Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Myrtie M. Ross
- Type: Steam Screw (Wooden-Hulled)
- Year Built: 1890
- Builder:
- Dimensions: 156 tons
- Registered Tonnage: 156 tons
- Location: Windsor, Ontario, at the dock wharf
- Original Owners: W.E. Hall
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The Myrtie M. Ross was a wooden steam screw vessel, a design well-suited for navigating the Great Lakes and performing diverse tasks such as cargo transport and towing. Steam screws like the Myrtie M. Ross featured a single screw propulsion system and were integral to maritime commerce during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Description
The Myrtie M. Ross was constructed in 1890 and served as a versatile vessel on the Great Lakes. Owned by W.E. Hall, proprietor of the Hall House in Mount Clemens, the vessel operated without insurance, a financial risk that would prove costly.
History
In August 1900, while docked at her wharf in Windsor, Ontario, the Myrtie M. Ross succumbed to an unfortunate accident caused by the swells from a passing steamer. The sudden lift and subsequent drop caused the vessel to strike submerged spiles (underwater piles), puncturing a hole in her port side, midship.
Significant Incidents
- The vessel was raised by John Quinn, employing the wrecker Reliable.
- Divers were instrumental in assessing the damage and preparing the vessel for salvage operations.
- Temporary upper works were constructed to facilitate the pumping out of water from the wreck.
Despite these efforts, the vessel’s damage was severe. Following her service life, the Myrtie M. Ross was abandoned around 1916, likely due to her poor condition and the economic infeasibility of further repairs.
Final Disposition
The Myrtie M. Ross was eventually raised but abandoned after her operational life ended around 1916. Her ultimate fate, whether scuttled or left to deteriorate, remains undocumented.
Current Condition & Accessibility
The Myrtie M. Ross was abandoned more than a century ago, and any remnants of the vessel, if extant, would likely be in poor condition or lost. There is no known record of a preserved wreck or accessible site related to the vessel.
Resources & Links
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The sinking of the Myrtie M. Ross illustrates the vulnerability of early wooden steam vessels to unforeseen environmental conditions and the financial risks of operating without insurance. Despite the successful raising of the vessel, her eventual abandonment in 1916 reflects the economic realities of maintaining aging wooden steamers in the face of advancing shipbuilding technology and evolving maritime commerce on the Great Lakes.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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