| Date Built: 1872 | Builders: Linn and Craig as the IRA H. OWEN |
| Construction: Wood steamer | Owners: Erie and Lake Michigan Transportation Company |
| Dimensions: 164 x 32 x 10 573 gross tons |
Cargo: |
Condition: 3 sections. Large propeller, drive train, and boiler |
Location: 500' off old dock on South side of Thunder Bay Island, west of light. | Depth: 18' |
Date of Loss: November 23, 1907 |
GPS: N45 02.019 W83 12.048 |
Type of Loss: Fire | Loss of Life: None |
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Co-ordinates are informational only, they maybe inaccurate and should
NOT BE USED FOR NAVIGATIONAL PURPOSES! |
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On November 23, 1907 the wooden steamer MONOHANSETT was headed north from Cleveland. She had with a cargo of 900 tons of coal to deliver to Collingwood, Ontario. As a result of heavy seas she came to anchor behind Thunder Bay Island to wait out the storm. Just after 10 p.m. a fire broke out in her engine room. Within minutes the blaze spread through the entire stern of the wooden ship. When the fire reached her cargo of coal all was certainly lost and her crew abandoned ship. The single yawl aboard was not large enough for her entire crew but thankfully her Captain had anchored close to the Thunder Bay Island Life Saving Station, from where Capt. Pearson and his life-saving crew rescued all that did not make it into the MONOHANSETT's yawl.
The tug RALPH from Alpena was called to service to put out the fire. RALPH sprayed the burning hulk from midnight till 7:00am when they thought they had the fire was out. But by Sunday afternoon the coal had ignited again and she burned to her waterline and sunk while at her anchors.
Approximately 200 yards off shore of the southwest coast of Thunder Bay Island
Sources: Stonehouse 1992; Swayze 1999; Alpena CVB; Wright
