1900                                  Lafayette                                  1905

Steel Great Lakes bulk freighter

Built at Lorain OH by American Ship Building Co., Hull 301
Launched May 31, 1900

474’ LOA, 454’ LBP, 50’ beam, 28’6” depth
1 deck, hold beams, hatches @ 24’, coal-fired boilers, quadruple expansion engine, 1800 IHP

Enrolled at Cleveland OH July 5, 1900 (#1)
454.0 x 50.0 x 28.5, 5113 GT, 3827 NT     US 141657     to:
American Ship Building Co., Cleveland OH (home port Cleveland OH)

Entered service 1900

Reenrolled at Duluth MN July 23, 1900 (#5) to:
Pittsburgh Steamship Co., Duluth MN (home port to Duluth MN)
(This fleet was founded in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie to compete with John D. Rockefeller’s Bessemer Steamship Co.  When the United States Steel Corporation was founded in early 1901, the 99 vessels in five other fleets joined the thirteen vessels then in this fleet to become the ore-carrying arm of the Corporation, at 112 vessels the largest fleet on the Great Lakes.)

Stranded Nov 27, 1905 in heavy storm 6 miles northeast of Two Harbors MN, Lake Superior and broke in two.  Upbound for Superior WI towing barge Manila.  One life lost.  Barge also grounded, without loss of life, and was later repaired and returned to service.  Enrollment surrendered Feb 6, 1906.

See history in Great Lakes Ships We Remember II p. 174

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