1917 D. M. Clemson 2 1980
Steel Great Lakes bulk freighter
Built at Lorain OH by American Ship Building Co., Hull 716
Launched Oct 28, 1916
600’ LOA, 580’ LBP, 60’ beam, 32’ depth
1 deck, arch cargo hold construction, hatches @ 12’, coal-fired boilers, triple expansion engine, 2000 IHP
Enrolled at Cleveland OH March 2, 1917 (Temp #31)
580.0 x 60.0 x 32.0, 7728 GT, 6020 NT US 214599 to:
Pittsburgh Steamship Co., Cleveland OH (home port Duluth MN)
Entered service April 24, 1917 clearing Lorain OH light for Duluth MN
Permanent enrollment at Duluth MN June 12, 1917 (#60)
Sank str. George M. Humphrey June 15, 1943 in collision in fog in Straits of Mackinac.
Fleet reincorporated 1949 in Delaware (home port to Wilmington DE)
Fleet merged July 1951 into parent United States Steel Corporation (home port to New York NY)
Remeasured 1951 to 8364 GT, 6759 NT
Remeasured 1954 to 7377 GT, 5830 NT
Fleet renamed United States Steel Great Lakes Fleet 1967 (home port to Wilmington DE)
Laid up late 1975 at Superior WI and did not operate again
Sold for scrap 1980 to Western Metals Corporation, Thunder Bay ON. Scrapped at Thunder Bay.
IMO 5083667
1703
My father was made a captain in 1940 and command of the of the Clarence A Black. I was born in March of 1940 and made my first trip on the Black when I was 3 months old. Back then as the ship passed down the Detroit River a speedboat would come along side the ship and deliver mail. My mother and I came out on the mail boat, and I was pulled aboard in the canvas mail bag while my mother had to climb up a rope ladder. It was common practice for the captain to have one ship one year and another the next year. However, my dad had command of the Clemson for four years, 1952-55. I spent a good part of my summers out with my dad and really came to love the Clemson. It wasn’t a different ship every year and really became comfortable, sort of like a second home. Dad also sailed the Cason J Callaway for four years, 1959-62. He was the Pittsburg fleet’s Commodore, and the Callaway was his flag ship. However, I was in college then and didn’t spend nearly as much time out on the lakes with him as I did before.
I see you say your father was commander of the Clemson. My grandma had a cousin that we believe, worked on the Clemson .we have one mention of him reporting in Dec 1954. Not sure how long he worked on it prior to that. In May 1955 he worked on the Hatfield.
My father, Lester Graden did one trip on the Clemson as a coal person in 1963. His paperwork lists P R Watts as master of the vessel.
I love the clemson.
I sailed on this ship as a watchman for the 1975 season.
Served as third cook on the D M Clemson, summer of 1965.
Sailed Her the full season in 1965, as a Wiper, coalpasser. Fitted her out in April, laid her up the end of December. The Second Engineer and I were the last two to leave the ship. My watch was from 4 to 8 AM and 4 to 8 pm. 27 trips up and down the lakes. Saved enough that season that the day I layered her up I went up to the VW shop and bought a brand new VW Bug..$1,875. My first, and to date only NEW car.