S.S. Kaliyuga (Bulk Freighter)
![Picture](/uploads/1/0/6/2/106221155/published/kaliyuga-07_3.png)
The Kaliyuga was a large bulk freighter built in 1887. On October 18th 1905 she was bound downward after departing Marquette headed for Erie, Pennsylvania. She was loaded with heavy iron ore. 1905 was the year of the "Great Gale" and the Kaliyuga was caught out far in Lake Huron with no safe port. She was lost with all hands on board (some claim 17 and other references 16).
Both bodies and wreckage began washing ashore shortly after her loss. On October 26 the pilothouse washed ashore in Georgian Bay and bodies over the next several days. Read below more about her sinking and final note written by oiler Charles Beaugrand which was found on his body. Great history … and she would be a plum to find!
Both bodies and wreckage began washing ashore shortly after her loss. On October 26 the pilothouse washed ashore in Georgian Bay and bodies over the next several days. Read below more about her sinking and final note written by oiler Charles Beaugrand which was found on his body. Great history … and she would be a plum to find!
KALIYUGA (1887, Bulk Freighter)
Year of Build: 1887 Official Number: 14458 Construction and Ownership
28 + 54" cylinders by 45" stroke, 750hp at 85rpm, by S.F. Hodge, Detroit, 1887. 12' x 12' scotch boilers, 105 pounds, by McGregor Boiler Works, Detroit, 1887. Dimensions
Final Disposition
Bound Marquette - Cleveland, foundered in "Great Gale of 1905" with all hands (17) lost. History
From the Collection of: C. Patrick Labadie Contact Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library Email [email protected] WWW address http://www.alpenalibrary.org Agency street/mail address 211 N. First Ave. Alpena, Michigan 49707 USA (989)356-6188 From Bowling Green University Registry and Rig Information
Owner: St. Clair Steamship Co. (Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Co., Mgrs.) Date: 1887 - 1905 Registry: U.S. Official Number: 14458 Name Changes: No name changes recorded. Permalink: http://greatlakes.bgsu.edu/vessel/view/002987 From <http://greatlakes.bgsu.edu/vessel/view/002987> From Great Lakes Vessel History Kaliyuga 1887 1905
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SS Kaliyuga
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia History
Type: Lake freighter Tonnage: 1941 gross tons Length: 270 ft (82 m) Beam: 40 ft (12 m) Depth: 21 ft (6.4 m) Installed power: Coal fired steam engine Crew: 17 The SS Kaliyuga was a steamship that sank with the loss of 16 lives on Lake Huron on the night of October 19/20, 1905. The wreck of the Kaliyuga has never been found, and the cause of her sinking remains a mystery. History Built in St. Clair, Michigan in 1887, the SS Kaliyuga was a wooden steamship, built primarily to haul iron ore. It had a length of 269 ft, a width of 40 ft, and weighed 1941 tons. It was named for the Kali Yuga in Hinduism, one translation of the term being "age of iron". On August 4, 1900, the Kaliyuga was towing the barge Fontana into the St. Clair River from Lake Huron when, next to the Fort Gratiot Light, the Fontana was struck by the barge Santiago, passing in the other direction under tow by the steamer SS Appomattox. The Fontana sank within minutes, killing one of the crew.[1] On November 4, 1900, the Kaliyuga ran aground in the Detroit River near Amherstburg, Ontario. It was pulled off on November 7 by the tugboats Wales and Balize, which started to tow the ship to Erie, Pennsylvania, but on November 8 it was forced to anchor in Lake Erie 30 miles north of Cleveland because of a storm and engine problems on the Balize. With additional help from the tug Harvey D. Goulder it arrived in Erie on November 10.[2] Sinking In the early afternoon of October 18, 1905, the Kaliyuga departed Marquette, Michigan with a cargo of iron ore, bound for Erie, Pennsylvania. She passed through the locks at Sault Ste. Marie early on the morning of October 19, passing from Lake Superior to Lake Huron. A strong gale began blowing out of the northeast later that morning, catching the Kaliyuga on the open lake. With no safe anchorage nearby, the Kaliyuga was forced to ride out the storm by heading east towards the Bruce Peninsula, away from the lee shore. Steaming eastwards while being pushed southwards by the strong wind, the Kaliyuga made slow progress. At 4:00 pm she was sighted by the steamer Frontenac, seven miles east of Presque Isle, Michigan. She was spotted for the second and last time by Captain John Duddleson of the steamer L.C. Waldo around sunset, between Middle Island and Thunder Bay Island. At around 2:00 am on the morning of October 20, the gale swung direction from northeast to northwest. Wreckage in the form of the Kaliyuga's pilothouse was found on October 26 in Georgian Bay near Cove Island by the steamer Lillie Smith.[3]:p.10 The body of oiler Charles Beaugrand was found on October 29 3 miles south of Kincardine, Ontario.[4]:p.25 He was identified by a notebook with his name on it. On the second page was a good-bye note: "Dear Father: Good-bye. I have a bank book in the Cleveland Society of Savings. Good-bye mother, dear sister and brother. xxxx A kiss for all."[5] On November 2 three more bodies were recovered. The body of what was initially thought to be a fireman[6] was found in the harbour of Port Elgin, Ontario, but was later identified as deckhand John Rush.[4]:p. 41 The bodies of deckhand John Yotter[4]:p.45 and steward Laflamme[4]:p.45[6] were found near Southampton, Ontario. Both Beaugrand and Rush were reported found wearing Kaliyuga life preservers. Based on the locations of the bodies and the wreckage, there are two theories as to the fate of the Kaliyuga.[3]:p.10 First theory: the Kaliyuga sank in the middle of Lake Huron on the evening of October 19, either overcome by high waves or caught when the wind shifted direction. The storm blew the bodies to the southeast, while a current carried the wreckage into Georgian Bay. Second theory: the Kaliyuga reached the eastern shore of Lake Huron, losing men overboard enroute. As she arrived the wind shifted, and the Kaliyuga was then at risk of being driven ashore. Therefore, she tried to round the Bruce Peninsula to reach shelter in Georgian Bay, but hit a shoal in either Main or Macgregor Channel on the morning of October 20. Crew The Kaliyuga had a crew of 17, but second mate Charles Murphy had missed the boat at Erie, Pennsylvania a few days before the Kaliyuga's final trip.[3]:p.1 ![]() It has been noted that for a ship of this size, the Kaliyuga was significantly undermanned. A crew of 24 or 26 was normal, with 4-6 firemen, 4-6 coal passers, as well as a third mate and a third engineer.[3]:p.5
References
From <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Kaliyuga> |
Lake Huron's Ghost Ship Kaliyuga
By James Donahue
![Picture](/uploads/1/0/6/2/106221155/published/kaliyuga2_2.jpg)
When Simon Langell built his big new steamer at the St. Clair shipyards in 1887, he named it Kaliyuga, a name that means "age of iron."
Some might have thought it an inappropriate name for this boat, however. Even though it was built during the age of iron ships and trains, the Kaliyuga was among the last of the wooden-hulled steamers.
Had its hull been made of iron or steel, perhaps it might have withstood the storm on Lake Huron that claimed it. The vessel foundered with all hands somewhere on Lake Huron on Oct. 19, 1905.
That storm, with winds clocked at 72-miles-per-hour, was among the worst in terms of lives and property lost on the Great Lakes. An estimated 40 sailors perished and the Kaliyuga was one of 27 vessels sunk or driven on the rocks.
The boat was steaming from Marquette, laden with iron ore for Cleveland, when it disappeared. It locked through at Sault Ste. Marie early on Thursday and was seen leaving the lower Saint Mary River at about the time the gale was starting to build over Lake Huron.
The Kaliyuga was last seen by the crew of the steamer Frontenac at 4 p.m. off Presque Isle. Capt. F. L. Tomkin, who was in his first year as a lake pilot, was following the old, prescribed rules for riding out a bad storm. The gale was pounding his boat from the northeast, and he was turned, with the bow headed into the wind to offer the least resistance to both wind and wave.
Capt. John Duddleson, skipper of the steamer L. C. Waldo, reported seeing the Kaliyuga at about dusk on Thursday, still steaming east against the wind, somewhere between Middle and Thunder Bay Islands. Duddleson may have been the last person to see the ill-fated vessel. He said that around 2 a.m. Friday the wind shifted and blew a "terrible sea" from the northwest.
Sailors who know the lakes say those wind shifts can do terrible things to a boat. Waves continue to strike from one direction while wind is attacking from another. Sometimes even the waves can build from two different directions. The strain has broken the backs of even the steel hulled boats over the years.
Nothing more was heard from the Kaliyuga, and by the following Monday, her owners, the St. Clair Steamship Co. of Cleveland, reported the ship missing. An extensive search was launched.
On Oct. 26 the steamer Lillie Smith found a pilot house and sections of cabin floating in Georgian Bay. The name board on the pilothouse said Kaliyuga. Bodies of some sailors washed ashore south of Kincardine and at Port Elgin, Ont.
The official record places the wreck somewhere off Presque Isle, but the Kaliyuga's exact location has never been found. She joined the so-called ghost ships that "fell through the crack" and were never seen again.
Some might have thought it an inappropriate name for this boat, however. Even though it was built during the age of iron ships and trains, the Kaliyuga was among the last of the wooden-hulled steamers.
Had its hull been made of iron or steel, perhaps it might have withstood the storm on Lake Huron that claimed it. The vessel foundered with all hands somewhere on Lake Huron on Oct. 19, 1905.
That storm, with winds clocked at 72-miles-per-hour, was among the worst in terms of lives and property lost on the Great Lakes. An estimated 40 sailors perished and the Kaliyuga was one of 27 vessels sunk or driven on the rocks.
The boat was steaming from Marquette, laden with iron ore for Cleveland, when it disappeared. It locked through at Sault Ste. Marie early on Thursday and was seen leaving the lower Saint Mary River at about the time the gale was starting to build over Lake Huron.
The Kaliyuga was last seen by the crew of the steamer Frontenac at 4 p.m. off Presque Isle. Capt. F. L. Tomkin, who was in his first year as a lake pilot, was following the old, prescribed rules for riding out a bad storm. The gale was pounding his boat from the northeast, and he was turned, with the bow headed into the wind to offer the least resistance to both wind and wave.
Capt. John Duddleson, skipper of the steamer L. C. Waldo, reported seeing the Kaliyuga at about dusk on Thursday, still steaming east against the wind, somewhere between Middle and Thunder Bay Islands. Duddleson may have been the last person to see the ill-fated vessel. He said that around 2 a.m. Friday the wind shifted and blew a "terrible sea" from the northwest.
Sailors who know the lakes say those wind shifts can do terrible things to a boat. Waves continue to strike from one direction while wind is attacking from another. Sometimes even the waves can build from two different directions. The strain has broken the backs of even the steel hulled boats over the years.
Nothing more was heard from the Kaliyuga, and by the following Monday, her owners, the St. Clair Steamship Co. of Cleveland, reported the ship missing. An extensive search was launched.
On Oct. 26 the steamer Lillie Smith found a pilot house and sections of cabin floating in Georgian Bay. The name board on the pilothouse said Kaliyuga. Bodies of some sailors washed ashore south of Kincardine and at Port Elgin, Ont.
The official record places the wreck somewhere off Presque Isle, but the Kaliyuga's exact location has never been found. She joined the so-called ghost ships that "fell through the crack" and were never seen again.