Long Ships Passing – Last Load of Iron Ore
By Chris Winters
The steamers WILFRED SYKES and CHARLES M. BEEGHLY take a last load of iron ore from the Canadian National pellet terminal at Escanaba, Michigan, January 2005. The pusher tug OLIVE L. MOORE is laid up in the foreground.
HOW I NARROWLY ESCAPED HOLLYWOOD STARDOM IN MANITOWOC
The World War II submarine USS COBIA has been docked in Manitowoc, Wis., since 1970. She serves as a memorial to all the submarines built in Manitowoc during the war and the men who served on them. I have previously written about the Manitowoc subs, the COBIA and its history, and the one man who died on her in other articles on this blog.
It is less well known that for the past 16 years or so a group of dedicated volunteers have acted as World War II re-enactors aboard the sub. On special occasions they will gather, put on period authentic uniforms, and conduct tours of the submarine for visitors. They also man a booth at other World War II re-enactment events to educate people about World War II naval service. None of them ever thought that this would result in their starring in a movie.
Long Ships Passing – Rescue Underway
Crew people aboard the LEE A. TREGURTHA swing out the vessel’s rescue boat during a weekly fire and boat drill while upbound on Lake Michigan, September 2006.
MARITIME HEROES OF FOREST HOME CEMETERY
In this story, Jim Heinz takes you on a tour of Milwaukee’s well-known Forest Home Cemetery where many famous people now reside. He touches on the lives of Edward Gifford Crosby who died on the TITANIC, shipbuilders Wolf and Davidson, Captain Frederick Pabst, Ben Froemming, Edmund Fitzgerald, Max Nohl, Nels Peterson, Georgia Stebbins and Jacob Wellauer.
Long Ships Passing – Dinner is served
Steward Chris Greene serves up a Christmas feast in the galley of the WILFRED SYKES, upbound on Lake Michigan, December 2010.
Long Ships Passing – Working Christmas Eve
The SOUTHDOWN CHALLENGER arrives alongside the C.T.C. No. 1 at the Southdown cement terminal on Lake Calumet, South Chicago, Illinois, Christmas Eve, 2004.
Long Ships Passing – Let there be lights
Crew enjoys bringing a little Christmas cheer to the officer’s mess aboard the WILFRED SYKES, downbound for Indiana Harbor, Indiana, December 2010.
Long Ships Passing – Decking out the WILFRED SYKES
Crew gets in the holiday spirit decking out the cargo boom aboard the WILFRED SYKES, downbound on Lake Michigan, December 2010.
THE MAN WHO SANG THE SONG THAT MADE THE SHIP IMMORTAL HAS DIED
Most Great Lakes shipwrecks die anonymous deaths, their loss remembered only by marine history buffs like myself. This is true of most shipwrecks. About the only shipwreck most people can remember is the TITANIC, and that is more because of the life stories of her thousands of passengers. Cargo ships in particular are forgotten by everyone except the families of those lost on the ship.
But one man made one shipwreck immortal through a song.
The VERNON Goes Down off Two Rivers Point
On October 29, 1887, the wooden propeller VERNON was lost off Two Rivers Point in a violent northeast gale taking her 16 passengers and 25 crew members with her. One crew member Axel Stone was rescued on a raft several days later.