1915 W. F. White 1984
Steel self-unloading Great Lakes bulk freighter
Built at Lorain OH by American Ship Building Co., Hull 712
Launched July 24, 1915
550’ LOA, 530’ LBP, 60’ beam, 31’ depth
1 deck, arch cargo hold construction, hatches @ 12’, coal-fired boilers, triple expansion engine, 2100 IHP
Enrolled at Cleveland OH Aug 31, 1915 (#9)
530.0 x 60.0 x 32.0, 7180 GT, 5548 NT US 213555 to:
Limestone Transportation Co., Cleveland OH (home port Fairport OH)
Chartered for ten years to Michigan Limestone & Chemical Co. Rogers City MI
Entered service Sept 1915
Sold 1924 at expiration of charter to Bradley Transportation Co., Rogers City MI (home port to Duluth MN)
Fleet merged July 1951 into parent United States Steel Corporation
Transferred at end of 1962 to off-Lakes service in Chesapeake Bay and left the Great Lakes.
Returned to the Great Lakes spring 1965
Fleet transferred 1967 to United States Steel Great Lakes Fleet (home port to Wilmington DE)
Laid up at end of 1974 season at Duluth MN and did not operate again for this fleet
Sold 1976 to Reoch Transports Ltd., Mississauga ON, Westdale Shipping Ltd., Mgr. and renamed Erindale (2)
Enrolled Canadian at 8367 GT, 5588 NT Can 370934 (home port Toronto ON)
Boilers converted to oil firing 1976 at Manitowoc WI
Damaged Oct 6, 1981 when she hit the Allanburg bridge, Welland Canal. Laid up at Toronto ON.
Did not operate 1982 season
Repaired winter 1982-1983 and returned to service 1983, replacing fleetmate str. Leadale, which had been damaged Dec 7, 1982 at Thorold ON.
Sold for scrap 1984 to Marine Salvage Ltd., Port Colborne ON and scrapped at Port Colborne
IMO 5384281
See history in Great Lakes Ships We Remember III p. 110
1501
I was a Watchman on her after being discharged from the US Army in August 1974. We laid her up in Duluth after unloading coal at the Ft. Howard Paper Company December 21 1974. Didn’t realize she took on a new life after wards as the Erindale in Ontario until 1984 when she was scrapped. You could keep in good shape running Cleanup after unloading. Instead of the Pneumatic gates in the Tunnel that most Self unloaders had the W.F. White had manual wheel & chain gates to open and there were about 50 of them Port & Starboard.
I just read a postcard from my dad in Astabula Ohio to his mother. I would guess around 1945 or 1946 after his tour in the Navy. He went from rogers city Michigan to Ohio or Buffalo ny.
I never knew he sailed on the boats. I don’t think he sailed long because he worked in an auto plant in 1949.
Do you know if there are online records?