SS ''Eber Ward'' was a package freighter that served ports on the Upper Great Lakes from her

launching Ceremonial ship launching involves the performance of ceremonies associated with the process of transferring a vessel to the water. It is a nautical tradition in many cultures, dating back thousands of years, to accompany the physical pro ...

in 1888 until she sank in the

Straits of Mackinac The Straits of Mackinac ( ; french: Détroit de Mackinac) are the short waterways between the U.S. state of Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas, traversed by the Mackinac Bridge. The main strait is wide with a maximum depth of , and connects ...

on April 20, 1909, with the loss of five lives. The sunken

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 ...

is a feature of the present-day

Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Preserve The Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Preserve is a state preserve in and around the Straits of Mackinac. The preserve is divided in two by the Mackinac Bridge. The waters of the preserve include the waters offshore from Mackinaw City and St. Igna ...

History

''Eber Ward'' was built by the F. W. Wheeler & Co. yard in

West Bay City West Bay City was a city in Bay County the U.S. state of Michigan. The City was formed from the communities of Banks, Salzburg, and Wenona. The city existed from 1877 to 1905 when it was merged with Bay City, Michigan. History Bangor/Banks ...

, Michigan. Launched in the spring of 1888, she was named after shipowner and industrialist

Eber Brock Ward Eber Brock Ward (December 25, 1811 – January 2, 1875) was an American industrialist, iron and steel manufacturer, and shipbuilder. Ward invested in several industries in Michigan and the Midwest. He started as an owner of steamship interest ...

. She was registered in Detroit, Michigan, on July 21, 1888 as a package freighter for the Detroit & Lake Superior Line. Her tonnage was 1,344 gross register tons and 1,038

net register tons Net register tonnage (NRT, nrt, n.r.t.) is a ship's cargo volume capacity expressed in "register tons", one of which equals to a volume of . It is calculated by subtracting non-revenue-earning spaces i.e. spaces not available for carrying cargo, ...

. She was long and had a draft of . After 21 years of service and several changes of ownership, ''Eber Ward'' sank in the

west of

Mackinaw City Mackinaw City ( ) is a village in Emmet and Cheboygan counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 846 at the 2010 census, the population increases during summertime, including an influx of tourists and seasonal workers who serve ...

, Michigan, on the morning of April 20, 1909. Nine survivors from the steamboat's crew of 14 officers and men recalled that the vessel had run into thick pack ice. Accusations were made that

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Timese Lemay, who confessed later that he had thought the ice was "slush", had been running his boat much too fast for conditions. The United States

Steamboat Inspection Service The Steamboat Inspection Service was a United States agency created in 1871 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 reorga ...

, which conducted an inquiry into the sinking, found Lemay "guilty of misconduct, negligence and inattention to duties." The derelict captain had his master's license revoked. The wreck was rediscovered by divers in 1980. The five persons killed in the sinking are memorialized by the vessel's wreck, which now forms part of the Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Preserve. The five people who perished aboard the SS Eber Ward are: James Perry, watchman; John Leubrath, fireman; John Hern; Kinney McKay, deckhand; unnamed person. The survivors are: Captain Timese LeMay, Detroit; A. P. Callino, first mate; Frank Baldwin, Detroit, chief engineer; S. R. Shipman, second engineer; Charles Lester and Frank Gutch, wheelswmen; John Winterhaler, steward; Mrs. Winterhaler, Detroit (John's wife); August Palmer, deckhand. Detroit Free Press April 21 1909 Edition

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eber Ward, SS 1888 ships Ships built in Bay City, Michigan Great Lakes freighters Maritime incidents in 1909 Shipwrecks of Lake Michigan Wreck diving sites