Alpena (boat)

Alpena (boat)

The "Alpena" is a sidewheel steamer that sunk in Lake Michigan in the "Big Blow", an October 15, 1880 storm that sank numerous ships. Built in 1866, by the Thomas Arnold of Gallagher & Company of Marine City, Michigan, the "Alpena" was 197 feet in length, 27 feet in breadth, with a depth of 12 feet. It was rated at 654 tons displacement.

At least 80 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.

There is also a Great Lakes ship currently of that name, formerly the "Leon Fraser", owned by Inland Lakes Management, an affiliate of the Lafarge Corporation. It is used as a bulk freighter to haul cement. Built in 1942 and equipped with a steam turbine engine, it was originally 639 feet long, 67 feet in breadth with a depth of 35 feet. It has a 15,550 ton capacity. It was renamed, shortened and converted to a bulk cement carrier in 1991. The "Alpena" is a moderate sized ship in the Great Lakes fleet; the largest Lakers are almost twice its length and breadth and carry four times its cargo. She is able to transit the canals of the St Lawrence seaway due to her small size.

External links

* [http://www.macatawa.org/~crich/alpena.htm 1880 Alpena sinking]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Alpena — may refer to several places or things in the United States, especially in Michigan.Places*Alpena, Arkansas, a town located in Boone County, Arkansas *Alpena, South Dakota, a town located in Jerauld County, South DakotaIn Michigan*Alpena County,… …   Wikipedia

  • Alpena, Michigan — Infobox Settlement official name = Alpena, Michigan native name = settlement type = City nickname = motto = A warm and friendly port imagesize = 250px image caption = The Alpena Light at the Alpena Municipal Marina image image shield = image… …   Wikipedia

  • Port Huron to Mackinac Boat Race — The Port Huron to Mackinac Boat Race is run by the Bayview Yacht Club of Detroit, Michigan. It is one of the longest fresh water races in the world with over two hundred boats entering the race each year.There have been at least three changes to… …   Wikipedia

  • Northern Michigan — This article is about the region. For the university, see Northern Michigan University. Northern Michigan Northern Lower Michigan Lower Peninsula of Michigan …   Wikipedia

  • List of maritime disasters — An advertisement for soap, using RMS Titanic (1912) A maritime disaster is an event which usually involves a ship or ships and can involve military action. Due to the nature of maritime travel, there is often a large loss of life. This transport… …   Wikipedia

  • The Thumb — This article is about a geographical region in Michigan. For the body part, see Thumb. For other uses, see Thumb (disambiguation). The Thumb Mid Michigan Country United States …   Wikipedia

  • Detroit — Motor City redirects here. For other uses, see Motor City (disambiguation). This article is about the city in Michigan. For other uses, see Detroit (disambiguation). Detroit …   Wikipedia

  • Charlevoix County, Michigan — Logo …   Wikipedia

  • Thunder Bay Island — is a 215 acre (87 ha) island in Lake Huron. The island is one of eight constituent islands of the Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge. The island is part of Alpena Township in Alpena County. It marks the entrance to Thunder Bay, the harbor… …   Wikipedia

  • Mason County, Michigan — Location in the state of Michigan …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”