SS Onoko

SS "Onoko" was an iron hulled Great Lakes freighter. She was launched in 1882 in Cleveland, Ohio as hull number #4, and sank on September 14, 1915 in Lake Superior near Knife River, Minnesota. "Onoko" is thought to be the prototype for every single steel hulled Great Lakes Bulk carrier that ever sailed. These vessels made possible the cheap transport of bulk cargoes such as iron ore, coal and limestone. Her wreckage still remains on the bottom of Lake Superior and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.
History.
Construction.
"Onoko" (Official number 155048) was built at Radcliffe's yard in Cleveland by the Globe Iron Works Company and was launched on February 16, 1882. She had a length of 302.6-feet, a beam of 38.6 feet and a height of 24.8-feet. She was powered by a 900-horsepower compound steam engine and fueled by two Scotch marine boilers She was commissioned by Phillip Minch of Vermillion, Ohio for the Minch Transportation Company of the Kinsman Steamship Company and a syndicate of other investors. The ship was built to take advantage of the channels opened in 1881 when the new Weitzel Lock was built at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.
The superintendent of "Onoko" construction was John H. Smith, who learned iron shipbuilding technology and techniques on the River Clyde in Scotland. Smith worked for the newly founded Globe Shipbuilding Company of Cleveland, Ohio, successors to an old and respected boiler and engine building company.
On February 16, 1882 the day "Onoko" was scheduled to be launched, about five thousand people came to watch the launching despite the rough weather conditions. With all the preparations completed Smith gave the launch signal at 3 p.m.. The ropes that were tied to "Onoko" were cut at each end enabling her to slide into the water. During the next few months "Onoko" was outfitted and rigged. Although most of the vessel's machinery had been fitted before her launching, her masts at least were installed later. This was done by the Messrs, Upson, Walton & Company.
Service history.
"Onoko" was enrolled in Cleveland on March 31, 1882. On her maiden voyage "Onoko" sailed from Cleveland on April 19, 1882 leaving port at 11 p.m. and arriving in Chicago around 2 p.m. the next day. She was carrying 2,536 tons of coal. "Onoko" captain, W.H. Pringle, reported that "Onoko" "behaved splendidly and steered like a yacht". By April 25, "Onoko" had been loaded with a cargo of wheat bound for Buffalo, New York and left at 3:30 p.m. She discharged 88,140 bushels of wheat at the Niagara B Elevator. Not a bit of the cargo was wet. It was thought that "Onoko" could carry 115,000 to 120,000 bushels of wheat. "Onoko" capacity to carry oats was believed to be at around 155,000 bushels. The Buffalo Courier provides an accurate account of when "Onoko" arrived in Buffalo. It said that "About noon on Saturday the new iron steamer "Onoko" arrived here with something over 88,000 bushels wheat. She left Chicago last Tuesday at 4:20PM and her time in coming down was three days and nineteen and a half hours".
On May 2, 1882 the writers of the Buffalo Courier wrote a rather unpleasant report about the looks of "Onoko":
The "Onoko" is the largest vessel afloat on the lakes - and by far the homeliest. She looks very like a huge canal boat with a smokestack and four sticks. Her model is really frightful; her upper works are without decent shape, and to cap all her painting is but a daub. For a new vessel she is the worst looking sight that ever appeared on our inland waters. She could have been given a respectable appearance without much interfering with her carrying qualities. One of these days we will show those Cleveland fellows an iron steamer that will be worth looking at. The "Onoko" is an eye-sore.
The Buffalo Courier criticizing the appearance of "Onoko" didn't go down with her owners. On May 5, 1882 the Cleveland Herald responded to the accusations with this reply:
The Buffalo papers took occasion when the steamship "Onoko" was there a few days ago to speak disparagingly of her qualities, especially her homeliness, and wound up by calling her an "eye-sore." This is ridiculous, in view of late developments. A Buffalo party has been in this city the past few days negotiating with the owners of the "Onoko" with a view to her purchase. He was anxious to secure her, "eye-sore" and all, at a price considerably above the cost of building. There was a disposition on the part of some of her owners to accept his terms, but the others would not part with their interest, and the arrangement fell through. The owners are well satisfied with the way the boat works.
"Onoko" had proved herself to be a success in her first two years of carrying bulk cargoes on the Great Lakes. On August 22, 1884 the Cleveland Herald reported that "Onoko" had "proved even more successful than her owners hoped for".
In 1895 two of "Onoko" mast were removed, her wooded forecastle was replaced with a steel deck and steel pilothouse structure. In 1896 she had her boilers replaced with two 12 x 12.5 foot Scotch marine boilers. On May 16, 1896 "Onoko" collided with the schooner "Mary D. Ayer" in heavy fog on Lake Michigan. Five sailors on "Mary D. Ayer" died. "Onoko"'s wooden spar deck was replaced with steel in 1901. Later that year the principal owners of "Onoko", the Nicholas Transportation Company, bought out all the lesser stockholders to become sole owner of "Onoko". "Onoko" had steel aft cabins installed in 1907 through 1908.
In 1910, Captain Harry Stewart was appointed as the master of "Onoko". On the night of December 1, 1910 "Onoko" ran aground on Southeast Shoal during a snow storm 60 miles below Amherstburg, between Point Pelee and Wheatley, Ontario. She was released with three tugs, including "Harding" and "Rescue" were sent to rescue "Onoko". She was carrying coal at the time. On December 2, 1910 the Duluth Herald wrote an article saying "Onoko" was not in any serious danger. The tugs succeeded in refloating her without serious damage to her hull. On October 7, 1912 "Onoko" sprang a leak and was intentionally beached in the Apostle Islands. The cost to patch her hull was minimal.
Final voyage.
In early September, 1915, "Onoko" grounded while departing a grain elevator in Duluth, but freed herself and cleared the harbor safely. It is thought that this is what caused the leak that sank her a few days later.
On September 15, 1915 "Onoko" departed Duluth, Minnesota with 110,000 bushels of wheat bound for Toledo, Ohio. She sprang a major leak off Knife Island about 15 miles from Duluth, Minnesota. On September 15, 1915 the Duluth Herald wrote an article saying:
All went well and the sea was smooth, when while on the regular course, about nine miles off Knife island, the engineer, J.J. Higgins, reported to the master, Capt. W.R. Dunn, that the vessel had sprung a leak under the engines and that the water was coming in fast. When Capt. Dunn went back to investigate, the water was spurting in and in a few minutes drowned out the fire. The captain saw that the situation was hopeless and ordered out the boats. All of the crew including the one woman on board, Mrs. C.R. Cranbee, wife of the steward, and the lone passenger, Antone Rehor, a cement contractor of Cleveland, had no trouble reaching the boats and safety, and in a few minutes the steamer, her stern having filled rapidly, tossed her nose in the air and plunged stern first to the bottom.
The boats were at a safe distance and the members of the crew were not worried; before they left the ship, they saw the steamer "Renown", a tanker belonging to the Standard Oil company, which had left Duluth shortly after "Onoko", coming on full speed, the master of the tanker having noticed that "Onoko" was settling. In a few minutes "Renown", with barge "C" in tow, came up and picked up the occupants of the lifeboats. "Renown" put about and took the crew back to Duluth, being met just outside the Duluth canal by a tug, which took "Onoko" crew off, "Renown" and her tow resuming their journey down the lakes.
"Onoko" today.
The wreck of "Onoko" was discovered on April 10, 1988 by Jerry Eliason of Scanlon, Minnesota and Kraig Smith of Rice Lake, Wisconsin after they conducted a thorough search using a depth finder. Her wreck rests upside down in of water with her stern buried almost completely in mud. Her hull is broken nearly in two, with the split in her hull right in front of her boilers. Her wreck is surrounded with a lot of artifacts from inside and outside her hull. Her cargo of grain is still in her cargo hold. It is illegal to remove artifacts from her wreck without permission because she is protected by the State of Minnesota.