1905                                  Frank J. Hecker                                  1961

Steel Great Lakes bulk freighter

Built at St. Clair MI by Great Lakes Engineering Works, Hull 12
Laid down by Columbia Iron Works.  Firm failed before launch and was acquired by Great Lakes Engineering Works.
Keel laid April 29, 1905; launched Sept 2, 1905

484’ LOA, 464’ LBP, 50’ beam, 28’ depth
1 deck, hold beams, hatches @ 24’, coal-fired boilers, triple expansion engine, 1600 IHP
The first arch construction was on strs. Augustus B. Wolvin and Sahara of 1904.
Beginning in 1905 all bulk carriers were built with arches except the two built at St. Clair that year (George H. Russel and Frank J. Hecker, which were finally converted to arches in 1924).

Enrolled at Port Huron MI Oct 12, 1905 (12)
462.0 x 50.0 x 24.0, 4978 GT, 37703250 NT     US 202475     to:
St. Clair Engineering Works (sic)

Reenrolled at Cleveland OH Oct 18, 1905 (#28) to:
Gilchrist Transportation Co., Cleveland OH (home port to Fairport OH)

Entered service Oct 1905

Fleet went into receivership 1910

Sold at auction 1913 to Lackawanna Steamship Co., Cleveland OH, Pickands Mather & Co., Mgr.
Fleet renamed Interlake Steamship Co. and vessel renamed Perseus.

Cargo hold rebuilt 1924 to arch construction at Ashtabula OH

Home port to Wilmington DE 1932

Sold 1945 to Nicholson Transit Co., Detroit MI

Converted 1954 to automobile carrier and bulk freighter
Remeasured to 5022 GT, 3814 NT

Sold for scrap 1961 to Hyman-Michaels Co.  Resold to Italian shipbreakers.  Cleared for Genoa  Italy under tow of British tug Englishman.  Broke away from her tow Sept 11, 1961 northwest of Azores, Atlantic Ocean and abandoned.  Found and taken under tow by Netherlands M/V Witmarsum.  Foundered Sept 21, 1961.

See history in Detroit Marine Historian Nov 1968 (#169)
Also in Great Lakes Ships We Remember p. 324

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