Shotline Diving

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Tampa US 145555

Explore the history of the TAMPA, a wooden-hulled bulk freighter that transitioned from service to breakwater in Lake Huron.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: TAMPA
  • Type: wooden-hulled bulk freighter
  • Year Built: 1890
  • Builder: West Bay City, Michigan
  • Dimensions: 291.6 ft (88.9 m) X 41 ft (12.5 m); Depth: 19.8 ft (6.0 m)
  • Registered Tonnage: 1,972
  • Depth at Wreck Site: 6 m / 19.8 ft
  • Location: Belle River, St. Clair, MI
  • Official Number: 145555
  • Number of Masts: 3

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

Large wooden-hulled bulk freighter outfitted with steel reinforcements and a triple-expansion steam engine — typical of late 19th-century lake freighters designed for heavy cargoes like iron ore and coal.

Description

  • Hull Material: Wood with steel arches, diagonal straps, steel boiler house, and steel pumps
  • Decks: 2
  • Masts: 3
  • Length: 291.6 ft (88.9 m)
  • Beam: 41 ft (12.5 m)
  • Depth: 19.8 ft (6.0 m)
  • Gross Tonnage: 1,972
  • Net Tonnage: 1,632
  • Cargo Capacity: ~3,200 tons

History

  • 1890, Aug 19: Maiden voyage to Lake Superior.
  • 1891: Towed ASHLAND; sustained collision damage in Duluth harbour with whaleback BARTLETT.
  • 1892, Nov: Suffered rudder damage; towed to Keweenaw Bay.
  • 1896, Nov 12: Mainmast damaged by barge H.A. HAWGOOD.
  • 1898: Towed PAISLEY and AMAZONAS; later grounded at Beaver Bay near ARTHUR ORR.
  • 1898, Dec 16: Released and rebuilt by James Davidson, Bay City, MI.
  • 1911, Jul 18: Sunk in the Detroit River after a collision with freighter JOHN W. GATES near the Walker Distillery at Walkerville, Ontario.
  • 1914: Raised and towed to Marine City, MI; dismantled.
  • 1923: Sunk at Belle River (Lake Huron) to serve as a breakwater.

Significant Incidents

  • 1891: Collision with BARTLETT in Duluth harbour.
  • 1892: Rudder damage requiring tow to Keweenaw Bay.
  • 1896: Mainmast damage from H.A. HAWGOOD.
  • 1911: Sunk after collision with JOHN W. GATES.

Final Disposition

The TAMPA concluded its operational life in 1923 when it was deliberately sunk as a breakwater at Belle River, Ontario, in the St. Clair region of Lake Huron. Prior to that, she was dismantled in Marine City after raising in 1914.

Current Condition & Accessibility

Not applicable. The vessel was scuttled intentionally and is not a “wreck” in the traditional sense.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”tampa-us-145555″ title=”References & Links” show_ref_button=”yes”]

The TAMPA exemplified the transition era in Great Lakes shipping where wooden hulls were heavily reinforced for greater loads and powered by robust triple-expansion steam engines. Her long service life, multiple incidents, and final role as a breakwater highlight the adaptive reuse of early lake freighters. Though she met her end in a controlled scuttling, her story contributes to the narrative of industrial evolution on the Great Lakes.

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(s): TAMPA
  • Official Number: 145555
  • Year Built: 1890
  • Built at: West Bay City, Michigan
  • Final Disposition: Sunk as breakwater, 1923, Belle River, St. Clair, MI, Lake Huron

Vessel Type

Large wooden-hulled bulk freighter outfitted with steel reinforcements and a triple-expansion steam engine — typical of late 19th-century lake freighters designed for heavy cargoes like iron ore and coal.

Description

  • Hull Material: Wood with steel arches, diagonal straps, steel boiler house, and steel pumps
  • Decks: 2
  • Masts: 3
  • Length: 291.6 ft (88.9 m)
  • Beam: 41 ft (12.5 m)
  • Depth: 19.8 ft (6.0 m)
  • Gross Tonnage: 1,972
  • Net Tonnage: 1,632
  • Cargo Capacity: ~3,200 tons

Power

  • Propulsion: Screw
  • Engine: Triple Expansion
    • Cylinders: 20″, 32″, 54″ x 42″ stroke
    • Horsepower: 1,000 hp @ 76 rpm
    • Builder: Frontier Iron Works, Detroit, MI (1890)
  • Boilers: 2 Scotch boilers
    • Size: 11 x 12 ft, 150 psi
    • Builder: Lake Erie Boiler Works, Buffalo, NY (1890)
  • Propellers: 1

History

  • 1890, Aug 19: Maiden voyage to Lake Superior.
  • 1891: Towed ASHLAND; sustained collision damage in Duluth harbour with whaleback BARTLETT.
  • 1892, Nov: Suffered rudder damage; towed to Keweenaw Bay.
  • 1896, Nov 12: Mainmast damaged by barge H.A. HAWGOOD.
  • 1898: Towed PAISLEY and AMAZONAS; later grounded at Beaver Bay near ARTHUR ORR.
  • 1898, Dec 16: Released and rebuilt by James Davidson, Bay City, MI.
  • 1911, Jul 18: Sunk in the Detroit River after a collision with freighter JOHN W. GATES near the Walker Distillery at Walkerville, Ontario.
  • 1914: Raised and towed to Marine City, MI; dismantled.
  • 1923: Sunk at Belle River (Lake Huron) to serve as a breakwater.

Final Disposition

The TAMPA concluded its operational life in 1923 when it was deliberately sunk as a breakwater at Belle River, Ontario, in the St. Clair region of Lake Huron. Prior to that, she was dismantled in Marine City after raising in 1914.

Located By & Date Found

Not applicable. The vessel was scuttled intentionally and is not a “wreck” in the traditional sense.

Notmars & Advisories

None noted.

Resources & Links

Conclusion

The TAMPA exemplified the transition era in Great Lakes shipping where wooden hulls were heavily reinforced for greater loads and powered by robust triple-expansion steam engines. Her long service life, multiple incidents, and final role as a breakwater highlight the adaptive reuse of early lake freighters. Though she met her end in a controlled scuttling, her story contributes to the narrative of industrial evolution on the Great Lakes.

Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms

wooden freighter, triple-expansion engine, lake ore carrier, steam screw, collision, salvage, breakwater, Lake Huron, Belle River, ship dismantling.

tampa-us-145555 1923-07-14 12:19:00