By James Heinz
In prior blog articles I told the story of the Great Lakes bulk carrier ROGER BLOUGH, which caught fire in the shipyard in 1972 while being built, and then caught fire again during winter layup in Sturgeon Bay in 2021.
And now fire has claimed another veteran of the Lakes.
WMHS files show that the bulk carrier MESABI was launched in 1943 at the American Shipbuilding company yard in Lorain OH. She was the fifth of sixteen L6-S-A-1 “Maritime” steel bulk carriers built for the U.S. Maritime Commission to carry the increased demand for iron ore to make steel during World War II.
She displaced 8,758 gross tons and was 605 feet long, 60 feet wide, and had a depth of hold of 30 feet. She had 4 holds with eighteen 11 by 38 foot hatches that could load 16.300 tons and cost $1.97 million. The Maritime class ships were the only Lakers built with a German designed power plant consisting of two steam engines placed end to end and driving a common propeller shaft, producing 2.500 horsepower.
Ironically, although she was intended to carry iron ore, WMHS files show that Herman Runge himself boarded the ship on November 19, 1944, while she was loading grain in Milwaukee at the Kinnickinnic River elevator.
The MESABI was delivered to the Great Lakes Steamship Company of Cleveland OH and promptly renamed J. BURTON AYERS. In 1957 she was sold to Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance of Milwaukee, who also owned the EDMUND FITZGERALD. She was sold in 1974 to Oglebay Norton and converted to a self-unloader during winter layup in 1973-74.
Her career was unremarkable except for groundings in 1980 and 1989. In 1995 she was sold Canadian to the Lower Lakes Towing Company of Port Dover, Ontario. Her steam engine was replaced with a diesel over the winter of 1999-2000.
Online account show that around 10 pm on May 23, 2023, a fire broke out in the engine room of the CUYAHOGA while she was in Lake Erie off Pelee Island hauling a load of stone. The ship sent out a Mayday, which was heard by the Canadian Coast Guard and relayed to other ships.
The Canadian Coast Guard sent a rescue boat and three other vessels, while a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter from Detroit circled the scene. A tugboat and two other Lake freighters also offered to assist. Eventually eight non-essential crew members were evacuated while the rest of the crew fought and eventually extinguished the fire. The cause of the fire has not been revealed.
The ship was towed to port and while some feared the ship’s career was over, she was repaired and returned to service with reports that her owners hoped to extend her life until 2030. At this point the CUYAHOGA was the oldest Canadian Laker and the last of the Maritime class.
Worse was yet to come.
In an eerie re-enactment of the ROGER BLOUGH fire, on March 15, 2024, the CUYAHOGA caught fire while in winter layup in Ashtabula, Ohio. The local fire department responded at 1:20 pm and found that a fire had started in paint in a cargo hold, and just like the BLOUGH, the fire spread to the conveyor belt. Three other fire departments with a total of 20 firefighters responded.
At the time there were 24 shipyard workers and 15 crew members on board preparing the vessel for the summer sailing season. The fire departments poured 350,000 gallons of water on the fire, but the conveyor belt continued to burn until about 10 pm. On line photos show huge clouds of black smoke rising into the skies.
And like the first fire aboard the BLOUGH, a large crowd gathered to watch the ship burn.
As of this time the Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the fire. The cause of the fire will not be known until the National Transportation Safety Board completes its investigation. But, like the BLOUGH, it appears that the CUYAHOGA’s 88 year career on the Lakes is probably over.
Photo by Craig Olson, dated May 16, 2008
This story was originally posted on July 28, 2024.
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James Heinz is the Wisconsin Marine Historical Society’s acquisitions director. He became interested in maritime history as a kid watching Jacques Cousteau’s adventures on TV. He was a Great Lakes wreck diver until three episodes of the bends forced him to retire from diving. He was a University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee police officer for thirty years. He regularly flies either a Cessna 152 or 172.
