PS Alpena
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | Alpena |
| Owner | The Goodrich Line |
| Port of registry |  United States |
| Builder | Thomas Arnold of Gallagher & Company at Marine City, Michigan |
| Completed | 1866 |
| Acquired | Purchased from Gardner, Ward & Gallagher in April, 1868. |
| Refit | Completely overhauled at Manitowoc, Wisconsin in the winter of 1875-1876 |
| Fate | Sunk in Lake Michigan during the "Big Blow" storm of 15 October 1880. |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Paddlewheel steamship |
| Tonnage | 654 tons |
| Length | 197 ft (60 m) |
| Beam | 26.66 ft (8.13 m) |
| Depth | 12 ft (3.7 m) |
| Installed power | a single cylinder vertical beam steam engine |
| Propulsion | a pair of 24 ft (7.3 m) radius side wheels |
PS Alpena was a sidewheel steamer built by Thomas Arnold of Gallagher & Company at Marine City, Michigan in 1866. She was operated by the Goodrich Line after being purchased from Gardner, Ward & Gallagher in April 1868. The Alpena sank in Lake Michigan in the "Big Blow" storm on October 15, 1880, with the loss of all on board.[1]
Construction
[edit]
Built in 1866, by the Thomas Arnold of Gallagher & Company of Marine City, Michigan, the Alpena was 197 feet (60 m) in length, 27 feet (8.2 m) in breadth, with a depth of 12 feet (3.7 m). It was rated at 654 tons displacement. The vessel was driven by a steam engine, and photographs of the vessel show its walking beam suspended above the paddlewheels.
Sinking
[edit]At least 60 people died when the ship, also carrying a large cargo of apples, capsized in the middle of the lake. The ship was on a trip from Grand Haven, Michigan, to Chicago, Illinois, and was spotted at 8:00 am on October 16 in heavy seas. Some time later, probably due to a shift in the cargo on deck caused by the waves, it capsized and drifted northwest. On the 17th, debris including a piano came ashore in Holland, Michigan, while apples and wood debris were found at Saugatuck. A section of beach near Holland where debris was found is still called Alpena Beach.[2] The loss of life is estimated at about 60-consisting of about 25 crew[3] and about 35 passengers[4]
See also
[edit]- List of maritime disasters in the 19th century
- List of storms on the Great Lakes
- Sea Wing disaster
- SS Eastland
References
[edit]Citations
[edit]- ^ "Alpena I". michiganshipwrecks.org. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
- ^ Alpena Beach near Holland has a tragic namesake, mlive, Nov 19, 2012
- ^ "Daily globe. [volume], October 19, 1880, Image 1".
- ^ "Chicago daily tribune. [volume], October 22, 1880, Page 5, Image 5".