MKKMNi|f Membership News: December 4 Detroit Marine Mart The annual Great Lakes Maritime Institute Marine Mart will be held on Dec. 4 at the Casino on Belle Isle from 10:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. The Casino is not a gambling establishment but used as a meeting point for individuals and groups. It is located in full view of the shipping channel near the entrance of DETROIT the island just east of the Scott Fountain. The BOAT CLUB Marine Mart features dealers selling books, photographs, postcards, artwork and artifacts. DETROIT RIVER For more information call 313 - 852-4051 on Saturday & Sunday from 11:00 - 5:00 pm. During the week during normal business 1. MacArthur Bridgjj hours call 313-297-8366. 4. Scott Fount^ 1 a9°or*V \ ( 5. T H E C A S t w j ^ ' T J ^ 9. Dossin Great Lakes Museum New Book Available: EIGHT STEAMBOATS - SAILING IN THE SIXTIES, authored by Patrick Livingston, detailing Life on board various freighters, the SOUTH AMERICAN and the Bob-Lo Boat. With every book you will receive a 16 x 24 inch deck plan of the passenger vessel S.S. SOUTH AMERICAN to help your imagination orientate you on this classic passenger boat that last sailed the Great Lakes in 1967. This is a great idea for a special Christmas gift for anyone who loves the boats. Museum Hours - The Museum continues to be open on Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. CONTENTS • Gone, But Not Forgotten - George M. H um phrey .............................................................................................. 5 9 The Detroit By P a ss .................................................................................................... 6 1 Such Crust: "Such Bread, 'Nuf S aid" ............................................................................................ 64 2004 Gold Cup Race - Exciting to the end .. and a fte r! .................................................................................. 6 7 2004 GLMI Annual Dinner Is Major S uccess ........................................................................... 6 8 Great Lakes & Seaway News .......................................................................................... 7 q OUR COVER PICTURES .. The Bob-Lo boat COLUMBIA in drydock at Nicholson Shipyard. The COLUMBIA was put in drydock for a complete inspection to determine the possibility of restoration. A marketing and fundraising plan is being developed with the hope of a positive report on the prospect of COLUMBIA returning to the river. Telescope© is produced with assistance from the Dossin Great Lakes Museum, an agency of the Historical Department of the City of Detroit. Visit our Website at: http://www.glmi.org Published at Detroit, Michigan by the GREAT LAKES MARITIME INSTITUTE ©All rights reserved. Printed in the United States by Macomb Printing, Inc. July-September, 2004 Page 59 Gone, But Not Forgotten - George M. Humphrey 1954-1983 During the heyday of shipbuilding on the Great Lakes after World War II, a new record would be set, only to be broken when the next ship was launched. Some ships managed to hold their cargo record for several years and become a favorite of boat-watchers. The GEORGE M. HUMPHREY (2) became such a vessel during her relatively short career on the lakes. The HUMPHREY was built at American Shipbuilding yard in Lorain, Ohio as Hull 871. She measured 710 x 75 x 37 6 with a cargo capacity of 24,000 long tons, thus making her the largest ship on the Great Lakes at the time of her launch on June 19, 1954. However, her launch was not the usual side-launch method. According to Curt GEORGE M. HUMPHREY - 1954 Haseltine, Detroit Free Press marine writer, Instead of sliding down the ways and splashing into the Black River, the HUMPHREY was floated by flooding the No. 2 drydock. She had been built entirely in drydock with the keel laid only thirty-two weeks before. Sea trials would begin on October 5th. She was named in honor of George M. Humphrey, president of the Hanna Mining Company from 1929-1952, and later named chairman of the board. He held that title until he retired in the 1960 s. The M.A. Hanna Company would operate the HUMPHREY, boasting that she would carry more than twice as much iron ore for the M.A. Hanna Co. in a season than is possible with the standard 600-foot ore carrier. On her maiden voyage to Superior, WI. she loaded a record cargo of 22,605 gross tons of iron ore on October 21, 1954, a record that would stand until 1960. GEORGE M. HUMPHREY - Photo from the Dossin Museum Collection TELESCOPE Page 60 Powered by a 8,500 horsepower engine, her owners estimated that the HUMPHREY would travel an estimated 50,000 miles each season loading iron ore in Lake Superior ports for delivery to National Steel at Zug Island in Detroit. Passengers on the Bob-Lo boats would know that a round trip to Duluth-Superior was five days, so when they boarded for the Saturday ride down the Detroit River, they would guess what ship was due into Zug Island. Would it be the HUMPHREY, PAUL H. CARNAHAN or LEON FALK, JR.? As the COLUMBIA or STE. CLAIRE made the wide turn out into the river and headed downbound, all eyes turned to upbound boat traffic as well as vessels docked at Zug Island. The morning sun would highlight the huge HUMPHREY as the unloading rigs began their work. The HUMPHREY spent very little time in the shipyards, outside of mandatory 5-year inspections and few groundings on shoals, she had a safe sailing record. Built as a straight-decker, her future was uncertain in the early 1980 s when the vessel owners were forced to make tough decisions. Newer vessels launched in the 1960 s were self-unloaders and several older vessels had already been converted to self-unloaders, thus making the HUMPHREY and others in her class vulnerable for scrap. Without a strong economy to justify the expense, owners retired perfectly good vessels and sold them for scrap. The HUMPHREY was laid up for the season on December 31, 1983 at Ecorse, MI. the usual winter berth for National Steel vessels. The CARNAHAN, Falk and GEORGE A. STINSON joined her. She would not return to service for the 1984 season. As most vessels ended their careers being towed away, the HUMPHREY departed Ecorse on August 13, 1986 under her own power with a crew of retired HANNA sailors and sailed to Lauzon, Quebec. Later the same crew would sail the PAUL H. CARNAHAN to Quebec. On September 3, 1986, the Dutch tug SMIT LLOYD 109 towed the Humphrey and CARNAHAN to Taiwan for scrapping. After traveling through the Panama Canal, they arrived on December 10, 1986. Photo Photo by Herm Phillips The GEORGE M. HUMPHREY - unloading. Photos by Peter M. Worden - Dossin Museum Collection July-September, 2004 Page 61 The Detroit By Pass By Alan Mann Detroit, Windsor and other waterside locations between Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie have long been recognized commercially within the Great Lakes system. However, if a plan first advanced in the mid 1800’s had materialized, the entire scope of southeastern Michigan and southwestern Ontario would likely have been much different than how it evolved over the past 150 years. Wallaceburg waterfront - 1880's Photo from Mann Historical Files It is widely realized the present shipping route in the St. Clair delta area, required much dredging and realigning, allowing smooth and unimpeded passage of commercial vessels. Ships have become deeper and longer with the 1000 ft. behemoths now common. As late as 1960-61 the narrow channel was improved through the St. Clair Flats area with the creation of the “cut off’ eliminating the risky western channel that was beset with twists and turns plus narrow width particularly vulnerable to risk during fog. In 1857 communities in southwestern Ontario, led by a Chatham (Ont.) lawyer, Robert S. Woods, promoted a novel plan whereby shipping would avoid entirely the narrow Flats passage, Lake St. Clair, the Detroit River and western portion of Lake Erie. The idea was to create a deep water shipping channel beginning in the north, leaving the St. Clair River at Port Lambton via the Chenal Ecarte (Snye River) continuing through a dredged channel in Dover Township, south to Chatham on the Thames River and a dredged TELESCOPE Page 62 McGregor’s Creek and heading south through another dredged channel to the gateway to Lake Erie at Rondeau. As much as possible existing waterways would be used. Woods and his associates estimated total cost of the plan would be $1,500,000 with all communities along the route contributing along with government money and private financing. Advantage to shipping interests heading to lucrative markets was a shortened route by approximately 95 miles in comparison to the established route via the Detroit River. Planners were dead serious. A Feb. 2, 1857 issue of the Chatham Daily Planet carried a notice which stated: “Notice of application for an act of the Canadian legislature to authorize a ship canal from some point on the St. Clair River to Rondeau Harbour. R.S. Woods, prime motivator of the bold plan, signed the petition. A reputable lawyer, who later became a magistrate in Kent County, Woods Robert S. Wood - father o f openly boosted the plan by visiting "St. Clair-Rondeau - Ship Canal" project. jurisdictions involved in the projected plan. Seed money was solicited from various communities along the proposed route. A public meeting in Chatham, largest community within the route, was held Feb. 26, 1857. A large and enthusiastic audience gave their whole-hearted endorsement. Woods was authorized to draw up a company charter as well as to solicit support from concerned and interested parties. Soon, a survey plan was approved. Woods traveled to larger U.S.