1895                                  Penobscot                                  1963

Steel Great Lakes bulk and package freight vessel

Built at West Bay City MI by F. W. Wheeler & Co., Hull 108
Launched Aug 1, 1895

370’ LOA, 352’ LBP, 44’6” beam, 26’9” depth
2 decks, hatches @ 24’, coal-fired boilers, triple expansion engine, 1150 IHP

Enrolled at Port Huron MI Aug 14, 1895 (#12)
351.9 x 44.5 x 23.0, 3502.28 GT, 2864.63 NT     US 150705     to:
C. A. Eddy, Bay City MI

Entered service 1895

Transferred 1898 to Penobscot Transit Co., Detroit MI (home port to Fair Haven MI)

Transferred 1900 to Eddy Transit Co.

Transferred 1905 to Lake Transit Co., Bay City MI, Howard L. Shaw, Mgr. (home port to Duluth MN)

Lengthened  96’  1906 and converted to bulk freighter at Toledo OH by Toledo Shipbuilding Co.
Remeasured to 454.0 x 44.5 x 22.5, 4077 GT, 3530 NT

Sold Aug 7, 1925 to Nicholson Transit Co., Detroit MI, Nicholson-Universal Steamship Co., Mgr. (home port to Wilmington DE)

Converted to automobile carrier at River Rouge MI by Great Lakes Engineering Works
Remeasured to 3943 GT, 2821 NT

Fleet transferred 1927 to Nicholson-Universal Steamship Co., Detroit MI
(William Nicholson sold his fleet to Nicholson-Universal and agreed not to engage in the transportation of automobiles on the Great Lakes for a period of 20 years)

Transferred 1942 to Overlakes Freight Corporation, Detroit MI

Sold 1943 to U. S. War Shipping Administration, Washington DC

Converted back to bulk freighter at Buffalo NY by American Ship Building Co.
Remeasured to 4005 GT, 2883 NY

Sold back 1947 to Overlakes Freight Corporation

Sold 1948 to Nicholson Transit Co. Detroit MI
Converted back to automobile carrier
Remeasured to 3972 GT, 2850 NT

Severely damaged Oct 31, 1951 in collision with oil barge Morania 130 and ensuing explosion in Buffalo NY harbor.  Vessel had just unloaded a cargo of grain.  The captain and a wheelsman on the Penobscot and 8 on the oil barge were lost.  Cabins rebuilt and vessel returned to service.

Sold 1955 to Omega Lake Ship Co., Buffalo NY, a subsidiary of Continental Grain Co. and converted to barge for grain storage in Buffalo harbor.
Remeasured to 4128 GT, 4068 NT

Sold for scrap 1962 to Marine Salvage Ltd. and scrapped winter 1962-63 at Port Colborne ON

See history in Scanner Midsummer 1985 (#139)

 
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