1906                                  Frank C. Ball                                  1983

Steel Great Lakes bulk freighter

Built at Ecorse MI by Great Lakes Engineering Works, Hull 14
Launched Dec 9, 1905

550’ LOA, 530’ LBP, 56’ beam, 31’ depth
1 deck, arch cargo hold construction, hatches @ 12’, coal-fired boilers, triple expansion engine, 1700 IHP

Enrolled at Detroit MI Jan 19, 1906 (#30)
530.0 x 56.2 x 32.0, 6909 GT, 5459 NT     US 202770     to:
Great Lakes Engineering Works

Reenrolled at Detroit MI April 5, 1906 (Temp #49) to:
Globe Steamship Co., Duluth MN, G. A. Tomlinson, Mgr. (home port Duluth MN)

Entered service 1906

Permanent enrollment at Duluth MN April 27, 1906 (#202)

Sold 1930 to Construction Materials Corporation, Chicago IL.  Converted to self-unloading sand dredge and repowered with turbo-electric power at Lorain OH by American Ship Building Co.
First commercial vessel on the Great Lakes with turbo-electric power.
The former engine was installed in the former Ford Motor Co. barge Lake Frugality when the latter vessel was requisitioned for salt water service during World War II.
Remeasured to 7179 GT, 4638 NT

Transferred 1931 to Sensibar Transportation Co., Chicago IL (home port to Gary IN) and renamed J. R. Sensibar.
(Purchased to dredge the landfill material for the Chicago World’s Fair)

Sold 1936 to Midwest Vessel Corporation, Cleveland OH (home port to Wilmington DE)

Chartered 1937-1940 to Construction Aggregates Co., Chicago IL

Sold 1941 to Columbia Transportation Co., Cleveland OH
Converted to self- unloader at Manitowoc WI by Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co.
Remeasured 1948 to 537.8 x 56.2 x 27.0, 7254 GT, 4638 NT

Fleet merged Oct 1957 into parent as Columbia Transportation Division, Oglebay Norton Co.

Repowered 1960 with diesel engine and hatches raised at Sturgeon Bay WI by Christy Corporation
Remeasured to 7522 GT, 5399 NT

Lengthened 62’ 1961 at South Chicago IL by American Ship Building Co.
Remeasured to 8028 GT, 5165 NT

Sold 1981 to Johnstone Shipping Ltd., Toronto ON, an affiliate of Ship Repairs & Supplies Ltd. (home port to Toronto ON) and renamed Conallison.
Enrolled Canadian at 8926 GT, 2525 NT     Can 800597
(Vessel was purchased to carry coal from Lake Erie ports to St. Lawrence River ports. A combination of legal problems with the carriage contract and mechanical problems with the vessel terminated the program in fall 1981 and vessel laid up at Toronto ON.)

Chartered Oct 1981 by Westdale Shipping Ltd., Mississauga ON to replace str. Erindale, which had been damaged in an accident in the Welland Canal on Oct 6.  Unloading equipment malfunctioned and vessel laid up again for the last time at Toronto.  (Str. Hochelaga assumed the charter for the rest of the season.)

Did not operate 1982 season.

Sold for scrap 1983 to Marine Salvage Ltd., Port Colborne ON and towed to Port Colborne.  Resold to Spanish shipbreakers.  Cleared Quebec QC Aug 25, 1984 with str. George M. Carl towed by Polish tug Koral.  Tow arrived Aviles Spain Sept 17, 1984.

IMO 5166938

See history in Detroit Marine Historian Sept and Oct 2001 (#20)

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