The
SS Sagamore (1892) is reported to be the best example of a
whalebackA cargo steamship of unique design, with a hull that continuously curved above the waterline from vertical to horizontal leaving, when fully loaded, only the rounded portion of the hull above the waterline, was unofficially called a "whaleback". With sides curved in towards the ends, it had a...
barge among
Great LakesThe 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...
shipwrecks. Only 48 whalebacks ever existed on the Great Lakes. She sank in 1901 in the shipping lane near the
Soo LocksThe 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...
when she was rammed by the steel steamer
Northern Queen in one of
Whitefish Bay'sWhitefish 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...
notorious fogs. Her Captain and two crewmembers went down with her.
ArtifactsAn 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 MuseumThe 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
Sagamore is protected as part of an underwater museum in the
Whitefish Point Underwater PreserveThe 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
SS Sagamore's keel was laid 15 December, 1891 by the American Steel Barge Company and she was launched 23 July 1892 in
Superior, WisconsinSuperior 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...
. She was built as 1,601 gross ton whaleback steamer
bargeA 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...
, 308 feet (93.9 m) in length, 38 feet (11.6 m) in beam, and 24 feet (7.3 m) in
draftThe draft of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull , with the thickness of the hull included; in the case of not being included the draft outline would be obtained...
. She was enrolled in
Marquette, MichiganMarquette 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...
. She was sold to the Huron Barge Company and managed by Pickands, Mathers, and Company of
Ashtabula, OhioAs of the census of 2000, there were 20,962 people, 8,435 households, and 5,423 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,775.9 people per square mile . There were 9,151 housing units at an average density of 1,211.8 per square mile...
. She was usually towed by her
consortConsort is a nautical term for unpowered Great Lakes vessels, usually a fully loaded schooner barge or steamer barge, towed by a larger steamer that would often tow more than one barge. The consort system was used in the Great Lakes from the 1860s to around 1920...
whaleback steamer, the
Pathfinder. The Sagamore once unloaded a record 3,200 tons of iron ore in 8 hours at Ashtabula in 1893.
Final voyage
On 29 July 1901, the
Sagamore was anchored just off Iroquois Point with her consort, the
Pathfinder, waiting for one of Whitefish Bay's legendary, thick fogs to clear. Both vessels were loaded with iron downbound from
Duluth, MinnesotaDuluth 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,...
for
Lake ErieLake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
. The steel steamer
Northern Queen came suddenly through the fog on a collision course for the
Pathfinder. The
helmsmanA helmsman is a person who steers a ship, sailboat, submarine, or other type of maritime vessel. On small vessels, particularly privately-owned noncommercial vessels, the functions of skipper and helmsman may be combined in one person. On larger vessels, there is a separate officer of the watch,...
of the
Northern Queen changed course to avoid the
Pathfinder and headed directly for the
Sagamore. The helmsman did not see the
Sagamore due to the heavy fog. When the
Northern Queen hit the
Sagamore on the starboard side near the after
turretIn architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
, the
Sagamore filled with water rapidly and sank. Five of the Sagamore's crew jumped to safety onto the deck of the
Northern Queen, but three were lost. The
Sagamore's Captain E. Joiner, the cook, and a sailor died in the collision.
The loss of the
Sagamore was valued at $90,000. Shipwreck historian Cris Kohl reported, "The
Northern Queen returned to
Sault Ste. Marie, MichiganSault 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...
with the survivors and to make temporary repairs to her badly damaged
hullA hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. Above the hull is the superstructure and/or deckhouse, where present. The line where the hull meets the water surface is called the waterline.The structure of the hull varies depending on the vessel type...
. She eventually went into drydock for permanent repairs."
Wreck History
The wreck of the
Sagamore was discovered at 45°31.089′N 84°37.927′W in 1962 by Jack Brosco and Robert McCormick of Sault Ste. Marie in 45 to 65 ft (13.7 to 19.8 m) of water, mostly intact and sitting upright on a gravel bottom.Scuba diver and shipwreck historian Cris Kohl reports that the
Sagamore is "probably the best example of a whaleback steamer that can be found anywhere under the surface of the Great Lakes." Kohl describes the
Sagamore as a long shipwreck of with impressive triple tow rings mounted on her blunt-nosed
bowThe bow is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow...
, wide open hatches for easy access, and comfortable ambient lighting for swimming inside her
hullA hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. Above the hull is the superstructure and/or deckhouse, where present. The line where the hull meets the water surface is called the waterline.The structure of the hull varies depending on the vessel type...
. Kohl and other divers warn that the Sagamore is not usually buoyed as she lies in the middle of the busy
freighterA cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
shipping lane near the
Soo LocksThe 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...
.
The
Sagamore's wreck was stripped of her artifacts over the years. 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 MuseumThe 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
Sagamore. Following a settlement agreement, a single sheave block, shaving mug, pocket watch, mallet, pickax, saucer, and pitcher from the
Sagamore are now the property of the State of Michigan and are on loan for display in the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.
The
Sagamore's wreck is protected for future generations of scuba divers by the
Whitefish Point Underwater PreserveThe 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. 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 "divers must be certain of their abilities and equipment" when diving the Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve.