By Suzette Lopez
On this day September 1, 1914, the Graham & Morton steamer CITY OF CHICAGO crashed into the breakwater south of the Chicago harbor with her decks on fire. Capt. Oscar Bjork managed to wedge her in the timbers of the structure and all 94 passengers and crew of 56 were able to escape. The women and children on board were carried down ladders set against the steamer’s side as the ship was burning from bow to stern. With all off, the CITY OF CHICAGO burned to the water’s edge. Her cargo of fruit was a complete loss. The fire was reported to have started near the engine room.
The steam paddle CITY OF CHICAGO was built in 1890 at West Bay City, Mich. Built for the Graham & Morton Line, she was the first steel boat to be built by F. W. Wheeler & Co. and measured 211 feet in length, 34 feet in beam and 15 feet in depth. She was lengthened to 226 feet during the winter of 1890-91 and lengthened again in 1906 to 254 feet. She was always on the run between Chicago, St. Joseph and Benton Harbor.
A couple little historic happenings on the CHICAGO are listed below to give a taste of the time.
The Milwaukee Sentinel of July 13, 1905 and July 7, 1907 printed the following:
SOUSED THE DRUNKS
Deck Hands Turn Fire Hose on Disturbers aboard the CITY OF CHICAGO.
St. Joseph, Mich., July 3, 1905 – The water cure administered by a crew of husky deck hands, with a line of hose from the fire pump, effectively subdued a gang of drunken disturbers on the passenger steamer CITY OF CHICAGO, on the trip to this city from Chicago today. The bullying tactics of the five men had caused terror in the minds of some of the timid passengers. Capt. Russel ordered the line of hose to be brought into use. It gave the required results. Upon the arrival of the steamer here the men were arrested, but were afterward released because of the inability of the ship’s officers to remain in port to appear against them.
Boat’s Bellboy Arrested
St. Joseph, Mich., July 6, 1907–(Special).–The detectives on the steamers of the Graham & Morton line to protect passengers from pickpockets and crooks last night arrested John Stanton, a bellboy on the CITY OF CHICAGO for picking pockets.
The 1914 fire was the end of the CITY OF CHICAGO in a way. She was taken to Manitowoc and totally rebuilt – made bigger and better and as fire proof as possible. When she entered the 1915 season, she was so different they gave her a new name – CITY OF ST. JOSEPH.
She sailed for the Graham & Morton Line until fall of 1924 when bought by the Goodrich Line. Goodrich sold her at the end of the 1935 season to John Roen of Sturgeon Bay. He dismantled her and made her into a barge for the pulpwood trade on Lake Superior.
On September 21, 1942, the barge CITY OF ST. JOSEPH and barge TRANSPORT, in the tow of the tug JOHN ROEN, bound from Grand Marais for Port Huron with a load of pulpwood, were thrown on the rocks near Eagle Harbor after parting their towlines thanks to heavy seas. The combined crew of 25 reached the shore safely with the aid of life jackets but the cook Katherine McLeod, wife of the ST. JOSEPH’s Captain, was killed by the pulpwood logs.
Photo at top of page: CITY OF CHICAGO sailing for the Graham & Morton Line
Photo credit: Great Lakes Marine Collection of the Milwaukee Public Library and Wisconsin Marine Historical Society
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Suzette Lopez is the Executive Director of the Wisconsin Marine Historical Society.
