1888                                         Helena                                      1918

Wooden Great Lakes bulk freighter

Built at Sheboygan WI by Rieboldt, Wolter & Co.
Launched July 28, 1888

287’3” LOA, 275’ LBP, 42’ beam, 20’ depth
2 decks, coal-fired boilers, triple expansion engine, 900 IHP

Enrolled at Milwaukee WI Aug 6, 188 (#12)
275.5 x 40.2 x 20.3, 2083.23 GT, 1578.23 NT     US 95970     to:
Milwaukee Tug Boat Line, Milwaukee WI, Conrad Starke and William H. Meyer, Mgrs.  (home port Milwaukee WI)

Entered service 1888

Sold 1901 to Gilchrist Transportation Co., Cleveland OH (home port to Vermillion OH)

Home port to Fairport 1903

Sold 1912 to Armour Grain Co., Chicago IL

Converted to floating grain elevator

Stranded Sept 17, 1918 on Little Chicken Island, Lake Erie.  Upbound light from Buffalo NY to Toledo OH.  Released in October, towed to Toledo and abandoned to the underwriters as a constructive total loss.  Towed to the foot of Ash Street and sunk as a dock.

See history in Detroit Marine Historian Dec 1952 (#40)
See history in Great Lakes Ships We Remember p. 215

W402