On this day February 8, 1902, the steel steamer ETRURIA was launched by West Bay City Shipbuilding Co. for H. A. Hawgood. Her master was Captain Thomas C. Ellis and her chief engineer was H. B. Buchanan. She measured 434 feet over all, 50 feet in beam and 28 feet in depth and cost $260.000.
The ETRURIA’s career for Hawgood was a short one. On June 18, 1905, in fog about 10 miles off Presque Isle light she was struck by the AMASA STONE and sunk in a few minutes. All her crew was able to escape safely. The following article printed in the Buffalo Enquirer of June 19th tells the story.
Photo at top of page: ETRURIA in 1904
ETRURIA date unknown
“In a collision yesterday morning between the steel steamers ETRURIA and AMASA STONE, ten miles off Presque Isle light on Lake Huron, the former boat was injured so badly that she sank within a few minutes, the crew narrowly escaping with their lives. The collision was due to the thick weather which has prevailed on the upper lakes for a week. At the time of the collision the STONE was bound down from Duluth to Lake Erie with a cargo of iron ore and the ETRURIA was taking a cargo of coal from Toledo to Lake Superior. When the two boats came together the ETRURIA was struck on the starboard side, abreast of the No. 9 hatch. Many of the crew were asleep in the berths, but were awakened by the crash and reached the deck in time to keep from being carried down with the vessel. All of the twenty three men comprising the crew were picked up and landed at Detour, escaping, however, with only the clothes they had on. All of the crew left Detour at noon on the Anchor liner JAPAN and will be landed at Cleveland.
“Chief Engineer Buchanan of the ETRURIA was asleep in his berth when the crush came. From the force of the shock he thought the steamer had gone ashore, but when he reached the deck he found that the boat was already badly listed and was settling in the water, stern first. The lost boat was commanded by Capt. John Green of Buffalo and M. W. Allen of the same place was first mate.
“The ETRURIA, which was one of the Hawgood fleet, was built a little over two years ago and was one of the modern steel steamers. She was 414 feet keel, 434 feet over all, 50 feet beam and 28 feet depth of hold, with a carrying capacity of 6,800 tons. She was equipped with triple expansion engines. 22x35x58 with a 42 inch stroke. Power was furnished by two Scotch boilers, 14 feet in diameter and 12 feet long. The value of the boat according to the builders was $260,000.
“Capt. John D. Green of this city has been in command of the ETRURIA for two seasons and before that was in command of the propeller RUSSIA. Mate Allen of the boat is also a Buffalo man. Both telegraphed their wives yesterday from Detour, telling of the sinking of the boat. Capt. Allen said: “ETRURIA sunk. All hands saved. Will be home soon.” “
The AMASA STONE claimed to be going under check, but investigators said since the ETRURIA went down within 5 minutes and the fact that 70 feet of her one side was crushed in proved the STONE must have been going full speed.
In March 1906, Hawgood filed papers in the United States district court at Detroit asking for $283,189.81 – at that time the largest amount ever involved in a collision suit on the Great Lakes. It was later reported that sixteen insurance companies shared a $205,000 payment for the loss of the ETRURIA.
The AMASA STONE which had been launched in March only a few months before this collision sailed for another 60 years. She was sold for scrap in 1964 but in 1965 with the CHARLES S. HEBARD ended up forming the base of a new pier at Charlevoix, Mich. The two were laid end to end about 1,000 feet offshore and connected to land by a gallery containing a conveyor belt and roadway.
Suzette Lopez
Photo Credit: Great Lakes Marine Collection of the Milwaukee Public Library and Wisconsin Marine Historical Society.
This story was originally posted on February 8, 2024.
