On this day, December 7, 1909, the MARQUETTE & BESSEMER NO. 2 was lost with all hands on Lake Erie.  Another victim of a storm with freezing temperatures, snow, and wind gusts of 70 mph. 

        Photo at top of page: MARQUETTE & BESSEMER NO. 2 at Conneaut, Ohio

The MARQUETTE & BESSEMER NO. 2 departed Conneaut, Ohio bound for Port Stanley, Ontario with 30 rail cars, most filled with coal.   Although promised to have one at the end of the season, she did not have a gate across the hold.   One theory is since there was no stern gate, the waves caused the rail cars to break free, the cargo shifted, and she sank.

There were no survivors, no witnesses and no wreck has been found.   Sources differ on the number of crew from 30 to 38.  There was one passenger Albert J. Weis.  Some wreckage was found near Port Burwell, Ontario.  One of the ferry’s yawls was later found containing nine of crew frozen stiff. They were reported to be H. Thomas, second Cook; William Ray; J. W. Sauars, waiter; George R. Smith, steward; Thomas Steele, fireman; J. Shenck, fireman; J. Hart, oiler; J. O’Hager later identified as Rhines; and Charles Allen.  Five other bodies were found including that of Capt. R. R. McLeod. 

Two crew members who had been listed as being lost with the rest were later found to be very much alive.  Max Sparuh, a fireman, was recovering in a hospital after a bad fall on the previous trip and George L. Lawrence, a porter, had missed the boat when she sailed.

The mystery of where the wreck is continues.

The MARQUETTE & BESSEMER NO. 2 was built in 1905 at Cleveland by the American Shipbuilding Company.  She was 338 feet in length with a beam of 54 feet.

Suzette Lopez

Photo Credit:  Great Lakes Marine Collection of the Milwaukee Public Library and Wisconsin Marine Historical Society.