Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Wm. Gardner, Jr.
- Type: Wooden screw tug engaged in towing coal barges
- Year Built: 1872
- Builder:
- Dimensions:
- Registered Tonnage:
- Location: At a port/harbour (specific town not recorded)
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
A small wooden-powered tugboat used to move coal barges—a vital component of fuel logistics for towns and railways during the late 19th century.
Description
Single-propeller wood-hulled tug, likely one deck, rigged with a small pilothouse. Rigged simply for harbour and nearshore towing, with robust steam machinery typical of its class.
History
- 1872: Constructed and launched, purpose-built for industrial barge towing
- 10 May 1883: While towing two laden coal barges, the Wm. Gardner, Jr. caught fire (source does not specify origin). The blaze burned the vessel down to the waterline; the hull was rendered unsalvageable.
- Great Lakes Shipwreck Files note: “She caught fire while engaged in her usual coal-barge towing, burned to the waterline—8 PM G” (suggesting loss at 8 PM in harbour)
Significant Incidents
- 10 May 1883: Caught fire while towing coal barges, resulting in total loss.
Final Disposition
Declared a total loss. The burning destroyed the vessel’s superstructure and machinery, and no remains were operationally salvaged.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No records exist to confirm whether hull remains were salvaged, removed, or left in place. No documented underwater site or wreck survey.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”wm-gardner-jr-1872″ title=”References & Links”]
The Wm. Gardner, Jr. was a workaday steam tug whose role in coal distribution was essential to the industrial economy. Her abrupt loss by fire in 1883—while performing routine towing—highlights the vulnerability of wooden steam vessels, particularly around heat sources and fuel cargoes. Though no remains endure, the incident is a classic example of maritime risk in Great Lakes harbours.
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: Wm. Gardner, Jr.
- Year Built: 1872
- Type: Wooden screw tug engaged in towing coal barges
- Final Loss Location: At a port/harbour (specific town not recorded)
- Date Lost: 10 May 1883
- Cause: Destroyed by fire; burned to the waterline while towing two coal barges
- Casualties: None reported
Vessel Type
A small wooden-powered tugboat used to move coal barges—a vital component of fuel logistics for towns and railways during the late 19th century.
Description
Single-propeller wood-hulled tug, likely one deck, rigged with a small pilothouse. Rigged simply for harbour and nearshore towing, with robust steam machinery typical of its class.
History & Chronology
- 1872: Constructed and launched, purpose-built for industrial barge towing
- 10 May 1883: While towing two laden coal barges, the Wm. Gardner, Jr. caught fire (source does not specify origin). The blaze burned the vessel down to the waterline; the hull was rendered unsalvageable.
- Great Lakes Shipwreck Files note: “She caught fire while engaged in her usual coal-barge towing, burned to the waterline—38 PM G” (suggesting loss at 8 PM in harbour)
Final Disposition
Declared a total loss. The burning destroyed the vessel’s superstructure and machinery, and no remains were operationally salvaged.
Located By & Date Found
No records exist to confirm whether hull remains were salvaged, removed, or left in place. No documented underwater site or wreck survey.
Notmars & Advisories
None—lost in harbour, no hazard noted for navigation.
Resources & Links
- Great Lakes Shipwreck Files entry: summarized above
- Likely contemporary newspaper reports in port town archives (to be explored)
Conclusion
The Wm. Gardner, Jr. was a workaday steam tug whose role in coal distribution was essential to the industrial economy. Her abrupt loss by fire in 1883—while performing routine towing—highlights the vulnerability of wooden steam vessels, particularly around heat sources and fuel cargoes. Though no remains endure, the incident is a classic example of maritime risk in Great Lakes harbours.
Keywords
- Steam tugboat
- Coal barge towing
- Harbour fire
- 1883 vessel loss
- Great Lakes industrial marine history