Courtesy Photo from Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary The steel-hulled whaleback freighter SS Choctaw is one of many sunken vessels resting on the bottom of Lake Huron in the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

ALPENA — Research from Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary revealed the steel-hulled, whaleback freighter SS Choctaw is cataloged as one of region’s numerous sunken vessels.

Named after the Southern United States Native American tribe, the 267-foot boat was launched in 1892. The freighter displayed a distinctive bow and slanted or rounded whaleback decks to the waterline. All of Choctaw’s cabins were located on the stern.

With a 900-horsepower steam engine, the freighter could accommodate a total capacity nearing 3,100 tons. Typically, the freighter’s upbound cargo was coal to fuel mining operations with downbound cargo being iron ore.

During Choctaw’s operational years, the freighter experienced a series of mishaps. In 1893 a cylinder head exploded, scalding two crew members to death. Three years later, in 1896, the freighter collided with the larger steel freighter L.C. Waldo. The Choctaw sank and underwent emergency repairs returning to Cleveland for full re-fitting and repair.

In 1900 the freighter ran aground near Sault Sainte Marie, Ontario. Then, in 1902, near Marquette, the Choctaw was lifted up by massive waves and hit a rock formation which caused the freighter to partially sink.

Choctaw’s final voyage occurred in July 1915 when the freighter was upbound on Lake Huron with a load of coal destined for Marquette. Downbound from Fort William, Ontario (now Thunder Bay) with a cargo of wheat headed for Montreal, was the Canadian Steamship Lines freighter, Wahcondah.

On July 11th, at approximately 4:30 a.m., in a dense fog near the shorelines of Presque Isle and Middle Island, the Wahcondah captain and those in the pilot house saw the Choctaw. The order was given to reverse engines. Regretfully, the two ships were meters apart and the Canadian freighter sliced into Choctaw’s port side.

Choctaw’s captain ordered the crew to lower lifeboats. However, the crew was unable to approach the lifeboats. In less than 17 minutes the freighter sank into 300 feet of Lake Huron waters.

The Wahcondah was able to rescue the captain and all 22 crew members and arrive in Sarnia, Ontario.

A subsequent judge’s review of testimonies and records found both freighter captains and crews were at fault.

Choctaw’s insurance claim, in dollars at that time, was $80,200 for the freighter and $80,000 for the cargo.

Over the past 15-plus years numerous expeditions were conducted to find Choctaw.

In July 2017, using recently developed technology, joint efforts by Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, and other parties located the Choctaw and 448-foot freighter Ohio off the Presque Isle shores.

The Choctaw rests on the starboard side, nearly upside down.

A summary document of the findings revealed, “The upper level of her stern cabins broke away when she sank, leaving only the weather deck level cabins intact. The wreckage of her pilothouse lies beside her hull. The entire bow, including the section between the first and the second hatch where the collision occurred, is completely buried and only the last three of her seven cargo hatches remain exposed. There is a sizeable debris field surrounding her wreck, with most of the visible artifacts located near her stern.”

For more information on the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, its museum (Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center), the 200-plus regional shipwrecks, seasonal glass bottom boat tours, educational programs, and research, visit www.thunderbay.noaa.gov or call 989-884-6200.

For more about whalebacks in the Great Lakes, see the upcoming Northern Lifestyles story in Saturday’s edition of The Alpena News.

Jeffrey D. Brasie is a retired health care CEO. He frequently writes feature stories and op-eds for various newspapers, magazines, and social media sites. As a Vietnam-era veteran, he served in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Naval Reserve. He served on the public affairs staff of the Secretary of the Navy. He grew up in Alpena and resides in suburban Detroit.