By Suzette Lopez
On June 26, 1882, the steamer SIBERIA was launched at West Bay City, Michigan, for James Davidson. She was the largest craft ever built in the Saginaw valley at the time measuring 280 in length, 40 in beam and 19.5 in depth.
The newspapers covering the launch noted her cabins were on the deck with eating rooms and apartments for some of the crew aft. The pilothouse was forward with the quarters for the captain and other officers. The engineers were in the after cabin. She had three masts rigged in regular ocean style, a patent steam windlass, two patent flue anchors and expected to carry 80,000 bushels of corn. Her cost was about $120,000.
One might say she had a lot of luck with her as well. Only three months after her launching, on September 11, 1882, while coming down Saginaw Bay she struck a heavy sea which washed several men overboard. Newspaper accounts surprising noted “as is often the case,” the return wave brought all back but one. Unfortunately the second mate, Capt. Harris (also noted as Capt. Norris) was not returned by the wave.
The SIBERIA’s career spanned 23 years. She met her end as part of the Gilchrist feet, sailing on Lake Erie. Bound to Buffalo with a cargo of barley in late October 1905, she narrowly escaped foundering from heavy seas. With 11 feet of water in her hold, her steam pumps broken by the severe pounding, she was sinking fast when the steamer J. H. WADE came alongside and dragged her on the Long Point. She settled there in 19 feet of water and the WADE took her crew to Buffalo.
Part of her cargo was recovered. Many had hoped she would be raised and sail again. But after a diver went down and found the starboard arch had broken in two, the top sides were all loose and she was open in many places, no attempt was made to raise her.
The Toledo Blade of January 8, 1906 reported that part of the SIBERIA’s upper works had passed down the Niagara River and went over the falls.
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Suzette Lopez is the Executive Director of the Wisconsin Marine Historical Society.
Photo at top of page: SIBERIA. Photo credit: Great Lakes Marine Collection of the Milwaukee Public Library and Wisconsin Marine Historical Society.
Other Photo:
SIBERIA Photo credit: Great Lakes Marine Collection of the Milwaukee Public Library and Wisconsin Marine Historical Society.
