The R.G. Stewart was a commercial packet steamer. On June 4, 1899, it caught fire and sank in

Lake Superior Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. Lake Michigan–Huron has a larger combined surface area than Superior, but is normally considered tw ...

, off the coast of Michigan Island in Chequamegon Bay. The site of the wreck was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1991.

History

The R.G. Stewart was built in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...

, in 1878. It was originally used as a

ferry A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...

on the

Niagara River The Niagara River ( ) flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, forming part of the border between Ontario, Canada, to the west, and New York, United States, to the east. The origin of the river's name is debated. Iroquoian scholar Bruce T ...

. The ship was brought to

Duluth, Minnesota Duluth ( ) is a Port, port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of St. Louis County, Minnesota, St. Louis County. Located on Lake Superior in Minnesota's Arrowhead Region, the city is a hub for cargo shipping. The population ...

in 1882 and purchased by Captain Cornelius "Con" Flynn in 1894. Flynn used the ship to carry passengers and cargo to various

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manch ...

s along the south shore of

, and had a very profitable business for several years. On Saturday, June 3, 1899, Flynn left

Hancock, Michigan Hancock is a city in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population of Hancock was 4,501 at the 2020 United States census. The city is located within Houghton County, Michigan, Houghton County, and ...

with three passengers and his crew. The cargo included some live cattle. After stopping in

Ontonagon, Michigan Ontonagon ( ) is a village in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,285 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Ontonagon County, and is the only incorporated place within the county. The village is loca ...

, The R.G. Stewart was destined for its home port of Duluth. A heavy

fog Fog is a visible aerosol consisting of tiny water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. Reprint from Fog can be considered a type of low-lying cloud usually resembling stratus and is heavily influenc ...

soon developed, making visibility very poor. At 11:00 pm, running blind, the ship suddenly crashed aground on Michigan Island. All efforts to free the ship failed, and the crew decided to wait until morning to deal with the problem. The next morning, the crew watched for other passing boats who could have helped, but no boats were sighted, and Captain Flynn decided to deal with the problem himself. The engines were started, and he pushed them feverishly in hopes of backing the boat off its standing point. Unfortunately, this caused the boilers to overheat, and the ship was set on fire. With the whole ship severely ablaze, the cattle were pushed overboard to save them. The cattle successfully swam to shore. Several of the crew and passengers used the lifeboat, while some swam to shore. All survived, except for a crew member named George McKenna, who drowned. The eleven survivors were found by the keeper of the Michigan Island Light, who offered them food and shelter for the night. The following morning he took them to the mainland in his boat.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:R.G. Stewart 1878 ships Maritime incidents in 1899 Shipwrecks of the Wisconsin coast Shipwrecks on the National Register of Historic Places in Wisconsin Shipwrecks of Lake Superior Apostle Islands National Register of Historic Places in Ashland County, Wisconsin Ships built in Buffalo, New York

History

See also

References