1914                                  South American                                  1967 (1992)

Steel passenger vessel

Built at Ecorse MI by Great Lakes Engineering Works, Hull 133
Keel laid Nov 26, 1913; launched Feb 21, 1914

321’ LOA, 291’ LBP, 47’ beam, 18’ depth
5 decks, coal-fired boilers, quadruple expansion engine, 2000 IHP

Enrolled at Chicago IL
290.6 x 47.1 x 18.3, 2662 GT, 1427 NT     US 212244     to:
Chicago, Duluth & Georgian Bay Transit Co., Chicago IL

Entered service 1914

Boilers converted to oil firing 1923 at Detroit MI

Burned Sept 9, 1924 while being laid up at Holland MI, destroying essentially all her superstructure.  Cabins rebuilt and second (dummy) stack installed at Ecorse MI by Great Lakes Engineering Works.

Retired from service at the end of the 1967 season because of new safety rules prohibiting wooden superstructures on passenger vessels

Sold Oct 1967 to Seafarers International Union for use as a training vessel at Piney Point MD (replacing sister ship North American, which had earlier been sold to the SIU for the same purpose but was lost on the Atlantic Ocean on her delivery voyage).  Cleared Montreal QC Oct 27, 1967 towed by tug Sparrows Point.  Towed to Norfolk VA for conversion but failed U. S. Coast Guard inspection for the same reason she had been forced to retire.  Towed to Camden NJ and laid up.

Efforts by vessel preservationists to have her returned to the Great Lakes continued for many years but were unsuccessful.  Towed 1988 to Baltimore MD, where she was drydocked and found to be beyond saving.

Scrapped 1992 at Baltimore.

See history in Great Lakes Ships We Remember II p. 322

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