''Hesper'' was a bulk-freighter

steamship A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamships ...

that was used to tow

schooner A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoon ...

- barges on the Great Lakes. She sank in Lake Superior off Silver Bay, Minnesota, in a late-spring snowstorm in 1905. The remains of the ship are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. ''Hesper'' was a wooden-hulled, single-screw, triple-masted,

cargo ship A cargo ship or freighter is a merchant ship that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year, handling the bulk of international trade. Cargo ships are usu ...

built by the

Bradley Transportation Company The Bradley Transportation Company, was an American shipping company that was a subsidiary of the Michigan Limestone and Chemical Company and handled its shipment of limestone to its parent company U.S. Steel. It boasted a large fleet of self-un ...

in Cleveland, Ohio. She was used to haul both

iron ore Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the fo ...

and

grain A grain is a small, hard, dry fruit (caryopsis) – with or without an attached hull layer – harvested for human or animal consumption. A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and legum ...

, two products important to Minnesota's economy at the time. ''Hesper'' was caught in a late-spring snowstorm on 4 May 1905, with a strong nor'easter with winds of 60 mph (97 km/h) driving her off her intended course and smashing her into a reef that now marks the southwest end of the harbor in Silver Bay, Minnesota. The ship foundered and sank in about of water. The crew was able to escape in the ship's lifeboats, but the ship was a total loss. The wreck of ''Hesper'' is well preserved and lies in 30 to 48 feet (9 to 15 meters) of water about halfway down the west

breakwall A breakwater is a permanent structure constructed at a coastal area to protect against tides, currents, waves, and storm surges. Part of a coastal management system, breakwaters are installed to minimize erosion, and to protect anchorages, ...

of the Silver Bay harbor. The hull is split apart at the turn of the bilge, and the port and

starboard Port and starboard are nautical terms for watercraft and aircraft, referring respectively to the left and right sides of the vessel, when aboard and facing the bow (front). Vessels with bilateral symmetry have left and right halves which are ...

sides of the ship lie alongside and roughly parallel to the ceiling of the hull. The sides both contain timbers that were used to mount the decks, which are no longer present. The decks are presumed to have washed ashore after the ship sank. The aft end of the hull contains a number of long bolts that were used to mount the engine.

References

External links

Sinking of the Hesper in MNopedia, the Minnesota Encyclopedia

References

External links

Further reading