SS John B. Cowle (1902)
Encyclopedia
The SS John B. Cowle (1902) was one of the early Great Lakes
bulk freighters known as "tin pans". She was the first of two ships named for prominent Cleveland, Ohio
citizen and shipbuilder, John Beswick Cowle. On her maiden voyage
in 1909, the Isaac M. Scott rammed the Cowle in heavy fog off Whitefish Point. The Cowle sank in 3 minutes, taking 14 of her 24 man crew with her. Artifacts
from her wreck were illegally removed in the 1980s. Her artifacts are now the property of the State of Michigan and are on display as a loan to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum
. The wreck of the Cowle is protected as part of an underwater museum in the Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve
.
SS John B. Cowle was built in 1902 by the Jenks Shipbuilding Company for the newly formed Cowle Transit Company. She was the first of two ships named for prominent Cleveland, Ohio citizen, John Beswick Cowle, who was part owner of the Globe Iron Works
that built the first iron and steel Great Lakes bulk freighters, which were known as "tin pans". By 1909 the Cowle was still owned by the Cowle Transit Company but for the sake of profit she was operated by the United States Transportation Company.
Just several days prior to the Cowle's sinking, one deckhand left her at Detroit, Michigan
after his father talked him into quitting and three more deckhands quit the Cowle at the iron ore dock in Two Harbors, Minnesota
. The four replacement deckhands all drowned on the Cowle just 2 days later.
. The Frank H. Goodyear locked through the Soo Locks
behind the Scott, also upbound for Duluth through a fog shrouded Whitefish Bay
. In an era before radar
, Captain Russel Hemenger of the Goodyear followed the Scott with all of the pilothouse windows open and standing propped on a side sill for intense listening, navigating
by compass, clock, and the lights and whistles of other ships.
By 4:00 am the dense fog off Whitefish Point caused Captain W.G. Rogers of the Cowle to check to half speed and blow fog signals at intervals of less than a minute. The Scott suddenly loomed up full speed ahead broadside to the Cowle. Captain McArthur of the Scott rang the chadburn for reverse and ordered, "Hard left, hard left!" It was too late and the Scott rammed the Cowle, cutting her almost in two. The mate of the Scott blew her whistle, and when the Scott's engine found the reverse that was ordered before impact, the Scott's bow pulled from the massive hole in the Cowle. The Cowle listed and began to founder. A line was thrown from the Scott's bow to the deck of the sinking Cowle. Three sailors scrambled hand over hand onto the Scott while other sailors ran for the rail and leaped into the lake in effort to get away from the suction of the sinking ship.
Captain Rogers of the Cowle managed to put a life preserver on his son who was sailing with him. Rogers was washed off as the ship sank, grabbed a piece of wreckage when he came back up, and was rescued in about 45 minutes. The Cowles steward, B. Rogers, gave the following account:
The Cowle sank in three minutes, taking 14 of her 24 man crew with her. Shipwreck historian Janice Gerred reported, "Five of the drowned crew were from Adams, New York
. Captain Roger's son and brother, who was steward on the Cowle, were rescued. Two engineers, four firemen, four deckhands, the second cook, porter, and an oiler went down with the ship."
Shipwreck historian Wes Oleszewski reported that the crew of the Goodyear witnessed the collision through a series of sounds, "[F]irst a rumble like distant thunder ... then a distant groan, like tortured steel, accompanied by a series of deep-throated whistle blows ... and shouts through the distance...[followed by] an earthquake-like rumbling. A hollow silence followed, then more shouts and screams." Captain Russel sounded the general alarm and creeped the Goodyear toward the sounds of disaster until they came to a full stop when men were in the water just off her bow. They lowered the boats and the Goodyear's crew began rescuing sailors. Captain Hemenger inched the Goodyear forward and used her spotlight to probe "through a jumble of wooden wreckeage, oil drums, life rings and splashing sailors" until he came upon the Isaac M. Scott with a massive hole in her bow. Captain Rogers and his mate were taken to Duluth on the Goodyear. The rest of the Cowle's crew were picked up by the Scott and transported to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
.
The loss of the Cowle was valued at $285,000. Her cargo of iron ore was valued at $25,000 but was not insured. The Scott was heavily damaged with two forward compartments holed. She returned to the shipyard for reconstruction work costing $30,000. After a lengthy investigation and hearings, the United States Steamboat Inspectors
of Marquette, Michigan
ruled that the Cowle was going too fast for prevailing conditions and suspended Captain Rogers and Pilot Edward E. Carlton for 30 days even though Rogers claimed that he had checked down to bare steerage way. Pilot F.W. Wertheimer of the Scott was beached for one year for excessive speed and failure to signal.
The Scott sailed for four more years until she was lost with all hands on Lake Huron
in the Great Storm of 1913.
shipwrecks. The captain's quarters and office were located in Texas-style bow cabins behind the pilothouse.
In the ensuing years following her discovery, the Cowle's wreck was stripped of her artifacts. Michigan’s Antiquities Act of 1980 prohibited the removal of artifacts from shipwrecks on the Great Lakes bottomlands. The Evening News reported a Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment 1992 raid on the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum
and its offices that found evidence of 150 artifacts illegally removed from the state-claimed bottomlands, including artifacts from the Cowle. The State of Michigan filed a lawsuit against the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society. Following a settlement agreement, the Cowle's steering wheel, 2 gauges, 3 electric lamps, binoculars, a cup, a saucer, a jug, a capstan
cover, and a paneling section are now the property of the State of Michigan and are on loan for display in the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.
The Cowle's wreck is protected for future generations of scuba divers by the Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve
as part of an underwater museum. The 1892 wreck of the steamer Vienna lies to her south and the 1884 wreck of the steamer John M. Osborn
lies to her north. Divers who visit the wreck sites are expected to observe preservation laws and "take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but bubbles".
Great Lakes diver Harrington cautions that the Cowle is a deep wreck that carries considerable risks in diving and "divers must be certain of their abilities and equipment" when diving the Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve.
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...
bulk freighters known as "tin pans". She was the first of two ships named for prominent 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...
citizen and shipbuilder, John Beswick Cowle. On her maiden voyage
Maiden voyage
The maiden voyage of a ship, aircraft or other craft is the first journey made by the craft after shakedown. A number of traditions and superstitions are associated with it....
in 1909, the Isaac M. Scott rammed the Cowle in heavy fog off Whitefish Point. The Cowle sank in 3 minutes, taking 14 of her 24 man crew with her. Artifacts
Artifact (archaeology)
An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...
from her wreck were illegally removed in the 1980s. Her artifacts are now the property of the State of Michigan and are on display as a loan to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum
Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum is located at the Whitefish Point Light Station north of Paradise in Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The light station property was transferred to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society , the Michigan Audubon Society , and the United States...
. The wreck of the Cowle is protected as part of an underwater museum in the Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve
Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve
The Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve was established in 1987 to protect and conserve shipwrecks and historical resources on of Lake Superior bottomlands in Whitefish Bay and around Whitefish Point, Michigan. The formation of the Michigan Underwater Preserves helped stop controversy over...
.
Career
The steamerSteamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
SS John B. Cowle was built in 1902 by the Jenks Shipbuilding Company for the newly formed Cowle Transit Company. She was the first of two ships named for prominent Cleveland, Ohio citizen, John Beswick Cowle, who was part owner of the Globe Iron Works
Henry D. Coffinberry
Henry Darling Coffinberry was a prominentAmerican industrialist from Cleveland,Ohio. Along with his partner, Robert Wallace, H. D. Coffinberry is considered one of the founding fathers of modern Great Lakes shipping. Following a memorable Civil War career on the ironclad gunboat Louisville,...
that built the first iron and steel Great Lakes bulk freighters, which were known as "tin pans". By 1909 the Cowle was still owned by the Cowle Transit Company but for the sake of profit she was operated by the United States Transportation Company.
Just several days prior to the Cowle's sinking, one deckhand left her at Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
after his father talked him into quitting and three more deckhands quit the Cowle at the iron ore dock in Two Harbors, Minnesota
Two Harbors, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,613 people, 1,636 households, and 953 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,120.7 people per square mile . There were 1,631 housing units at an average density of 505.9 per square mile...
. The four replacement deckhands all drowned on the Cowle just 2 days later.
Final voyage
On 12 July 1909, the 420 feet (128 m), 4,731 ton Cowle was laden with 7,023 tons of iron ore loaded at Two Harbors and downbound for Cleveland. The 504 feet (154 m), 6,372 ton Isaac M. Scott was a new steel steamer running light without cargo on her maiden voyage upbound for Duluth, MinnesotaDuluth, 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,...
. The Frank H. Goodyear locked through the Soo Locks
Soo Locks
The Soo Locks are a set of parallel locks which enable ships to travel between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes. They are located on the St. Marys River between Lake Superior and Lake Huron, between the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan and the Canadian province of Ontario...
behind the Scott, also upbound for Duluth through a fog shrouded Whitefish Bay
Whitefish Bay
Whitefish Bay is a large bay on the eastern end of the southern shore of Lake Superior between Michigan and Ontario. It begins in the north and west at Whitefish Point in Michigan, about 10 miles north of Paradise, Michigan and ends at the St. Marys River at Sault Ste. Marie on the southeast...
. In an era before radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
, Captain Russel Hemenger of the Goodyear followed the Scott with all of the pilothouse windows open and standing propped on a side sill for intense listening, navigating
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
by compass, clock, and the lights and whistles of other ships.
By 4:00 am the dense fog off Whitefish Point caused Captain W.G. Rogers of the Cowle to check to half speed and blow fog signals at intervals of less than a minute. The Scott suddenly loomed up full speed ahead broadside to the Cowle. Captain McArthur of the Scott rang the chadburn for reverse and ordered, "Hard left, hard left!" It was too late and the Scott rammed the Cowle, cutting her almost in two. The mate of the Scott blew her whistle, and when the Scott's engine found the reverse that was ordered before impact, the Scott's bow pulled from the massive hole in the Cowle. The Cowle listed and began to founder. A line was thrown from the Scott's bow to the deck of the sinking Cowle. Three sailors scrambled hand over hand onto the Scott while other sailors ran for the rail and leaped into the lake in effort to get away from the suction of the sinking ship.
Captain Rogers of the Cowle managed to put a life preserver on his son who was sailing with him. Rogers was washed off as the ship sank, grabbed a piece of wreckage when he came back up, and was rescued in about 45 minutes. The Cowles steward, B. Rogers, gave the following account:
When the ship sank, I was stuck in a whirlpool, wrenched and whirled till I thought my legs would be pulled off. I saw a body alongside me. It was Will Thomas, my assistant. I tried to revive him when a broken hatch cover came up and struck the lad on the head, crushing it. My life preserver came off and while I was floundering in the water, another hatch cover came up. I grabbed the ring and pulled myself up on it. I saw a foot sticking up from beneath it, and pulling it, found it to be Thomas McKernan, the son of the chief engineer. I pulled him up and he revived after a while. The lake was covered with wreckage and all around in the fog could be heard cries of "Help" but it was three quarters of an hour before the yawlYawlA yawl is a two-masted sailing craft similar to a sloop or cutter but with an additional mast located well aft of the main mast, often right on the transom, specifically aft of the rudder post. A yawl (from Dutch Jol) is a two-masted sailing craft similar to a sloop or cutter but with an...
s of the Scott had been loosened and put in the water.
The Cowle sank in three minutes, taking 14 of her 24 man crew with her. Shipwreck historian Janice Gerred reported, "Five of the drowned crew were from Adams, New York
Adams, New York
Adams, New York can refer to:*Adams , New York*Adams , New York...
. Captain Roger's son and brother, who was steward on the Cowle, were rescued. Two engineers, four firemen, four deckhands, the second cook, porter, and an oiler went down with the ship."
Shipwreck historian Wes Oleszewski reported that the crew of the Goodyear witnessed the collision through a series of sounds, "[F]irst a rumble like distant thunder ... then a distant groan, like tortured steel, accompanied by a series of deep-throated whistle blows ... and shouts through the distance...[followed by] an earthquake-like rumbling. A hollow silence followed, then more shouts and screams." Captain Russel sounded the general alarm and creeped the Goodyear toward the sounds of disaster until they came to a full stop when men were in the water just off her bow. They lowered the boats and the Goodyear's crew began rescuing sailors. Captain Hemenger inched the Goodyear forward and used her spotlight to probe "through a jumble of wooden wreckeage, oil drums, life rings and splashing sailors" until he came upon the Isaac M. Scott with a massive hole in her bow. Captain Rogers and his mate were taken to Duluth on the Goodyear. The rest of the Cowle's crew were picked up by the Scott and transported to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
Sault Ste. Marie is a city in and the county seat of Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is in the north-eastern end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, on the Canadian border, separated from its twin city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, by the St. Marys River...
.
The loss of the Cowle was valued at $285,000. Her cargo of iron ore was valued at $25,000 but was not insured. The Scott was heavily damaged with two forward compartments holed. She returned to the shipyard for reconstruction work costing $30,000. After a lengthy investigation and hearings, the United States Steamboat Inspectors
Steamboat Inspection Service
The Steamboat Inspection Service was a United States agency created in 1852 to safeguard lives and property at sea. It merged with the Bureau of Navigation in 1932 to form the Bureau of Navigation and Steamboat Inspection which, in 1936, was reorganized into the Bureau of Marine Inspection and...
of Marquette, Michigan
Marquette, Michigan
Marquette is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Marquette County. The population was 21,355 at the 2010 census, making it the most populated city of the Upper Peninsula. Marquette is a major port on Lake Superior, primarily for shipping iron ore and is the home of Northern...
ruled that the Cowle was going too fast for prevailing conditions and suspended Captain Rogers and Pilot Edward E. Carlton for 30 days even though Rogers claimed that he had checked down to bare steerage way. Pilot F.W. Wertheimer of the Scott was beached for one year for excessive speed and failure to signal.
The Scott sailed for four more years until she was lost with all hands on Lake Huron
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
in the Great Storm of 1913.
Wreck history
The wreck of the Cowle was discovered in 1972 in 220 feet (67.1 m) of water, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north of Whitefish Point at 46°44.435′N 84°57.877′W. When her wreck was discovered, the steering wheel still turned, and the inscription "John B. Cowle" was clearly visible on her bell. The log was still intact, was retrieved, and is now maintained in the Great Lakes Historical Society's Ship's Logs Collection. The wreck has one of the few intact pilothouses on Lake SuperiorLake 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...
shipwrecks. The captain's quarters and office were located in Texas-style bow cabins behind the pilothouse.
In the ensuing years following her discovery, the Cowle's wreck was stripped of her artifacts. Michigan’s Antiquities Act of 1980 prohibited the removal of artifacts from shipwrecks on the Great Lakes bottomlands. The Evening News reported a Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment 1992 raid on the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum
Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum is located at the Whitefish Point Light Station north of Paradise in Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The light station property was transferred to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society , the Michigan Audubon Society , and the United States...
and its offices that found evidence of 150 artifacts illegally removed from the state-claimed bottomlands, including artifacts from the Cowle. The State of Michigan filed a lawsuit against the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society. Following a settlement agreement, the Cowle's steering wheel, 2 gauges, 3 electric lamps, binoculars, a cup, a saucer, a jug, a capstan
Capstan
Capstan may refer to:*Capstan , a rotating machine used to control or apply force to another element*Capstan , rotating spindles used to move recording tape through the mechanism of a tape recorder...
cover, and a paneling section are now the property of the State of Michigan and are on loan for display in the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.
The Cowle's wreck is protected for future generations of scuba divers by the Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve
Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve
The Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve was established in 1987 to protect and conserve shipwrecks and historical resources on of Lake Superior bottomlands in Whitefish Bay and around Whitefish Point, Michigan. The formation of the Michigan Underwater Preserves helped stop controversy over...
as part of an underwater museum. The 1892 wreck of the steamer Vienna lies to her south and the 1884 wreck of the steamer John M. Osborn
John M. Osborn (steamboat)
The John M Osborn’s short career as a wooden steam barge lasted just two years. The Osborn sank with the loss of five lives when she was rammed by the larger, steel hulled Alberta who was called a “steel monster" and "terror of the lakes". The Osborn’s wreck was discovered 100 years after her...
lies to her north. Divers who visit the wreck sites are expected to observe preservation laws and "take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but bubbles".
Great Lakes diver Harrington cautions that the Cowle is a deep wreck that carries considerable risks in diving and "divers must be certain of their abilities and equipment" when diving the Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve.