SS Anna C. Minch
Encyclopedia
The SS Anna C. Minch was a cargo carrier
which foundered, broke in two, and sank in Lake Michigan
during the Armistice Day Blizzard
on 11 November 1940. The Anna C. Minch was a steam powered, steel hulled bulk freighter constructed in 1903 by the American Ship Building Company
at Cleveland, Ohio
.
All twenty-four of the crew were lost when the ship sank. The cargo she was carrying at the time of her sinking was hardwood lumber. Her wreckage is located one and a half miles south of Pentwater, Michigan
, not far from the wreckage of the SS William B. Davock
, which foundered and sank in the same storm.
on 12 April 1907 resulting in $2000.00 in damages. On 12 November 1911 she struck a dock in the Chicago River
. At Lorain, Ohio
on 30 September 1915 she struck the south end of a bridge protection pier on the Erie Avenue Bridge. The Theodore H. Wickwire and the Anna C. Minch tore loose from their mooring lines on Buffalo Creek
, drifted downstream and damaged several steamers along with crushing a yacht against a concrete dock on 27 March 1916. She collided with the steamer Charles M. Warner on Lake St. Clair
and suffered severe bow damage on 6 November 1916. She was struck by the steamer Steel King on 18 November 1917 while moored at the dock at Toledo, Ohio
, suffering starboard bow damage. Her mooring was damaged from the Cleveland, Ohio
breakwall when she was struck by the steamers Matthew Andrews and Philip Minch on 26 February 1918. Her rudder was damaged when she was grounded one mile below the St. Clair Ship Canal
on 31 August 1920. The Anna C. Minch was struck by the steamer Harry W. Croft at Buffalo, New York
on 20 October 1920, also she was grounded in fog on the north end of Bois Blanc Island
in the Straits of Mackinac on 17 October 1921. On 21 December 1921 she suffered gale damage at Erie, Pennsylvania
and then ice damage in the same location on 23 February 1922. She struck the bottom twice when entering Conneaut, Ohio
on 17 October 1923. She suffered wheel damage at Milwaukee, Wisconsin
on 22 November 1923. The Anna C. Minch struck the dock at Duluth, Minnesota
on 1 November 1924 and also struck a dock at Buffalo, New York on 28 October 1925. She was stranded in fog at Fox Point, Wisconsin
on 4 December 1925 and was leaking when she was freed by tug boats.
on 11 November 1940. She foundered, broke in two and sunk during the storm. All twenty-four of the crew were lost when the ship went down. The cargo she was carrying at the time of her sinking was hardwood lumber. Her wreckage is located one and a half miles south of Pentwater, Michigan
, not far from the wreckage of the SS William B. Davock
, which foundered and sank in the same storm.
Lake freighter
Lake freighters, or Lakers, are bulk carrier vessels that ply the Great Lakes. The best known was the , the most recent and largest major vessel to be wrecked on the Lakes. These vessels are traditionally called boats, although classified as ships. In the mid-20th century, 300 lakers worked the...
which foundered, broke in two, and sank in Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
during the Armistice Day Blizzard
Armistice Day Blizzard
The Armistice Day Blizzard took place in the Midwest region of the United States on 11 November and 12 November 1940...
on 11 November 1940. The Anna C. Minch was a steam powered, steel hulled bulk freighter constructed in 1903 by the American Ship Building Company
American Ship Building Company
The American Ship Building Company was the dominant shipbuilder on the Great Lakes before the Second World War. It started as Cleveland Shipbuilding in Cleveland, Ohio in 1888 and opened the yard in Lorain, Ohio in 1898...
at 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...
.
All twenty-four of the crew were lost when the ship sank. The cargo she was carrying at the time of her sinking was hardwood lumber. Her wreckage is located one and a half miles south of Pentwater, Michigan
Pentwater, Michigan
Pentwater is a village in Oceana County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 958 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Pentwater Township. Pentwater is home to Mears State Park. The name Pentwater comes from Pent or Penned up waters...
, not far from the wreckage of the SS William B. Davock
SS William B. Davock
The SS William B. Davock was a lake freighter that was part of the fleet of the Interlake Steamship Company. She was built in 1907 and sank with all hands in Lake Michigan during the Armistice Day Storm on November 11, 1940. She was carrying a cargo of coal from Erie, Pennsylvania to South Chicago...
, which foundered and sank in the same storm.
Ship history
The Anna C. Minch was struck by the steamer Harvey D. Goulder while at the Cargill grain elevator in Superior, WisconsinSuperior, Wisconsin
Superior is a city in and the county seat of Douglas County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 26,960 at the 2010 census. Located at the junction of U.S. Highways 2 and 53, it is north of and adjacent to both the Village of Superior and the Town of Superior.Superior is at the western...
on 12 April 1907 resulting in $2000.00 in damages. On 12 November 1911 she struck a dock in the Chicago River
Chicago River
The Chicago River is a system of rivers and canals with a combined length of that runs through the city of the same name, including its center . Though not especially long, the river is notable for being the reason why Chicago became an important location, as the link between the Great Lakes and...
. At Lorain, Ohio
Lorain, Ohio
Lorain is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio on Lake Erie, at the mouth of the Black River, about 30 miles west of Cleveland....
on 30 September 1915 she struck the south end of a bridge protection pier on the Erie Avenue Bridge. The Theodore H. Wickwire and the Anna C. Minch tore loose from their mooring lines on Buffalo Creek
Buffalo Creek
-Waterways:In Pennsylvania*Buffalo Creek *Buffalo Creek , tributary of the Casselman River*Buffalo Creek *Buffalo Creek In West Virginia...
, drifted downstream and damaged several steamers along with crushing a yacht against a concrete dock on 27 March 1916. She collided with the steamer Charles M. Warner on Lake St. Clair
Lake Saint Clair (North America)
Lake St. Clair is a fresh-water lake named after Clare of Assisi that lies between the Province of Ontario and the State of Michigan, and its midline also forms the boundary between Canada and the United States of America. Lake St. Clair includes the Anchor Bay along the Metro Detroit coastline...
and suffered severe bow damage on 6 November 1916. She was struck by the steamer Steel King on 18 November 1917 while moored at the dock at Toledo, Ohio
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
, suffering starboard bow damage. Her mooring was damaged from the 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...
breakwall when she was struck by the steamers Matthew Andrews and Philip Minch on 26 February 1918. Her rudder was damaged when she was grounded one mile below the St. Clair Ship Canal
St. Clair River
The St. Clair River is a river in central North America which drains Lake Huron into Lake St Clair, forming part of the international boundary between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Michigan...
on 31 August 1920. The Anna C. Minch was struck by the steamer Harry W. Croft at Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
on 20 October 1920, also she was grounded in fog on the north end of Bois Blanc Island
Bois Blanc Island (Michigan)
Bois Blanc Island is coterminous with Bois Blanc Township, Mackinac County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The island covers about and is about 12 miles long, 6 miles wide and has 6 lakes. Bois Blanc is located in Lake Huron southeast of Mackinac Island and almost due north of the city of...
in the Straits of Mackinac on 17 October 1921. On 21 December 1921 she suffered gale damage at Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
and then ice damage in the same location on 23 February 1922. She struck the bottom twice when entering Conneaut, Ohio
Conneaut, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,485 people, 5,038 households, and 3,410 families residing in the city. The population density was 473.4 people per square mile . There were 5,710 housing units at an average density of 216.5 per square mile...
on 17 October 1923. She suffered wheel damage at Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
on 22 November 1923. The Anna C. Minch struck the dock at Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
on 1 November 1924 and also struck a dock at Buffalo, New York on 28 October 1925. She was stranded in fog at Fox Point, Wisconsin
Fox Point, Wisconsin
Fox Point is a village in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 7,012 at the 2000 census.Fox Point is located along the North Shore area of the Milwaukee metropolitan area. It is named after a small point extending into Lake Michigan...
on 4 December 1925 and was leaking when she was freed by tug boats.
Sinking
The Anna C. Minch was caught in the Armistice Day BlizzardArmistice Day Blizzard
The Armistice Day Blizzard took place in the Midwest region of the United States on 11 November and 12 November 1940...
on 11 November 1940. She foundered, broke in two and sunk during the storm. All twenty-four of the crew were lost when the ship went down. The cargo she was carrying at the time of her sinking was hardwood lumber. Her wreckage is located one and a half miles south of Pentwater, Michigan
Pentwater, Michigan
Pentwater is a village in Oceana County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 958 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Pentwater Township. Pentwater is home to Mears State Park. The name Pentwater comes from Pent or Penned up waters...
, not far from the wreckage of the SS William B. Davock
SS William B. Davock
The SS William B. Davock was a lake freighter that was part of the fleet of the Interlake Steamship Company. She was built in 1907 and sank with all hands in Lake Michigan during the Armistice Day Storm on November 11, 1940. She was carrying a cargo of coal from Erie, Pennsylvania to South Chicago...
, which foundered and sank in the same storm.