Van Hise, Charles, R.

(1900) 1901                                  Charles R. Van Hise                                  1953

Steel Great Lakes bulk freighter

Built at West Superior WI by Superior Shipbuilding Co., Hull 144
Launched June 23, 1900

461’ LOA, 446’ LBP, 50’ beam, 29’6” depth
1 deck, hold beams, hatches @ 24’, coal-fired boilers, quadruple expansion engine, 1750 IHP

Enrolled at Marquette MI May 15, 1900 (#42)
458.0 x 50.2 x 25.0, 5117 GT, 3673 NT     US 127426     to:
Superior Shipbuilding Co.

Built for John D. Rockefeller’s Bessemer Steamship Co. but apparently never sailed for them.  Ran her trials in Lake Superior July 13, 1900, then returned to the shipyard for the rest of the season.  Ballast tanks pumped out in Oct and vessel laid up.  Never enrolled to Bessemer.  Bessemer fleet merged March 1901 into Pittsburgh Steamship Co., a subsidiary of United States  Steel Corporation

Reenrolled at Duluth MN May 6, 1901 (#73) to:
Pittsburgh Steamship Co., Duluth MN, A. B. Wolvin, Mgr. (home port Duluth MN)

Entered service spring 1901

Sold June 20, 1918 to U. S. Emergency Fleet Corporation, Washington DC for off-Lakes service during World War I for $640,000.  Hull deepened 4’ to 33’6” depth and cut in two at Ashtabula OH by Great Lakes Engineering Works.  Forward end towed to Buffalo NY.  Since vessel’s beam exceeded the maximum dimensions of the Welland and St. Lawrence River canals, she was turned on her side for the trip and towed through Lock 1 of the Welland Canal Dec 10, 1918, where she was laid up at Port Colborne ON for the winter.  World War I having ended, and the need for more ocean tonnage reduced, the trip was never resumed.

Sold at auction Sept 8, 1919 on an as-is basis to A. E. R. Schneider for Morrow Steamship Co., Cleveland OH (home port to Fairport OH).  Forward section towed to Ashtabula OH, where the vessel was rejoined and lengthened 96’ forward of pilot house over the winter by Great Lakes Engineering Works, renamed A. E. R. Schneider in 1920 and returned to Great Lakes service managed by Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Co.
Remeasured to 542.4 x 50.2 x 28.7, 6874 GT, 5288 NT

Management of vessel transferred 1926 to Valley Camp Coal Co.

Renamed S. B. Way (2) 1931

Sold 1932 to Columbia Transportation Co., Cleveland OH (home port to Wilmington DE)

Renamed J. M. Oag 1936 but apparently sold before the name could be registered

Sold Aug 1936 to Mohawk Navigation Co., Montreal QC (home port to Montreal QC) and renamed Captain C. D. Secord

Enrolled Canadian at 542.3 x 50.1 x 28.8, 6922 GT, 5271 NT     Can 158644

Repowered 1955 at St. Catharines ON by Port Weller Dry Docks with the diesel engine recovered from British tanker Empire Metal, which had been sunk in 1943 in the Bay of Naples
Remeasured to 6943 GT, 5168 NT

Sold for scrap 1968 to Steel Factors Ltd.  Resold to Spanish shipbreakers.  Cleared Quebec QC Aug 21, 1968 with str. Bricoldoc, towed by the Polish tug Jantar.  Tow arrived Santander Spain Sept 13, 1968.

See history in Scanner March 1974 (#38)
Also in Detroit Marine Historian Oct 1958 (#98)
Also in Great Lakes Ships We Remember p. 350

 

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