1908                                  J. A. McKee                                  1939 (1940)

Steel St. Lawrence River canal size bulk freighter

Built at Newcastle-on-Tyne England by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Hull 798
Launched

259’ LOA, 248’ LBP, 43’1” beam, 25’10” depth
1 deck, hatches @ 24’, coal-fired boilers, triple expansion engine, 1100 IHP

Enrolled at Newcastle-on-Tyne England
248.0 x 43.1 x 22.55, 2158 GT, 1375 NT     Br 125442     to:
Western Steamship Co., Toronto ON, W. J. Bassett, Mgr. (home port Newcastle-on-Tyne England)

Entered Great Lakes service Oct 1908.  On delivery trip carried a cargo of coal to St. John’s Nfld., ran light to Sydney NS and picked up cargo of pig iron for Port Arthur ON.

Sold 1914 to Algoma Steel Corporation, Sault Ste. Marie ON
Purchased to replace str. Leafield, which had foundered in the “Big Storm” of Nov 1913.

Enrollment transferred to Canada 1916     Can 125442     (home port to Sault Ste. Marie ON)

Requisitioned 1917 by Canadian government for off-Lakes service during World War I and left the Great Lakes.

Severely damaged in the explosion of a French munitions ship in Halifax NS harbor Dec 6, 1917 which destroyed a large part of the City of Halifax.  Repaired and returned to service.

Sold 1924 to Norman M. Paterson & Co., Fort William Ont. (home port to Fort William ON) and returned to the Great Lakes

Fleet renamed Paterson Steamships Ltd. 1926

Renamed Thordoc  (1) 1927

Grounded Nov 9, 1929 on reef outbound from Port Arthur ON with a cargo of flour.  Abandoned to the underwriters as a constructive total loss.  Repaired at Port Arthur, resold to previous owner and returned to service in 1930.

Chartered 1937 and 1938 season to Dominion Steel & Coal Co., Sydney NS for off-Lakes service.  Returned to the Great Lakes late 1938.

Chartered late 1939 back to Dominion Steel & Coal Co. and again left the Great Lakes.

Wrecked March 30, 1940 near Louisbourg NS

See history in Scanner Jan 1980 (#89)

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