SS Emperor

SS ''Emperor'' was a steel-hulled Canadian lake freighter in service between 1911 and 1947. She was built between 1910 and April 1911 by the Collingwood Shipbuilding Company in Collingwood, Ontario, for Inland Lines, Ltd., of Midland, Ontario. She entered service on May 3, 1911. ''Emperor'' was sold to Canada Steamship Lines of Montreal, Quebec. Under the ownership of Canada Steamship Lines, she carried a wide variety of cargoes, but most frequently iron ore to Point Edward, Ontario, where it would be transported to Hamilton, Ontario, by train. After the opening of the fourth Welland Canal, ''Emperor'' carried the ore directly to Hamilton. She was involved in several accidents throughout her career.

After discharging a cargo of coal in Fort William, Ontario, on June 3, 1947, ''Emperor'' headed to Port Arthur, Ontario, where she loaded of iron ore bound for Ashtabula, Ohio. She left Port Arthur at 10:55p.m. ( EST). The weather was clear, and visibility was good. At midnight, Captain Eldon Walkinshaw handed over watch duties to first mate James A. Morrey. ''Emperor'' ran hard aground on Canoe Rocks, on the northeast point of Isle Royale shortly before 4:15a.m. on June 4. She sank in between 20 and 35 minutes. 12 of her crew were killed, while the 21 survivors were picked up by the United States Coast Guard Cutter ''Kimball''.

''Emperor''s wreck is the most recent, and second largest shipwreck of Isle Royale, surpassed only by the freighter '' Chester A. Congdon'', which also wrecked on Canoe Rocks. The wreck rests in . Her bow lies partially broken up in shallow water, while her stern is intact and in deeper water. The wreck was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, and has become a popular site for recreational divers.

History

Background

In 1843, the gunship USS ''Michigan'', built in Erie, Pennsylvania, became the first iron-hulled vessel built on the Great Lakes. In the mid-1840s, Canadian companies began importing iron vessels prefabricated by shipyards in the United Kingdom. The first iron-hulled merchant ship built on the Great Lakes, ''Merchant'', was constructed in 1862. Despite the success of ''Merchant'', wooden vessels remained preferable to iron ones until the 1880s, due to their lower cost and the abundance of timber. In the early 1880s, shipyards around the Great Lakes began to construct iron ships on a relatively large scale. In 1884, the first steel freighters were built on the Great Lakes. By the 1890s, the majority of ships constructed on the lakes were made of steel. The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw a rapid increase in the size of lake freighters; the first freighter was built in 1895, the first freighter was constructed five years later.

Throughout the 1880s, the iron ore trade on the Great Lakes grew exponentially, primarily due to the increasing size of the lake freighters, and the rise in the number of trips made by ore boats to the ore docks of Lake Superior. As the railways were unable to keep up with the rapid production of iron ore, most of it was transported by bulk freighters.

Design and construction

''Emperor'' (Canadian official number 126654) was built in Collingwood, Ontario, between 1910 and 1911, by the Collingwood Shipbuilding Company. She was launched into Collingwood harbour on December 17, 1910, as hull number 28; she was christened by James Playfair of Midland, Ontario. ''Emperor'' was built for the Playfair managed Inland Lines, Ltd. of Hamilton, Ontario. Playfair was known to give the ships in his fleet names related to royalty. ''Emperor'' was ready to go into commission in April 1911. When she was completed, ''Emperor'' became the largest Canadian ship built to that date, earning her the nickname "The Pride of Canada". She was built exclusively for the iron ore trade.

Built with an arch-and-web frame system designed to create an unobstructed cargo hold, ''Emperor'' had 30 cargo hatches. The hatches were by wide, and were placed apart. ''Emperor''s cargo hold was divided into five separate compartments, each with six hatches and a capacity of ; she had a total cargo capacity of . There was an ore chute at each hatch. She was equipped with seven side- ballast and bilge tanks (each with a capacity of ), which were connected with seven steel pipes. The side and bottom tanks were not separated. This tank system enabled ''Emperor'' to quickly take on and discharge water. ''Emperor'' had 11 bulkheads. Her pilothouse, the captain's and mate's quarters were at the bow, while the crew's quarters were located at the stern. ''Emperor''s engine room was in length.

The hull of ''Emperor'' had an overall length of , and a length between perpendiculars of . Her beam was (some sources state ) wide. The moulded depth (roughly speaking, the vertical height of ''Emperor''s hull) was . Her maximum draught was . ''Emperor'' had a gross register tonnage of 7,031 and a net register tonnage of 5,408.

''Emperor'' was powered by a 82 rpm triple-expansion steam engine; the cylinders of the engine were , and in diameter, and had a stroke of . Steam for the engine was provided by two coal-fired, single-ended Scotch marine boilers. The engine and boilers were both built by the Collingwood Shipbuilding Company. ''Emperor'' had a registered nominal speed of .

Service history

''Emperor'' was accepted by Inland Lines, Ltd. after she ran her sea trials in Georgian Bay off Collingwood. She commenced her maiden voyage on May 3, 1911, sailing upbound, without cargo. While upbound on Lake Huron on May 17, ''Emperor'' broke her propeller shaft in Thunder Bay. She was towed to DeTour, Michigan, by the package freighter ''Superior'', after which she was towed to Port Arthur, Ontario, for repairs. On June 16, 1911, the Richelieu & Ontario Navigation Company, Ltd. of Montreal, Quebec, acquired a controlling interest in Inland Lines, Ltd.

On October 18, 1911, ''Emperor'' was bound from Fort William, Ontario, for Midland with 310,000 bushels of wheat. While anchoring below the Canadian lock at the Soo Locks, ''Emperor'' overrode her anchor, tore a hole in her bow and sank into of water below the lower entry. Her stern went against the north pier, while her bow swung into the channel, blocking it. She was raised on May 19, and after temporary repairs were made, she taken to Midland. ''Emperor''s captain, George Pearson said:

I was not on the bast at the time of the accident, the steamer being temporarily in charge of the first mate. It is usual for a steamer leaving the lock to give a sharp blast, indicating to the canal crew that all is in readiness for the flood. In this case the flood was forced. As soon as the gates were opened the force of the water parted the lines of the steamer, causing her to leave the canal at high speed. The mate ordered an anchor dropped. The water at this point was not sufficiently deep to override the anchor, with the result that it was hit by the steamer and tore a hole in her bottom.

A court inquiry conducted in Collingwood by Dominion Wreck Commissioner L. A. Demmers determined that the canal employees were to blame for the sinking, as they flooded the lock without checking if ''Emperor'' was ready. The court further stated that it believed it was "customary for the master of a vessel to sound one blast of the whistle as a signal to the canal authorities to begin flooding", also adding that it "thinks it is extremely necessary that masters of all vessels should have copies of the regulations governing the operation of locks and canals". ''Emperor''s officers were acquitted of any wrongdoing, with the blame being placed on a watchman who "happened to be a deck hand, and therefore irresponsible".

In 1913, the Richelieu & Ontario Navigation Company, Ltd. was merged into the newly-formed, Montreal-based Canada Transportation Company, Ltd., the name of which was almost immediately changed to Canada Steamship Lines. While under the ownership of Canada Steamship Lines, ''Emperor'' carried a wide variety of cargoes, but mainly carried iron ore to Point Edward, Ontario, which was then taken to the steel mills of Hamilton, Ontario, by train.

While bound for a Lake Superior port, ''Emperor'' ran aground on Pointe aux Pins on the north shore of Lake Erie, on the morning of May 29, 1914. She was pulled off the next day by the tugs ''Hackett'' and ''James Reid''. On October 29, 1926, ''Emperor'' ran aground near Mackinaw City, Michigan, on Major Shoal. She was freed at 16:00p.m., after jettisoning of iron ore. Sometime before 1932, ''Emperor'' reportedly ran aground on an unknown object near Michipicoten Island, while on her way to Fort William.

While bound for the lakehead with of coal on the night of November 24, 1936, ''Emperor'' encountered a heavy storm. While she was between Passage Island and Lamb Island, she lost her rudder. ''Emperor'' spent November 25 drifting in the storm. The tug ''James Whalen'' was sent to aid ''Emperor''. However, before she arrived, the canaller ''Renvoyle'' arrived on the scene and towed ''Emperor'' to Fort William. One of ''Emperor''s deckhands was swept overboard in the storm, and drowned.

On May 4, 1937, ''Emperor'' was bound from Port Weller, Ontario, for Hamilton with a cargo of iron ore she loaded in Ashland, Wisconsin. Conditions on Lake Ontario were foggy, which caused ''Emperor'' to miss the port turn, which would then have put her on a course to the piers of the Burlington Canal at the entrance to Hamilton harbour. However, she carried on, eventually running aground near Bronte, Ontario, at 11:00p.m. The tug ''Rival'' and barge ''Londonderry'' arrived from Kingston, Ontario, to free her. After a portion of ''Emperor''s cargo was removed, she was refloated on May 6, having sustained hardly any damage.

In the spring of 1940, ''Emperor''s first mate James A. Morrey fell overboard from one of the bridge wings. He sustained no serious injuries.

Final voyage

After unloading a cargo of coal in Fort William on June 3, 1947, ''Emperor'' headed to the Canadian National Railway ore dock in Port Arthur, where she loaded of iron ore from the Steep Rock Mine. The loading of the ore took six to seven hours. She left Port Arthur for Ashtabula, Ohio, at 10:55p.m. ( EST), under the command of Captain Eldon Walkinshaw. She had a draught of at the bow, and at the stern. Two of ''Emperor''s 35–man crew were left behind at Fort William. The weather was clement; there was little wind, and visibility was good. At midnight, Walkinshaw handed over watch duties to first mate James A. Morrey, who had supervised the loading of the iron ore. Shortly before 4:15a.m., ''Emperor'' crashed into Canoe Rocks, on the northeast point of Isle Royale, and broke in two.

About 10 minutes after ''Emperor'' struck Canoe Rocks, Walkinshaw gave the order to abandon ship. By that time, she had developed a serious list. The starboard lifeboat was successfully launched, but was leaking due to the absence of a bilge plug. The port boat capsized when it was sucked under by ''Emperor'' as she sank. The night steward claimed that ''Emperor''s boilers exploded during the sinking. She sank in between 20 and 35 minutes. The United States Coast Guard Cutter ''Kimball'', which was maintaining navigation lights in the vicinity of Blake Point, intercepted an SOS signal from ''Emperor'', arriving on the scene in 35 minutes. After ''Kimball'' transported the 21 survivors and the body of cook Evelyn Schultz to Fort William, she travelled back to the wreck to search for survivors and bodies. Canada Steamship Lines also chartered the excursion boat ''Coastal Queen'' to assist in the search. However, bad weather prevented diver E. J. Fowler, who was on board ''Coastal Queen'' from reaching the wreck.

Investigation

The investigation into ''Emperor''s sinking proved to be difficult, as Walkinshaw, Morrey, and helmsman J. Prokup all died. An investigation carried out by the Department of Transport blamed Morrey, who they claimed "did not keep proper watch", for the sinking of ''Emperor''. They determined that Morrey, who was meant to be on watch duty until 6:00a.m., was likely sleep deprived at the time of the grounding, and had not made the usual navigational checks ''Emperor'' would have required to pass safely between Isle Royale and Passage Island. The courts criticised the prevailing system "which required the First Mate to be in charge of the loading of the ship during the period when he should have been off duty, resulted in his becoming overly tired, suffering as he was from a lack of sleep". Furthermore, Prokup, who was unacquainted with that part of Lake Superior, failed to detect the error in ''Emperor''s course. Also criticised were the usage of wooden lifeboats and the lack of lifeboat drills performed on board ''Emperor'' in 1947. The Board of Investigation fully exonerated Captain Walkinshaw, stating that "under all the circumstances he did everything possible most promptly and efficiently". They also praised the captain and crew of ''Kimball'' for their rescue of the survivors.

Aftermath

''Emperor'' was the final and second-largest shipwreck to occur at Isle Royale. She was also the largest shipwreck to have occurred on Lake Superior since the loss of the freighter ''Chester A. Congdon'' in 1918, and the deadliest since the sinking of the canaller ''Kamloops'' in 1927, both also at Isle Royale. In 1948, Canada Steamship Lines replaced ''Emperor'' with the freighter ''Burlington''.

''Emperor'' wreck

The first dives to ''Emperor''s wreck took place on June 12, 1947. They were conducted by Fowler, who made a total of three, roughly 30 minute dives to the wreck. The ''Emperor'' rests in between of water at the bow, and of water at the stern, in two partially attached sections. The bow has sustained severe damage, mostly due to the impact of ice, while the stern is intact. The bow section stretches from at the bow's tip, down into about of water, where the intact stern section starts. The bow section includes two 7,000-pound (3,175.1 kg) anchors, a windlass and chain locker, as well as five relatively intact cargo hatches. The stern features an intact and penetrable engine room, an intact mast, and a partially intact cabin. ''Emperor''s boilers are undamaged, proving the night steward's account of a boiler explosion false. The roof on the port side of the cabin has partially collapsed, as the funnel (also present) fell on top of it with sufficient force to not only damage the roof, but also the bulkhead. There are 17 intact cargo hatches aft of the break in the hull. The propeller blades broke off as ''Emperor'' sank, leaving only the propeller hub and rudder. Her cargo holds still contain her cargo of iron ore. Wreckages from the canaller ''Dunelm'' which ran aground in 1910, but was freed, lies east of ''Emperor''s bow.

In 1975, sport divers from the Inland Divers Club of Duluth, Minnesota, discovered the preserved remains of a crew member near ''Emperor''s engine room and reported it to the National Park Service. The body was missing its eyes, nose and arms from the elbow down. It was photographed by divers and subsequently appeared in Luke Clyburn's documentary film ''"Angels of the Sea."'' In order to deter potential looters, the remains were later reportedly sunk at the end of the stern by Canadian divers. Although unverified, several other bodies are reported to have been found.

''Emperor''s wreck was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 12, 1984. Between 1980 and 1985, ''Emperor'' was the second-most popular shipwreck at Isle Royale National Park, behind the excursion steamer ''America''. However, as of 2009, she is Isle Royale's most frequently visited shipwreck, accounting for over 350 of the 1062 dives made to the wrecks in the park that year.

Notes

References

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External links

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Death of the Emperor

{{DEFAULTSORT:Emperor, SS
1910 ships
Ships built in Collingwood, Ontario
Great Lakes freighters
Merchant ships of Canada
Canada Steamship Lines
Maritime incidents in 1911
Maritime incidents in 1914
Maritime incidents in 1926
Maritime incidents in 1936
Maritime incidents in 1937
Maritime incidents in 1947
Shipwrecks of the Michigan coast
Shipwrecks of Lake Superior
National Register of Historic Places in Keweenaw County, Michigan
National Register of Historic Places in Isle Royale National Park
Wreck diving sites in the United States