SS Robert Wallace
The Robert Wallace underway
| |
History | |
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United States | |
Name | Robert Wallace |
Operator |
|
Port of registry | United States |
Builder | William H. Radcliffe |
Launched | April 13, 1882 |
Completed | 1882 |
In service | April 26, 1882 |
Out of service | November 17, 1902 |
Identification | U.S. Registry #110518 |
Fate | Sprang a leak and sank on Lake Superior with no loss of life |
General characteristics | |
Type | Bulk Freighter |
Tonnage | |
Length | 220 feet (67 m) |
Beam | 36 feet (11 m) |
Height | 19.6 feet (6.0 m) |
Installed power | 1 × Scotch marine boiler |
Propulsion | 550 horsepower compound steam engine |
Robert Wallace (bulk carrier) shipwreck site | |
NRHP reference No. | 09000828[1] |
Added to NRHP | October 14, 2009 |
SS Robert Wallace was a wooden-hulled
History
Robert Wallace (Official number 110518) was built in 1882 by William H. Radcliffe of
On August 2, 1883, Robert Wallace was towing the schooner barge J.M. Hill when she and J.M. Hill were struck by lightning in the Milwaukee harbour. Both the Robert Wallace and the J.M. Hill had their foremasts heavily damaged.[7]
On November 18, 1886, Robert Wallace was towing her schooner barge David Wallace (which was named after Robert Wallace's brother) when she stranded near Marquette, Michigan. Robert Wallace eventually caught fire and burned down. This incident almost ended her career but she was pulled off and repaired.[3][8]
On November 12, 1891, Robert Wallace ran aground because of low water in the Sheboygan Harbor. She was loaded with a cargo of coal at the time of the incident. She was also towing David Wallace which was carrying 1,500 tons of coal and also ran aground.[9]
On October 22, 1896, the boilers of Robert Wallace started to leak and they needed to be repaired so that she could continue her journey. She was repaired in Harbor Beach, Michigan.[10]
Sinking
On November 17, 1902, Robert Wallace departed the ore docks in Superior, Wisconsin laden with a cargo of iron ore.[3] She was also towing the schooner barge Ashland, which was also full of iron ore. About four hours after their departure Robert Wallace sprang a leak and started sinking. Accounts differ on what caused the leak. Some accounts claim that Robert Wallace struck a floating log, others claim Ashland pulled off her stern post.[3] Her crew was transferred to Ashland which then sailed to Two Harbors, Minnesota, and was towed to safety by the steel hulled tug Edna G. Even though Robert Wallace was loaded with iron she sank quite slowly. Hours after her crew abandoned her, Robert Wallace continued to float on the surface of Lake Superior with her lights still on. Even when she sank her pilothouse broke off and continued to float on the surface.[3]
Robert Wallace wreck
Discovery
The remains of Robert Wallace remained undiscovered until 2006 when an unidentified diver discovered the wreck near the shipping lanes.[11] The diver reported the location of her wreck to diver Jay Hanson, who conducted a dive with wreck hunter Ken Merryman in 2006; in 2007 Hanson and Merryman captured video footage of the wreck. Later, Merryman and diver Bob Olson identified her wreck after seeing her name, still painted in white lettering on her stern.[4]
Robert Wallace today
The wreck of Robert Wallace rests relatively intact in 240 feet (73 m) of water about seven miles (11 km) south of
The wreck was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009 for its state-level significance in the themes of commerce, engineering, historical archaeology, and maritime history.[14] It was nominated for its significant research potential on the formative design and shipboard life of the first lake freighters.[15]
References
Notes
- ^ While Robert Wallace is the most intact known wooden bulk freighter in Minnesota waters, the wooden barge Harriet B. (also listed on the National Register of Historic Places) is much more intact.[13]
Citations
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ a b c "Wallace, Robert (wooden)". Great Lakes Vessel Histories of Sterling Berry. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f "History of the Robert Wallace". Superior Trips. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
- ^ ISBN 9780873516181.
- ^ "Wallace, Robert". Bowling Green State University. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
- ^ "Robert Wallace (Propeller), U110518, 14 Apr 1882". 6 March 2018.
- ^ "Robert Wallace (Propeller), U110518, lightning, 30 Jul 1883". Maritime History of the Great Lakes. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
- ^ "Robert Wallace (Propeller), U110518, aground, 1 Nov 1886". Maritime History of the Great Lakes. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
- ^ "Robert Wallace (Propeller), U110518, aground (low water), 12 Nov 1891". Maritime History of the Great Lakes. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
- ^ "Robert Wallace (Propeller), U110518, boiler leaking, 22 Oct 1896". Maritime History of the Great Lakes. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
- ^ "Shipwreck Robert Wallace National Register of Historic Places Nomination". Great Lakes Shipwreck Preservation Society. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ^ a b "The Robert Wallace shipwreck site". Superior Trips. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
- ^ "Harriet B. Minnesota's Deepest and Most Intact Shipwreck". Caitlin Zant and Tamara Thomsen. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
- ^ "Robert Wallace (bulk carrier) (shipwreck)". Minnesota National Register Properties Database. Minnesota Historical Society. 2009. Retrieved 2018-12-01.
- ^ Meverden, Keith; Tamara Thomsen (2009-05-20). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Robert Wallace". National Park Service.
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