Shotline Diving

Connecting You to the Depths of the Great Lakes

W.W. Stewart (W.J. Spicer)

Explore the history of the W.W. Stewart, a converted sidewheel steamer that met its end in a suspected arson fire in Buffalo Harbor.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: W.W. Stewart (W.J. Spicer)
  • Type: Tow barge
  • Year Built: 1864
  • Builder: R. Stedman
  • Dimensions: Length: 160.1 ft (48.8 m); Beam: 26.5 ft (8.1 m); Depth of hold: 11.5 ft (3.5 m)
  • Registered Tonnage: 294 tons
  • Depth at Wreck Site: 3.5 m / 11.5 ft
  • Location: Buffalo harbor, Lake Erie
  • Official Number: Not assigned (pre-1870s Canadian build)
  • Original Owners: Grand Trunk Railroad Company, Thompson Towing & Wrecking Association
  • Number of Masts: Three new spars fitted in 1881

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

Initially a wooden sidewheel steamer, purpose-built for the Grand Trunk Railroad. Her steam machinery reportedly came from the earlier steamer Saint Clair. In 1880 she was converted into a tow barge at Sarnia.

Description

  • Hull Construction: Wood
  • Original Dimensions:
    • Length: 154 ft (46.9 m)
    • Beam: 24 ft (7.3 m)
    • Depth: 11 ft (3.4 m)
    • Gross Tonnage (initial): 356 tons
    • Net Tonnage (initial): 239 tons
  • Revised Dimensions (1881):
    • Length: 160.1 ft (48.8 m)
    • Beam: 26.5 ft (8.1 m)
    • Depth: 11.5 ft (3.5 m)
    • Gross Tonnage (after rebuild): 294 tons

History

  • 1872 (Nov 20): Laid up after early career.
  • 1875: Rebuilt at Port Huron, MI.
  • 1880 (Apr): Converted to unpowered tow barge by Dunford & Atverson, Sarnia. Machinery removed.
  • 1881 (Apr): Made an American vessel by U.S. congressional act. Renamed W.W. Stewart. Fitted with three new spars.
  • 1880s–1890s: Active in lumber trade at Alpena, MI and Toledo, OH.
  • 1898 (Mar 18): Transferred to Thompson Towing & Wrecking Association.
  • 1905: Laid up at Buffalo, NY.
  • 1909 (Oct 12): Burned at her dock after seven years idle. Suspected arson. Total loss.

Significant Incidents

  • 1909 (Oct 12): The vessel burned at her dock in Buffalo Harbor, resulting in a total loss. The fire was suspected to be arson.

Final Disposition

  • Date Lost: 12 October 1909
  • Location: Buffalo harbor, Lake Erie
  • Cause: Fire — suspected arson
  • Final Role: Unpowered barge (tow lighter), laid up
  • Cargo: None

Current Condition & Accessibility

The W.W. Stewart was burned and destroyed dockside, and is not a submerged wreck. No remnants survive.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”w-w-stewart-w-j-spicer” title=”References & Links”]

The W.J. Spicer, later W.W. Stewart, is a textbook example of 19th-century Great Lakes vessel adaptation — from sidewheel steamer to unpowered barge. Initially serving Canada’s Grand Trunk Railroad, her later decades were spent in the lumber trade. Her final idle years culminated in a suspected arson fire in Buffalo Harbor. No remnants survive, but she remains part of Lake Erie’s industrial maritime legacy.

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): W.J. Spicer, later renamed W.W. Stewart
  • Official Numbers: Not assigned (pre-1870s Canadian build)
  • Year Built: 1864
  • Built at: Port Sarnia, Ontario
  • Vessel Type: Originally a sidewheel steamer, later converted to tow barge
  • Builder: R. Stedman
  • Original Owner: Grand Trunk Railroad Company, Port Sarnia, ON

Vessel Type

Initially a wooden sidewheel steamer, purpose-built for the Grand Trunk Railroad. Her steam machinery reportedly came from the earlier steamer Saint Clair. In 1880 she was converted into a tow barge at Sarnia.

Description

  • Hull Construction: Wood
  • Original Dimensions:
    • Length: 154 ft (46.9 m)
    • Beam: 24 ft (7.3 m)
    • Depth: 11 ft (3.4 m)
    • Gross Tonnage (initial): 356 tons
    • Net Tonnage (initial): 239 tons
  • Revised Dimensions (1881):
    • Length: 160.1 ft (48.8 m)
    • Beam: 26.5 ft (8.1 m)
    • Depth: 11.5 ft (3.5 m)
    • Gross Tonnage (after rebuild): 294 tons

History

  • 1872 (Nov 20): Laid up after early career.
  • 1875: Rebuilt at Port Huron, MI.
  • 1880 (Apr): Converted to unpowered tow barge by Dunford & Atverson, Sarnia. Machinery removed.
  • 1881 (Apr): Made an American vessel by U.S. congressional act. Renamed W.W. Stewart. Fitted with three new spars.
  • 1880s–1890s: Active in lumber trade at Alpena, MI and Toledo, OH.
  • 1898 (Mar 18): Transferred to Thompson Towing & Wrecking Association.
  • 1905: Laid up at Buffalo, NY.
  • 1909 (Oct 12): Burned at her dock after seven years idle. Suspected arson. Total loss.

Final Disposition

  • Date Lost: 12 October 1909
  • Location: Buffalo harbor, Lake Erie
  • Cause: Fire — suspected arson
  • Final Role: Unpowered barge (tow lighter), laid up
  • Cargo: None

Located By & Date Found

  • Located: Burned and destroyed dockside — not a submerged wreck
  • Salvage/Discovery: Not applicable

Notmars & Advisories

None noted. Incident occurred dockside and predates modern hazard notifications.

Resources & Links

Conclusion

The W.J. Spicer, later W.W. Stewart, is a textbook example of 19th-century Great Lakes vessel adaptation — from sidewheel steamer to unpowered barge. Initially serving Canada’s Grand Trunk Railroad, her later decades were spent in the lumber trade. Her final idle years culminated in a suspected arson fire in Buffalo Harbor. No remnants survive, but she remains part of Lake Erie’s industrial maritime legacy.

Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms

  • Sidewheel steamer
  • Tow barge
  • Arson fire
  • Buffalo Harbor
  • Lumber trade
  • Vessel conversion
  • Great Lakes ship fire
  • Sarnia shipbuilding
  • Railroad vessels
w-w-stewart-w-j-spicer 1909-10-12 12:56:00