Shotline Diving

Connecting You to the Depths of the Great Lakes

Province C 130838

Explore the wreck of the Province, a wooden construction barge that capsized in 1923, resulting in three fatalities. Its remains lie in Lake Huron, near the St. Clair River delta.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: Province
  • Type: Wooden Wrecking & Construction Barge
  • Year Built: 1911
  • Builder: Canadian Towing & Wrecking, Fort William, Ontario
  • Dimensions: 152 × 40 × 10 ft; 580 GT/NT
  • Registered Tonnage:
  • Location: Near the mouth of the St. Clair River, Lake Huron
  • Original Owners: Canadian, registered out of Port Arthur

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

Wood-hulled salvage/construction barge with crane equipment.

Description

The Province was a wooden construction barge built in 1911, primarily used for salvage operations. It was equipped with crane equipment, making it suitable for various construction tasks on the Great Lakes.

History

The Province was registered under the Canadian flag out of Port Arthur. On September 27, 1923, while under tow, the barge capsized and sank, resulting in the tragic loss of three lives. Following the incident, the barge was salvaged for scrap by Captain James Reid’s company, and its final hulk was scuttled in Lake Huron, near the mouth of the St. Clair River.

Significant Incidents

  • 1923 Accident: On September 27, the Province capsized and sank while under tow, leading to three fatalities.

Final Disposition

The wreck of the Province is believed to rest in moderate-depth zones of Lake Huron, near the St. Clair River delta. After being salvaged, the barge was scuttled, and its condition is likely structurally incomplete, possibly broken and partially submerged in soft sediment.

Current Condition & Accessibility

As of now, there are no known sonar or diver surveys specifically targeting this wreck, and its exact condition remains uncertain.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”province-c-130838″ title=”References & Links”]

The Province capsized under tow on September 27, 1923, resulting in three fatalities. After salvage by Captain James Reid, its stripped hull was scuttled near the St. Clair River mouth in Lake Huron. This wreck exemplifies industrial salvage and disposal practices and warrants further archival and underwater investigation to understand its remnants and cultural-historical value.

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.

Wooden Wrecking & Construction Barge

Identification & Basic Construction

  • Name: Province (occasionally misstated as Providence)
  • Built: 1911 by Canadian Towing & Wrecking, Fort William, Ontario
  • Type: Wood-hulled salvage/construction barge with crane equipment
  • Dimensions: 152 × 40 × 10 ft; 580 GT/NT (unregistered tonnage) (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, wisconsinshipwrecks.org)

Career & Final Loss

  • Flag: Canadian, registered out of Port Arthur
  • 1923 Accident (September 27):
    • The Province capsized and sank while under tow—tragically, three lives were lost (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, Facebook)
    • Subsequently, the barge was salvaged for scrap by Captain James Reid’s company
    • Final hulk was scuttled in Lake Huron, off the mouth of the St. Clair River (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)

Wreck & Aftermath

  • Last sighting: Wrecked hull likely rests in moderate-depth zones of Lake Huron, near the St. Clair River delta
  • Potential condition: Given scuttling after salvage, structurally incomplete—likely broken and partially submerged in soft sediment
  • Survey Status: No known sonar or diver surveys specifically targeting this wreck

Significance

  • Demonstrates practices of early 20th-century wreck removal: salvage under Captain James Reid, reuse of hull remnants as artificial breakwaters or harbor fill
  • The loss of life and capsizing under tow underscore the risks of barges in heavy seas during that era
  • Illustrates the lifecycle of specialized service craft—construction barges—on the Great Lakes

Recommended Next Steps

  • Archival Sources:
    • Locate ports-of-record logs and marine casualty files in Thunder Bay-Port Arthur archives for September 1923
    • Investigate Captain James Reid’s salvage records or newspaper coverage for details of recovery and scuttling
  • Field Investigation:
    • Conduct side-scan sonar sweeps off the St. Clair River exit in Lake Huron to identify remains
    • If located, organize diver inspections to document wreckage alignment and structural remnants
  • Historical Mapping:
    • Overlay known towing routes and scuttling location from salvage records to model potential resting areas

Summary

The Province capsized under tow on September 27, 1923, resulting in three fatalities. After salvage by Captain James Reid, its stripped hull was scuttled near the St. Clair River mouth in Lake Huron. This wreck exemplifies industrial salvage and disposal practices and warrants further archival and underwater investigation to understand its remnants and cultural-historical value.

province-c-130838 1923-09-27 16:00:00