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Hesper (shipwreck)
Encyclopedia
The Hesper was a bulk-freighter
steamship that was used to tow schooner
-barge
s on the Great Lakes
. The Hesper sank off the coast of Lake Superior
at Silver Bay, Minnesota
, USA, in a late spring snowstorm in 1905. The remains of the ship are listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
The ship was a wooden-hulled, single propeller, triple-masted, freight-carrying steamship built by the Bradley Transportation Company in Cleveland, Ohio
. The ship was used to haul both iron ore and grain, two products important to Minnesota's economy at the time.
The ship was caught in a late spring snowstorm in 1905, with a strong 60 mi/h Nor'easter
wind driving the ship off its intended course and smashing it into a reef that now marks the southwest end of the harbor in Silver Bay. The ship foundered and sank in about 42 feet (13 m) of water. The crew was able to escape via lifeboats, but the ship was a total loss.
The wreck is well-preserved and lies in 30 to 48 feet (9–15 m) of water about halfway down the west breakwall of the Silver Bay harbor. The hull is split apart at the turn of the bilge
, and the port and starboard sides of the ship lie alongside and roughly parallel to the ceiling of the hull. The sides both contain timbers that were used to mount the decks, which are no longer present. The decks are presumed to have washed ashore after the ship sank. The aft end of the hull contains a number of long bolts that were presumably used to mount the engine.
Bulk carrier
A bulk carrier, bulk freighter, or bulker is a merchant ship specially designed to transport unpackaged bulk cargo, such as grains, coal, ore, and cement in its cargo holds. Since the first specialized bulk carrier was built in 1852, economic forces have fueled the development of these ships,...
steamship that was used to tow schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
-barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
s on the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
. The Hesper sank off the coast of Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
at Silver Bay, Minnesota
Silver Bay, Minnesota
Silver Bay is a city in Lake County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,887 at the 2010 census. The city was founded on May 1, 1954 after previously being known as the Beaver Bay housing project...
, USA, in a late spring snowstorm in 1905. The remains of the ship are listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
The ship was a wooden-hulled, single propeller, triple-masted, freight-carrying steamship built by the Bradley Transportation Company in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
. The ship was used to haul both iron ore and grain, two products important to Minnesota's economy at the time.
The ship was caught in a late spring snowstorm in 1905, with a strong 60 mi/h Nor'easter
Nor'easter
A nor'easter is a type of macro-scale storm along the East Coast of the United States and Atlantic Canada, so named because the storm travels to the northeast from the south and the winds come from the northeast, especially in the coastal areas of the Northeastern United States and Atlantic Canada...
wind driving the ship off its intended course and smashing it into a reef that now marks the southwest end of the harbor in Silver Bay. The ship foundered and sank in about 42 feet (13 m) of water. The crew was able to escape via lifeboats, but the ship was a total loss.
The wreck is well-preserved and lies in 30 to 48 feet (9–15 m) of water about halfway down the west breakwall of the Silver Bay harbor. The hull is split apart at the turn of the bilge
Bilge
The bilge is the lowest compartment on a ship where the two sides meet at the keel. The word was coined in 1513.-Bilge water:The word is sometimes also used to describe the water that collects in this compartment. Water that does not drain off the side of the deck drains down through the ship into...
, and the port and starboard sides of the ship lie alongside and roughly parallel to the ceiling of the hull. The sides both contain timbers that were used to mount the decks, which are no longer present. The decks are presumed to have washed ashore after the ship sank. The aft end of the hull contains a number of long bolts that were presumably used to mount the engine.