Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Onoko
- Type: Iron-hulled bulk freighter
- Year Built: 1882
- Builder: Globe Iron Works, Cleveland, Ohio
- Dimensions: Length 287.3 ft (87.6 m); Beam 38.8 ft (11.8 m); Depth 20.7 ft (6.3 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 2,164 gross tons / 1,933 net tons
- Location: Off Knife Island, Lake Superior
- Coordinates: Not precisely documented
- Official Number: 155048
- Original Owners: Various throughout career; operated in iron ore, coal, and grain trades
- Number of Masts: Unknown
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The Onoko was the first iron-hulled bulk freighter in the world, marking a turning point in Great Lakes shipbuilding.
Description
The Onoko was the first iron-hulled bulk freighter in the world, marking a turning point in Great Lakes shipbuilding. At 287.3 feet long and 2,164 gross tons, she dwarfed earlier wooden freighters. Her compound engine, delivering 900 horsepower, powered a single screw propeller. She featured two watertight bulkheads, steel decks, and a steel boiler house — early innovations for durability and safety. Designed for bulk commodities, she quickly set cargo records and influenced the next generation of steel freighters that would dominate Great Lakes trade.
History
The Onoko was launched at Globe Iron Works in 1882 and enrolled at Cleveland. Initially the largest freighter on the lakes, she was capable of hauling iron ore, coal, and grain at unprecedented volumes. Her operational career included multiple incidents and upgrades:
- 1884: Collided with the schooner W.S. Crosthwaite.
- 1885: Towed the disabled schooner C.H. Burton to Detroit.
- 1892: Received new boilers from Cleveland Shipbuilding Co.
- 1893: Collided with the steamer C.H. Lockwood.
- 1896: Collided with the schooner Mary D. Ayer off Racine, Wisconsin; the Ayer sank, with five fatalities. The Onoko survived and continued service.
- 1908: Rebuilt with steel decks and steel aft cabins.
Significant Incidents
- 1884: Collided with the schooner W.S. Crosthwaite.
- 1885: Towed the disabled schooner C.H. Burton to Detroit.
- 1892: Received new boilers from Cleveland Shipbuilding Co.
- 1893: Collided with the steamer C.H. Lockwood.
- 1896: Collided with the schooner Mary D. Ayer off Racine, Wisconsin; the Ayer sank, with five fatalities. The Onoko survived and continued service.
- 1908: Rebuilt with steel decks and steel aft cabins.
Final Disposition
On 15 September 1915, while downbound on Lake Superior with a cargo of wheat, the Onoko sprang a leak beneath the engine room near Knife Island. Flooding was rapid, and the vessel foundered. The crew escaped in lifeboats and were rescued by the tanker Renown. The ship’s papers were surrendered on 20 September 1915, closing her registry.
Current Condition & Accessibility
The exact discovery details of the Onoko wreck have not been widely published. She is known to lie off Knife Island in Lake Superior. Her iron hull may have survived in relatively intact condition, making her a site of high archaeological interest.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”onoko-us-155048″ title=”References & Links”]
The Onoko holds a significant place in maritime history as the first iron-hulled bulk freighter in the world. Launched in 1882 from Globe Iron Works in Cleveland, Ohio, the Onoko represented a revolution in shipbuilding, transitioning from traditional wooden hulls to iron construction, which offered greater durability and cargo capacity.
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