mid-19th-century steam tug whose service in Great Lakes–river towing ended abruptly in June 1865 when her boiler exploded during operations on the Chicago River. The loss of one life underscores the hazards of early steam navigation. Although undocumented in a physical wreck, her history adds depth to the industrial-era narrative of steam-powered river craft and Chicago’s maritime development.
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: M. Fannie Stafford
- Year Built: 1863
- Place of Build: Buffalo, New York (dokumen.pub)
- Type: Screw steamer (steam-powered tug or towboat)
- Hull Material: Wood
- Gross Tonnage: 42 tons (en.wikipedia.org, mpl.org)
- Final Location: Chicago River, just off Lake Michigan, Chicago, Illinois
- Date of Loss: 19 June 1865 (en.wikipedia.org)
- Cause of Loss: Boiler explosion while towing a schooner
- Casualties: 1 life lost (eastlanddisaster.org)
Vessel Type
A small steam-powered towboat using a screw (propeller), typical of mid-19th-century river operations. With wooden hull and modest tonnage, she served nearshore and riverine duties under steam power.
Description
Built in Buffalo in 1863, the 42-ton M. Fannie Stafford was rigged with a steam engine driving a single screw propeller. It featured a wooden hull and simple superstructure, suitable for towing schooners and small cargo vessels on inland waterways, especially the Chicago River.
History
- 1863: Registered (“enrolled”) in Chicago, Illinois, shortly after construction in Buffalo, reflecting her use for Great Lakes river commerce. (dokumen.pub)
- 19 June 1865: While towing a schooner down the Chicago River toward Lake Michigan, the tug’s boiler exploded, resulting in her immediate destruction. One crew member perished in the incident. (en.wikipedia.org)
Final Disposition
The explosion obliterated the vessel, rendering her a total loss. Debris would have been confined to the Chicago River and possibly Lake Michigan. No salvage or recovery records survive.
Located By & Date Found
Not located. There are no documented wreck surveys or archaeological identifications. The site remains approximate based on contemporary records.
Notices & Advisories
None noted. The wreck site lies within the Chicago River and has not appeared in modern navigational hazard notifications.
Resources & Links
- Wikipedia – List of shipwrecks in June 1865 (entry for M. Fannie Stafford) (en.wikipedia.org)
- Encyclopedia of Civil War Shipwrecks (steamer lost to explosion at Chicago, 1865) (dokumen.pub)
Conclusion
The M. Fannie Stafford represents a mid-19th-century steam tug whose service in Great Lakes–river towing ended abruptly in June 1865 when her boiler exploded during operations on the Chicago River. The loss of one life underscores the hazards of early steam navigation. Although undocumented in a physical wreck, her history adds depth to the industrial-era narrative of steam-powered river craft and Chicago’s maritime development.
Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms
M. Fannie Stafford, screw steamer, wooden tug, boiler explosion, 1865, Chicago River, Lake Michigan, Great Lakes steam, river towboat, maritime accident