SS Scotiadoc
48°16′00″N 88°54′00″W / 48.266667°N 88.9°W
 The Scotiadoc near Humberstone, Ontario. Sometime in 1952. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name |
|
| Owner |
|
| Port of registry |  Canada |
| Builder | American Ship Building Co., Cleveland, Ohio |
| Yard number | 422 |
| Launched | May 14, 1904 |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | Rammed by freighter Burlington in heavy fog on June 20, 1953 |
| Notes | [1][2] |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Lake freighter |
| Tonnage | 4432 tons |
| Length | 424 ft (129 m) |
| Beam | 48 ft (15 m) |
| Depth | 23.75 ft (7.24 m) |
| Crew | 29 |
| Notes | [1] |
SS Scotiadoc was a Great Lakes freighter primarily designed for the iron ore, coal, and grain trades on the Great Lakes. She was commissioned by the Lakewood Steamship Co. of Cleveland, Ohio and launched as SS Martin Mullen.[1][3]
Career
[edit]Martin Mullen made frequent trips to and from Duluth-area ports.[citation needed] In 1947 she was purchased by Paterson Steamships and renamed Scotiadoc in 1948.[2]
Final voyage
[edit]Scotiadoc was rammed by Canadian steamer Burlington in heavy fog on June 20, 1953, off Trowbridge Island, near the Sleeping Giant in Lake Superior. One crew member died. Captain George Edgar Morris testified that he picked up Burlington on radar when she was 5 nautical miles (9.3 km; 5.8 mi) away. Burlington collided with the starboard side of Scotiadoc near the stern.[4]
Discovery of shipwreck
[edit]Shipwreck hunters found the wreck in 2013. At a depth of 850 feet (259 m), it is the deepest shipwreck in the Great Lakes.[4][5][6]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "Martin Mullen". Historical Collections of the Great Lakes. Bowling Green State University. Archived from the original on 2024-07-29. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
- 1 2 "MARTIN MULLEN (1904, Bulk Freighter)". greatlakeships.org. Retrieved 2026-05-20.
- ↑ "Lakewood Steamship Co. (Hutchinson & Co., Mgrs.) - Historical Collections of the Great Lakes - BGSU University Libraries". greatlakes.bgsu.edu. Retrieved 2026-05-20.
- 1 2 Krueger, Andrew (2013-10-06). "Lake Superior shipwreck find Scotiadoc is Great Lakes' deepest". Duluth News Tribune. Archived from the original on 2022-09-30.
- ↑
"'Deepest' Great Lakes shipwreck found near Thunder Bay: Scotiadoc found largely intact near Trowbridge Island, 30 km southeast of Thunder Bay". CBC News. 2013-10-07. Archived from the original on 2013-10-08. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
Jerry Eliason, a member of the group that found the sunken ship, said it's likely the deepest wreck ever found in the Great Lakes.
- ↑
Samantha Edwards. "Shipwreck found in Lake Superior near Thunder Bay". Cottage Life. Archived from the original on 2014-03-02.
Surprisingly, the ship was in good condition even after spending decades underwater.
Further reading
[edit]- Scanner Midsummer 1997 (#236)
- Great Lakes Ships We Remember. Cleveland: Freshwater Press. 1979–1994. pp. 300–301.
- Heaney, Katie (September 5, 2013). "Sea Hunt: Finding Sunken Treasure With The Great Lakes' Legendary Shipwreck Hunters". BuzzFeed.