  Huggybear Member Username: Huggybear Post Number: 165 Registered: 08-2005 Posted From: 192.217.12.254 |
The one photographed by Tony Spina (captain standing on the side of a capsized 1,000 foot freighter). I can't find anything on it. I thought the name was the Montclair, but I can't find shipwreck under that name. | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 222 Registered: 10-2004 Posted From: 69.242.223.42 |
There was a terrible fire where some spilled naphtha (gasoline) caught fire from a kerosene lantern and wiped out most of the east-side piers along the River. Brush Street Union Station (Original) "The destruction by fire of the original Brush Street depot and adjoining property, a ferry boat and passenger train, with heavy loss of life, was one of the principal holocausts of Detroit's history. In the evening of April 26, 1866, barrels of naphtha were being loaded upon a freight car, and alongside the car stood a passenger train, well filled with passengers, as the departure was scheduled for 10:00 p.m. The ferry boat Windsor was unloading merchandise at the dock. One of the naphtha barrels was observed to be leaking, and when someone approached with a lighted lantern to examine the barrel, an explosion immediately occurred. The blazing fluid was scattered in every direction; other naphtha barrels exploded and quickly the buildings, the passenger train and the ferryboat were afire. Some of the people jumped into the river, but most of them stood refuge on the ferryboat, which soon drifted into the river aflame, the mooring line having been burned through. The Windsor drifted down the river, and to her assistance went the ferryboat Detroit, while the revenue cutter John Sherman secured those who had jumped into the water. Despite all efforts of the rescuers, seventeen persons were burned to death in the hold of the Windsor. In the passenger train, which was prevented from leaving by a freight train ahead, the occupants were hustled from their cars and berths, but one man was suffocated to death. Every building on the water front between Brush and Hastings streets was destroyed. The loss of property in this fire was estimated at $1,000,000. " | ||
Lilpup Member Username: Lilpup Post Number: 865 Registered: 06-2004 Posted From: 69.129.146.186 |
suspect you're thinking of the Montrose - definitely not a 1,000 footer http://info.detnews.com/histor y/story/index.cfm?id=164&categ ory=events | ||
The_rock Member Username: The_rock Post Number: 1027 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 68.42.251.225 |
Yes, Captain Becker sank Captain Ralph, and Ralph lost his ticket. I was down there at dockside the night the accident happened. The raising of the MONTROSE was a very difficult and tricky operation as the vessel was not only in the freighter channel, there was quite a current the salvagers had to contend with. The ship's bell from the Montrose was salvaged and given to the Dossin Museum. "The only ships I see are hardships" Capt. Ralph | ||
Douglasm Member Username: Douglasm Post Number: 496 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 66.189.188.28 |
I believe there's an article on the Montrose in one of the volumes of "Great Lakes Ships We Remember" published by The Marine Historical Society Of Detroit. I remember we drove over the bridge to look at it. | ||
River_rat Member Username: River_rat Post Number: 26 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 71.126.177.217 |
The night that the Montrose went down was July 30, 1962 and it sunk after being involved in a collison with a barge. One of the interesting sidelights was that the accident was noted on all the major radio stations (WJR, WWJ, WXYZ, etc.) with the admonition for spectators to please stay away to help rescue/salvage work at the time. No more thatn 30 minutes later, thousands had gathered at the river around the Ambassador Bridge to watch the show. It created a major traffic snarl. I was working the evening shift at Hygrade Foods on Michigan Avenue at the time and a large number of us took off from work and walked over to the scene. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt or killed in the mishap. The area of the sinking was a "happening" scene with a cast of thousands that night. The local watering holes did a great business that evening. | ||
The_rock Member Username: The_rock Post Number: 1028 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 68.42.251.225 |
Right you are Douglasm. In its excellent publication, Great Lakes Ships We Remember II ( pgs 230-231), the Great Lakes Historical Society ( of which I am proud to say I have been a member for about 40 years), relates that following 101 days underwater, the MONTROSE was raised, repaired in Lorain, Ohio, sold to Norwegian interests, renamed CONCORDIA LAGO,sailed for another 20 years and was subsequently scrapped in Pakistan in 1982. | ||
Hornwrecker Member Username: Hornwrecker Post Number: 878 Registered: 04-2005 Posted From: 63.41.8.109 |
Tonight, at 10 pm on the History Channel, Deep Sea Detectives will investigate the sinking of a Lake Michigan car ferry. This is the first airing of the program. Anybody know which ship this is/was? | ||
Toolbox Member Username: Toolbox Post Number: 844 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 66.184.29.148 |
More info here. | ||
River_rat Member Username: River_rat Post Number: 34 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 71.126.177.217 |
Tonight's program on the History Channel is a must for Great Lakes fans. Another railroad car ferry that sank has an even more interesting history because it has never been found! The Marquette and Bessemer #2 is somewhere on the bottom of shallow Lake Erie. Despite all the advances in technology in the last several years, this mystery remains. The ship was bound from Conneaut, OH for Port Stanley, ONT and went down with 36 hands and 30 loaded railcars. It is thought to be near Erie, PA and has reportedly been sighted from aircarft, but has never been definitively located. All this is shallow Erie. In 2003, there was a report that it may have been found, but that was erroneous. Enjoy tonight's show. the river rat and treasure hunter | ||
Hornwrecker Member Username: Hornwrecker Post Number: 885 Registered: 04-2005 Posted From: 63.41.8.87 |
Reminder: 10 pm on THC. Thanks for the link Toolbox. | ||
Psip Member Username: Psip Post Number: 1055 Registered: 04-2005 Posted From: 69.246.13.131 |
That was a great program. There were no hatches on the vent shafts.. Hard to believe. | ||
Gary Member Username: Gary Post Number: 117 Registered: 02-2004 Posted From: 66.73.238.5 |
Does the sinking of the S.S. Tashmoo qualify as a Detroit River shipwreck? | ||
Patrick Member Username: Patrick Post Number: 3284 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 65.222.10.3 |
I cannot remember where I read this but I believe a British schooner or warship sunk at the mouth of the Detroit River near Lake Erie. Anyone have any info? I think we discussed this before long ago on here. | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 1848 Registered: 08-2004 Posted From: 4.229.105.119 |
Weren't some 200 year old cannons dredged up from the Detroit River about 40 years ago? Are they at the Dossin's Museum? Anyone know the story about them? | ||
Kathleen Member Username: Kathleen Post Number: 1185 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 69.14.122.57 |
I believe that was Mal Sillars (the former WDIV weather guru) that was part of the diving team that brought up a couple of cannons. See this 2004 thread: https://www.atdetroit.net/forum/mes sages/18968/21908.html?1082171 110 | ||
Kathleen Member Username: Kathleen Post Number: 1186 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 69.14.122.57 |
Oh, I forgot to thank those of you who posted about last night's History Channel episode on the SS Milwaukee. That was pretty interesting!!! | ||
Dday Member Username: Dday Post Number: 817 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 65.209.165.170 |
Mal Sillars was part of the dive team that brought up the anchor of the Edmund Fitzgerald out of the Detroit River. She lost it in, I think, 1974. It's currently on display at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum. Ironically, as we should know, the pilot house of the Wm. Clay Ford is also there. The Ford and the Arthur Anderson (which is still in service) were the two boats that went back out into the gale to search for survivors of the Fitz wreck. | ||
The_rock Member Username: The_rock Post Number: 1034 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 68.42.251.225 |
The raising of the Fitz's anchor was shown live on WWJ-TV. It was a neat show and I have a tape of it. Mal Sillars was a real friend of the Dossin. It took the GLMI about 6 years to raise the funds, get the volunteers envolved to bring the pilot houe from Detroit Marine Terminal where it was stored to placement behind the museum. It was a real team effort. We were proud as all get-out when the pilot house was FINALLY opened to the public. Just a few days before the grand opening, I got a call from the curator who informed me that the City had issued some sort of a citation because the pilot house did not have some sort of under- support for the stairs leading up to the pilot house proper. Thanks a lot City! Anyway, I think the citation has become part of the Dossin's "historical files" now. They never followed through and thousands of people have walked up and down the stairs without incident. At one time, I was going to write a book about the trials and tribulations of dealing with the City when trying to do something constructive for the City's holdings. That pilot house was a case in point! Still working on it. | ||
Crazy_pete Member Username: Crazy_pete Post Number: 19 Registered: 01-2006 Posted From: 72.138.178.249 |
The Fitzgerald's anchor came out of the Detroit River? I thought she went down in lake Superior... | ||
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz Post Number: 347 Registered: 12-2005 Posted From: 68.2.191.57 |
Earlier she lost an anchor in Detroit. | ||
Awfavre Member Username: Awfavre Post Number: 29 Registered: 08-2005 Posted From: 69.3.206.177 |
She lost her anchor in the Detroit River on January 7, 1974. The anchor was recovered on July 20, 1992, & is now displayed at the Dossin Museum on Belle Isle. See the link below for a detailed timeline of events. http://www.wideopenwest.com/~a wesley5155/edm-fitz.html |
