1907 Thomas F. Cole 1980
Steel Great Lakes bulk freighter
Built at Ecorse MI by Great Lakes Engineering Works, Hull 27
Launched Jan 26, 1907
605’6”’ LOA, 580’ LBP, 58’ beam, 32’ depth
1 deck, arch cargo hold construction, hatches @ 12’, coal-fired boilers, triple expansion engine, 2000 IHP
Enrolled at Detroit MI April 23, 1907 (#65)
586.0 x 58.2 x 33.0, 7268 GT, 5484 NT US 203891 to:
Great Lakes Engineering Works
Reenrolled at Detroit MI May 20, 1907 (Temp #69) to:
Pittsburgh Steamship Co., Cleveland OH (home port Duluth MN)
Entered service May 26, 1907, clearing Ecorse MI light, arriving at Two Harbors MN May 29 and Duluth MN May 30, having open houses at each port, then loaded cargo of iron ore at Duluth.
Permanent enrollment at Duluth MN May 30, 1907 (#70)
Rebuilt 1946 at Cleveland OH
Remeasured to 589.0 x 58.20 (sic) x 27.5, 7682 GT, 6454 NT
Remeasured 1948 to 58.2 beam and 7700 GT, 6472 NT
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)
Fleet renamed United States Steel Great Lakes Fleet 1967 (home port to Wilmington DE)
Laid up at Duluth MN end of 1974 season and did not operate again.
Sold for scrap 1980 to Western Metals Corporation, Thunder Bay ON. Towed to Thunder Bay and scrapped there.
IMO 5359248
See history in Scanner March 2006 (#298)
0715
I sailed on the Thomas F Cole, from June 1972 to Dec 1972, with Captain William White and Chief engineer Melvin Hinton. I was part of the engine room crew.