SS D.M. Clemson (1903)
 D.M. Clemson prior to her disappearance
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | D.M. Clemson |
| Operator | Provident Steamship Company (A.B. Wolvin, Mgr.) |
| Port of registry |  United States, Duluth, Minnesota |
| Builder | Superior Shipbuilding Company, Superior, Wisconsin |
| Yard number | 510 |
| Completed | July 3, 1903 |
| In service | August 14, 1903 |
| Identification | U.S. Registry #157703 |
| Fate | Sunk on 1 December 1908, on Lake Superior |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Bulk freighter |
| Tonnage | 5531 gross 3991 net |
| Length | 468 ft (143 m) |
| Beam | 52 ft (16 m) |
| Height | 30 ft (9.1 m) |
| Installed power | 2 x Scotch marine boilers |
| Propulsion | Triple expansion steam engine |
| Crew | 24 |
SS D.M. Clemson was a 468-foot (143 m) long steel-hulled
Possible cause of the sinking
Historian and author Frederick Stonehouse discussed the disappearance of the Clemson in his book "Went Missing". According to Stonehouse the Clemson suffered some structural damage when she struck a lighthouse pier at Ashtabula, Ohio, on October 20, 1908.[2] The incident damaged 10 hull plates and a water tank on the starboard side. Temporary repairs were made before the Clemson went into layup for the winter of 1908.[3] Another theory suggests that the Clemson's wooden hatch covers failed causing water to leak into the cargo hold and sink the ship.
Aftermath
There were no survivors to tell what happened to the ship. However, for weeks debris and some bodies from the 24 crew members washed ashore from the ill-fated ship between
A second vessel named D.M. Clemson was launched in 1917.[4]
See also
References
- ^ "D.M. Clemson (Propeller), sunk, 2 Dec 1908". Maritime History of the Great Lakes. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
- ^ "Cyprus". Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
- ^ "Mystery ship D.M. Clemson". perdurabo10.tripod.com. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
- ^ "Clemson, D.M. 2". Great Lakes vessel history. Retrieved 2020-01-03.