Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Pup
- Type: Tugboat / Barge
- Year Built: 1894
- Builder: Rogers & Bird, Saugatuck, Michigan
- Dimensions: Length 45 ft (13.7 m); Beam 12 ft (3.7 m); Depth of hold 5 ft (1.5 m)
- Registered Tonnage: Gross Tonnage: 13 tons; Net Tonnage: 6 tons
- Location: Off Plum Island, at the mouth of Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Original Owners: C.E. Bird (initially), later sold to owners in Charlevoix, Michigan
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Pup was a wooden-hulled tug (towboat), later converted into a barge in 1915. Originally built for utility work and small-scale fishing operations, her size and horsepower suggest she was suited for riverine and near-shore work.
Description
- Builder: Rogers & Bird, Saugatuck, Michigan
- Construction: Wood, single-deck
- Propulsion: Originally a high-pressure screw-powered tug
- Engine: 12 × 14″, 180 hp at 150 rpm, built by David Bell, Buffalo, NY
- Boiler: 5 × 8′ firebox, 125 psi, by Farrar & Treft, Buffalo, NY
- Dimensions:
- Length: 45 ft (13.7 m)
- Beam: 12 ft (3.7 m)
- Depth: 5 ft (1.5 m)
- Gross Tonnage: 13 tons
- Net Tonnage: 6 tons
History
- 1894: Launched at Saugatuck, Michigan, owned by C.E. Bird; initially used for fishing
- 1895: Involved in searching for the lost Chicora
- 1898–1903: Underwent repairs and continued local harbour service; briefly chartered by G & M Company, Benton Harbor
- 1903: Damaged by fire at Saugatuck
- 1907: Sold to owners in Charlevoix, Michigan
- 1915: Converted to a barge
- 19 July 1915: Sprang a leak while under tow by the tug Challenger, carrying a load of cement near Plum Island and sank in Lake Michigan
Significant Incidents
- Sprang a leak and foundered while under tow by tug Challenger
- No casualties reported
Final Disposition
The Pup was a total loss due to foundering. The small size and conversion to barge status likely contributed to her vulnerability. No salvage or recovery was reported, and wreck status is undocumented.
Current Condition & Accessibility
The wreck of Pup has not been officially located or surveyed. Given her small size and wooden construction, remnants may be buried or disintegrated near Plum Island.
No current Notices to Mariners mention the wreck. The area near Plum Island is well-traveled, but there is no indication the Pup poses a present hazard.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”pup-1894″ title=”References & Links”]
Though a minor vessel by size, Pup served a versatile role across various locations in the upper Great Lakes. Her conversion from tug to barge and subsequent loss in 1915 underscores the evolving use and risk faced by aging utility craft. The wreck is unconfirmed, and her legacy remains preserved largely in local records and builder registries.
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: Pup
- Year Built: 1894
- Location Lost: Off Plum Island, at the mouth of Green Bay, Wisconsin, Lake Michigan
- Final Date: 19 July 1915
- Cause: Sprang a leak and foundered while under tow by tug Challenger
- Cargo at Time of Loss: Cement
- Casualties: None reported
Vessel Type
Pup was a wooden-hulled tug (towboat), later converted into a barge in 1915. Originally built for utility work and small-scale fishing operations, her size and horsepower suggest she was suited for riverine and near-shore work.
Description
- Builder: Rogers & Bird, Saugatuck, Michigan
- Construction: Wood, single-deck
- Propulsion: Originally a high-pressure screw-powered tug
- Engine: 12 × 14″, 180 hp at 150 rpm, built by David Bell, Buffalo, NY
- Boiler: 5 × 8′ firebox, 125 psi, by Farrar & Treft, Buffalo, NY
- Dimensions:
- Length: 45 ft (13.7 m)
- Beam: 12 ft (3.7 m)
- Depth: 5 ft (1.5 m)
- Gross Tonnage: 13 tons
- Net Tonnage: 6 tons
History
- 1894: Launched at Saugatuck, Michigan, owned by C.E. Bird; initially used for fishing
- 1895: Involved in searching for the lost Chicora
- 1898–1903: Underwent repairs and continued local harbour service; briefly chartered by G & M Company, Benton Harbor
- 1903: Damaged by fire at Saugatuck
- 1907: Sold to owners in Charlevoix, Michigan
- 1915: Converted to a barge
- 19 July 1915: Sprang a leak while under tow by the tug Challenger, carrying a load of cement near Plum Island and sank in Lake Michigan
Final Disposition
The Pup was a total loss due to foundering. The small size and conversion to barge status likely contributed to her vulnerability. No salvage or recovery was reported, and wreck status is undocumented.
Located By & Date Found
The wreck of Pup has not been officially located or surveyed. Given her small size and wooden construction, remnants may be buried or disintegrated near Plum Island.
Notmars & Advisories
No current Notices to Mariners mention the wreck. The area near Plum Island is well-traveled, but there is no indication the Pup poses a present hazard.
Resources & Links
- C. Patrick Labadie Collection
- David Swayze Shipwreck File
- Newspaper Clippings: 1895–1915 from Benton Harbor and Saugatuck area reports
- Engine/Boiler data: Farrar & Treft, and David Bell production specs from Steamboat Era in the Muskokas by Richard Tatley
Conclusion
Though a minor vessel by size, Pup served a versatile role across various locations in the upper Great Lakes. Her conversion from tug to barge and subsequent loss in 1915 underscores the evolving use and risk faced by aging utility craft. The wreck is unconfirmed, and her legacy remains preserved largely in local records and builder registries.
Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms
- Keywords: Pup tug barge foundered, Plum Island shipwreck, Green Bay maritime loss, Challenger tug tow loss
- Categories: Tugboat wrecks, barge conversions, Great Lakes cement cargo losses
- Glossary:
- Foundered: Vessel filled with water and sank
- Firebox boiler: Boiler type using fire-tube system; common on early tugs
- Converted barge: Powered vessel repurposed to unpowered freight platform