Background edit

In 1843, the gunship USS Michigan, built in Erie, Pennsylvania, became the first iron-hulled vessel built on the Great Lakes.^[1] In the mid-1840s, Canadian companies began importing iron vessels prefabricated by shipyards in the United Kingdom. However, it would not be until 1862 that the first iron-hulled merchant ship, Merchant, was built on the Great Lakes.^[1] Despite the success of Merchant, wooden vessels remained preferable to iron ones until the 1880s, due to their inexpensiveness, and the abundance of timber.^[2][3][4] In the early 1880s, shipyards around the Great Lakes began to construct iron ships on a relatively large scale,^[4][5] and in 1884 the first steel freighters were built there.^[6][7] By the 1890s, the majority of ships constructed on the lakes were made of steel.^[8][9] The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw a rapid increase in the size of lake freighters; the first 400 feet (121.9 m) freighter was built in 1895, the first 500 feet (152.4 m) freighter was constructed five years later.^[10]

Design and construction edit

John Mitchell (US official number 203943) was built on the banks of the St. Clair River in 1906, by the St. Clair, Michigan, shipyard of the Great Lakes Engineering Works.^[11][12][a] She had a sister ship named William B. Davock, which succeeded her out of the shipyard.^[12] The only differences between John Mitchell and William B. Davock were their steering poles (John Mitchell's was upright, fixed, and was adorned with a colourful orb, while William B. Davock's was a straight, hinged pole), and the size of their boilers (William B. Davock's boilers were 4 inches (10.2 cm) larger).^[12][13]

The hull of John Mitchell had an overall length of 440 feet (134 m), and a length between perpendiculars of 420 feet (128 m).^[11][12][14] Her beam was 52 feet (15.8 m) wide, while her hull was 23 feet (7.0 m) (some sources state 28 feet (8.5 m)) deep.^{[11][12][14][15]} John Mitchell had a gross tonnage of 4,468 tons, a net tonnage of 3,246 tons, and a cargo capacity of 7,500 long tons (7,620 t).^{[11][12][15][16]}

She was powered by a 1,442 hp (1,075 kW) (some sources state 1,350 hp (1,010 kW) or 1,400 hp (1,000 kW)) triple expansion steam engine, which had the builder's number 344; the cylinders of the engine were 21 inches (53.3 cm), 34.5 inches (87.6 cm) and 57 inches (144.8 cm) in diameter, and had a stroke of 42 inches (106.7 cm).^[11][12][15] Steam for the engine was provided by two coal-fired, single-ended 180 pounds per square inch (1,200 kPa) 13 feet (4.0 m) by 11.6 feet (3.5 m) Scotch marine boilers. The engine was built by the Great Lakes Engineering Works, while the boilers were manufactured by the Marine Boiler Works of Toledo, Ohio.^[11][12]

John Mitchell was named after Captain John Mitchell, a Canadian-American vessel owner and operator, and Cleveland, Ohio, resident who may also have had an interest in her.^[13][15] She was launched into the St. Clair River on November 28, 1906, as yard number 26.^[12][15] After she was launched, the shipyard worked through the remainder of 1906, and early 1907 to complete her, after which, they started building William B. Davock.^[12][15]

Service history edit

John Mitchell was built for the Cornell Steamship Company of Chicago, Illinois, which was managed by C.W. Elphicke (Elphicke & Company), also of Chicago.^[11][13][15] She was first enrolled at Port Huron, Michigan, on April 2, 1907.^[15] She was re-enrolled in Detroit, Michigan, on April 7, and was permanently enrolled in Cleveland on May 13.^[15] Her home port was Fairport, Ohio. John Mitchell entered service later in 1907.^[15] She carried coal on upbound voyages, and iron ore on downbound ones.^[17][18]

The only known incident in John Mitchell's career prior to her loss occurred on October 14, 1908, when while loaded with iron ore from a Lake Superior port, she ran aground at the harbour entrance at Indiana Harbor, Indiana.^[17] The grounding occurred as a result of low water levels (2 feet (0.6 m) lower than usual), which were caused by strong winds that had been blowing for the previous 24 hours.^[17][19] John Mitchell sustained no damage, and was freed by the tugs G.W. Gnau and Tomlinson.^[17]

Final voyage edit

After loading 7,000 long tons (7,112 t) to 7,500 long tons (7,620 t) of coal bound for Superior, Wisconsin, at the Erie coal dock, John Mitchell left Buffalo, New York, at 2:00 a.m. on July 7, 1911, under the command of Captain John H. Massey.^[18][20] In addition to Captain Massey, there were 33 passengers and crew, including six women and a small boy on board.^[20][21][22]

Early on the morning of July 10, John Mitchell entered Lake Superior.^[14][20] As she was passing Ile Parisienne, she encountered fog, which heavily thickened by the time she passed Whitefish Point severely reducing visibility.^[23] When she was off Vermilion Point, about 10 miles (16 km) west of Whitefish Point, John Mitchell was inexplicably rammed in her port bow by the unladen bulk freighter William Henry Mack.^[20] There was no time to avoid the collision, with Captain Massey only managing to sound John Mitchell's whistle once before William Henry Mack's bow cut deeply into John Mitchell's hull.^[20] Following the collision, John Mitchell immediately took on a list to port due to the rapid influx of water.^[20] John Mitchell's foremast fell onto William Henry Mack's deck, briefly keeping the two vessels together.^[20] After establishing that John Mitchell would not remain afloat, a ladder was placed between her stern deck and William Henry Mack's deck.^[20][24]

The majority of the passengers and crew climbed over to William Henry Mack, while three men and three women escaped using a lifeboat.^[20][24] Seven minutes after the collision, John Mitchell capsized and sank.^[20][24] The suction created by her sinking capsized the lifeboat.^[20][24] Sixteen year-old passenger Fay Clemens, one of the six people in the overturned lifeboat was able to get William Henry Mack's crew to throw her a line, which she fastened to the overturned lifeboat, enabling two crew of William Henry Mack to right it.^[18][20][24] As she was sinking, three crewmen, second officer Archie Causley, watchman George Austin and steward Albert "Al" Clemens, father of Fay Clemens jumped overboard to aid in the rescue, and were sucked under and drowned when John Mitchell sank.^[18][20][24] William Henry Mack remained afloat, and headed for Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.^[18]

At $240,000 (equivalent to $5.71 million in 2023^[25]), John Mitchell was the worst insurance loss on the Great Lakes in 1911.^[26]

Investigation edit

An investigation conducted in Marquette, Michigan, by United States inspectors Charles M. Gooding and Charles M. York found Captain George H. Burnham of William Henry Mack largely responsible for the collision.^[23][27] It was found that at the time John Mitchell encountered fog off Ile Parisienne, her fog whistle was sounded, and her speed was reduced to 7 miles per hour (6.1 kn).^[23] It was discovered that as William Henry Mack was travelling 16 miles (26 km) east-southeast of Manitou Island, she encountered a thick fog bank, sounded her fog whistle, but did not reduce her approximate speed of 12 miles per hour (10.4 kn).^[23] Evidence given by Captain Massey and Captain Burnham regarding the fog signals conflicted. Captain Burnham claimed that he sounded the correct passing signals, while also claiming he heard no signals from John Mitchell.^[23] However, Captain Massey claimed that he exchanged the appropriate passing signals. Evidence given by the captains was supported by their respective crews.^[23] Captain Massey's licence was suspended for 30 days, while Captain Burnham's licence was suspended for 12 months.^[27]

The wreck of John Mitchell was discovered in 1972, resting upside down in between 140 feet (43 m) and 150 feet (46 m) (some sources state 120 feet (37 m) and 150 feet (46 m)) of water, roughly 3 miles (5 km) west-northwest off Whitefish Point.^[28][29][30] Although resting upside-down, John Mitchell's wreck is penetrable.^[31] The cargo holds, intact engine room, steering quadrant room, and some cabins are accessible.^{[31][32][33][34]} The engine room and steering quadrant room are accessible through a gangway located on the John Mitchell's starboard side, near her stern.^[32] Mostly overlooked by divers, the wreck is protected by the 376-square-mile (970 km²) Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve as part of an underwater museum.^[35] The wreck of the steel freighter John B. Cowle is located east of John Mitchell.^[29] There is usually a mooring line on her rudder.^[32]

• Graveyard of the Great Lakes