On this date February 26, 1910, the JOHN B. COWLE was launched at Lorain by the American Ship Building Co. for the United States Transportation Co.   This was the second vessel by that name.  The first was lost when she was only 7 years old on July 12, 1909.   She went down in three minutes with a loss of 14 lives in Whitefish Bay, Lake Superior, after an encounter with the steamer ISAAC M. SCOTT and is today a popular dive site.

            The second COWLE set sail under the command of Capt. Ralph J. Lyons of Lorain and measured 528 feet in length and 58 feet in beam.  

            Photo at top of page: JOHN B. COWLE at Milwaukee, December 25, 1938

           JOHN B. COWLE in 1939 sailing for the Great Lakes Steamship Co.

She served six different owners during her life, always having Cleveland as her home port.   Her owners included Standard Transportation Co. (United States Transportation Co.)(1910), Great Lakes Steamship (1911-1956), Republic Steel (1957-1972), Kinsman Marine Transit (1972-1975) and Kinsman Lines (1976-1978).

           JOHN B. COWLE with the Republic Steel stack

In 1969 the COWLE was renamed HARRY L. ALLEN after Republic Steel’s vice president and general manager.

            The HARRY L. ALLEN downbound at Sarnia, June 24, 1971

The ALLEN continued to sail for her owners until Saturday, January 21, 1978.   During her winter layup, she was moored next to Duluth’s nearly 90 year old wooden Multifood Elevator #4.  About 3:30 in the afternoon a worker noticed a small fire below the floorboards of Elevator #4.  Firefighters were greeted by smoke pouring out of the old wooden structure.   About an hour later there was a grain dust explosion.  At 6:30 a large section of the elevator fell onto the ALLEN.

An overheated conveyor belt was the suspected reason for the fire.

           The HARRY L. ALLEN on fire at Duluth, January 21, 1978

When all was done, the ALLEN’s pilothouse and several cabins were gutted and hull plates had buckled.  The HARRY L. ALLEN would sail no more.  She was declared a total loss and scrapped that November in Duluth.

Suzette Lopez

PHOTO CREDIT:  Great Lakes Marine Collection of the Milwaukee Public Library and Wisconsin Marine Historical Society.