Shotline Diving

Connecting You to the Depths of the Great Lakes

William Cowie US 26910

Explore the wreck of the William Cowie, a steambarge with a storied history of fire and collisions, now resting in Lake Huron.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: William Cowie
  • Type: Steambarge
  • Year Built: 1868
  • Builder: Philip Rice
  • Dimensions: 133.4 ft (40.7 m); Beam: 25 ft; Depth of hold: 9.8 ft
  • Registered Tonnage: 208.81 gross / 173.75 net tons
  • Location: Saginaw River, Lake Huron
  • Official Number: 26910
  • Original Owners: James Leitch et al., Marine City, Michigan
  • Number of Masts: 2

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

Vessel Identification & Profile

  • Name: William Cowie
  • Official Number: 26910
  • Year Built: 1868
  • Builder: Philip Rice
  • Build Location: Marine City, Michigan
  • Vessel Type: Steambarge (round stern)
  • Hull Material: Wood
  • Decks: 1
  • Masts: 2
  • Propulsion: Screw
  • Original Owner: James Leitch et al., Marine City, Michigan

Description

Dimensions

  • Length: 133.4 ft
  • Beam: 25 ft
  • Depth: 9.8 ft
  • Tonnage: 208.81 gross / 173.75 net tons

History

Operational History

  • 1868, May 27: Enrolled at Port Huron, MI
  • Primarily used in the Saginaw River and Lake Erie for the lumber trade
  • 1870: Ran Saginaw to Ogdensburg, NY
  • 1870, Oct 21: Burned at Oswego, NY with wheat cargo; upper works and part of hull lost
  • 1871, Oct: Ashore at Chatham, Ontario
  • 1874, Oct: Sank barge Alexander in collision on the St. Clair River
  • 1882: Operated between Alpena, MI and Toledo, OH
  • 1888–1889: Owned by Henning & Scheitberger, East Saginaw; rebuilt over winter
  • 1889, Sep: Fire damage in Bay City, MI
  • 1890: Towed John Warner and Mariner; engine failure in Lake Erie, towed to Detroit
  • 1890, Oct 28: Burned in Saginaw River, declared a total loss

Significant Incidents

Final Disposition

  • Date of Loss: October 28, 1890
  • Location: Saginaw River, Lake Huron
  • Cause: Fire
  • Cargo: Unknown at time of final loss
  • Casualties: None reported
  • Documents Surrendered: October 26, 1893, Port Huron, MI

Final Disposition

Post-Loss Activity

  • Rebuilt by Steele, Saginaw, MI, circa 1890–1891
  • Converted into a towbarge by 1892, but formal records suggest this was a short-lived effort
  • By 1893, officially abandoned as a total loss

Current Condition & Accessibility

Historical Significance
The William Cowie had an extensive and eventful career in Great Lakes shipping, emblematic of the volatile steambarge trade. Her operational history is filled with fire damage, collisions, and mechanical failures. Her ultimate destruction by fire in the Saginaw River marked the end of her long and heavily rebuilt career.

Resources & Links

References are being reviewed for this wreck.

Sources & Archival Records

  • C. Patrick Labadie Collection
  • Donald V. Baut
  • Marine Directory (R. L. Polk Co.)
  • Edward J. Dowling Collection (University of Detroit Mercy)
  • U.S. National Archives (Enrollment Records)
  • Peter J. VanderLinden
  • Loudon G. Wilson
  • Army Corps of Engineers Records
  • Milwaukee Public Library (H. G. Runge Collection)
  • John E. Poole (Bowling Green State University)