SS D.R. Hanna

SS "D.R. Hanna" was a long American Great Lakes freighter that operated on the Great Lakes from November 12, 1906 to her sinking on May 16, 1919 after a collision with "Quincy A. Shaw". "D.R. Hanna" was like many other freighters, and was used to haul bulk cargoes such as iron ore, coal and grain.
History.
"D.R. Hanna" (Official number 203676) was a product of the American Ship Building Company of Lorain, Ohio and was built for the Pioneer Steamship Company (Hutchinson & Company, Mgr.) of Fairport, Ohio. She had a length of , a beam of and a height of . She was powered by a triple expansion steam engine and fueled by two coal-fired Scotch marine boilers. She had a gross register tonnage of 7,023 tons and a net register tonnage of 5,491 tons. She was launched on October 20, 1906 as hull number #346.
On September 1, 1910 "D.R. Hanna" collided with the steamer "Harvey H. Brown". "D.R. Hanna" was sent to Detroit, Michigan for temporary repairs. On September 29, 1910 "D.R. Hanna" sailed to Cleveland, Ohio. "Harvey H. Brown" was badly damaged and it did not sail at all in that shipping season.
On October 13, 1915 "D.R. Hanna" had of her foremast knocked off when she struck the Superior Avenue high level bridge in Cleveland. She had a new foremast installed in Detroit.
On May 19, 1916 "D.R. Hanna" ran aground near the Little Rapids Cut after her steering gear failed. She was temporarily repaired and sailed to Chicago, Illinois for repairs.
On September 6, 1918 "D.R. Hanna" ran aground on the Detour Shoal on Lake Huron. She was bound for Indiana Harbor, Indiana with a cargo of iron ore. The steam barge "F.T. Newman" was sent to assist "D.R. Hanna". Meanwhile, the long freighter "LaSalle" ran aground and the steam barge "Reliance" was sent to her aid. As soon as "Reliance" freed "LaSalle" she went to free "D.R. Hanna". After she was freed the "Hanna" sailed to Indiana Harbor and unloaded her cargo; after unloading the "Hanna" was taken to the Ecorse, Michigan yard of the Great Lakes Engineering Works where she was placed in dry dock She damaged between 50 and 60 of her steel hull plates, her stern post and her rudder stock. She also cracked her tail shaft.
Final voyage.
On May 16, 1919 "D.R. Hanna" was bound from Duluth, Minnesota for Buffalo, New York with 377,000 bushels of wheat in her cargo hold when she was rammed by "Quincy A. Shaw" in heavy fog. "Quincy A. Shaw" was upbound with coal at the time the collision occurred. Soon after the collision "D.R. Hanna" rolled over and sank. Her crew were rescued by "Quincy A. Shaw". No lives were lost. The cargo of "D.R. Hanna" was valued at $840,000, the insurance loss was set at $421,000.
"D.R. Hanna" today.
The remains of "D.R. Hanna" rest in of water about off the Thunder Bay Island Light. Her wreck was located upside down in October 1919. The wreck of "D.R. Hanna" in part of the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve and is also the largest wreck in the underwater preserve. The closest wreck of a steam-powered freighter is the wreck of which was lost during the White Hurricane of 1913.