Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: No. 12
- Type: Wooden dredge barge (river/dock service)
- Year Built:
- Builder:
- Dimensions: Not recorded
- Registered Tonnage:
- Location: River Rouge, on Detroit River, Michigan
- Official Number: Not documented
- Original Owners: Carkin, Stickney & Cram Tug Co., Detroit
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
A non-propelled wooden dredge barge used for in-river construction or maintenance projects. It was likely owned or chartered by a dredging/tug company active in the River Rouge industrial zone.
Description
As a typical dredge barge, No. 12 possessed a simple wooden hull and open deck, equipped to hold dredged material. Lacking propulsion, it would have been towed by tug during operations.
History
- Prior to loss: Operated on the Detroit River near River Rouge.
- Owner at time of loss: Carkin, Stickney & Cram Tug Co., Detroit — as noted in connection with tug “Cora.” (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
Significant Incidents
- Fire Incident: On 12 May 1901, an inferno swept through multiple lumber yards along the River Rouge waterfront, resulting in the complete destruction of No. 12 at her dock.
Final Disposition
On 12 May 1901, an inferno swept through multiple lumber yards along the River Rouge waterfront. No. 12 burned completely at her dock in the blaze, and was deemed a total loss. (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files) No structures remained, and she was uninsured or unrecoverable.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No salvage or archaeological survey was recorded. The charred remains were likely removed or scrapped following the fire; no wreckage persists.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”no-12-dredge-barge” title=”References & Links”]
No. 12 represents a category of industrial river barges common in early-20th-century Great Lakes shipping and maintenance. Lost to an industrial fire while docked during the Lumber District conflagration, her destruction underscores the vulnerability of wooden river craft amidst intense facility fires. Today, she remains a footnote in Detroit River maritime-industrial history, with no remains to explore.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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