1903 Wahcondah 1955 (1969)
Steel St. Lawrence Canal size package freighter
Built at Glasgow Scotland by Russel & Co., Hull 509
Launched March 13, 1903
239’ LOA, 229’ LBP, 36’9” beam, 24’ depth
2 decks, hatches @ 24’, coal-fired boilers, triple expansion engine, 750 IHP
Enrolled at Port Glasgow Scotland
230.4 x 37.1 x 21.8, 1554 GT, 996 NT Br 102577 to:
R. O. and A. B. Mackay, Hamilton ON (home port Port Glasgow Scotland)
On her inbound trip from Scotland with a cargo of merchandise for Toronto ON in May 1903 she struck an obstruction in the St. Lawrence River and sank. Raised, repaired and entered Great Lakes service (up Welland Canal May 25, 1903).
Transferred 1905 to New Ontario Steamship Co., Hamilton ON
Transferred 1909 to Wahcondah Steamship Co., Inland Navigation Co., A. B. McKay, Mgr. (home port to Hamilton ON)
Enrollment transferred to Canada Can 102577
Management transferred 1910 to James Playfair, Midland ON
Inland Navigation Co. (parent company) merged with others 1911 to form Inland Lines Ltd.
Fleet merged 1913 into Canada Steamship Lines, Montreal QC
Sank str. Choctaw July 12, 1915 in collision in fog in upper Lake Huron.
Transferred 1916, later sold, for off-Lakes service during World War I and left the Great Lakes.
Enrollment transferred to Great Britain Br 102577
Sold 1922 (through A. B. Mackay) to Wahcondah Steamship Co., Toronto ON, James B. Foote, Mgr. (home port West Hartlepool England) and returned to the Great Lakes.
Returned at off-Lakes tonnages of 1575 GT, 976 NT
Transferred 1925 to Union Transit Co.
Sold 1926 to Spanish River Paper Co., Iroquois Falls ON
Owning firm renamed Abitibi Power & Paper Co. 1930 (home port to Toronto ON)
Enrollment returned to Canada Can 102577
Sold for scrap 1955 to Benjamin Newman, St. Catharines ON. Resold to Ahern Shipping Ltd. for off-Lakes service and left the Great Lakes
Her renaming to Ahern Coaster was announced but the change was never made.
Renamed Alalc (Mexican) 1963
Scrapped Mexico 1969
See history in Scanner Nov 1980 (#96)
0343
I am looking for the date that a young man fell overboard on the ship
Wahcondah was about 5 miles out of Midland Ontario.
His name was Bruce Neath and from Owen Sound