Wells, Frederick B.

1901                                  Frederick B. Wells                                  1959 (1967)

Steel Great Lakes bulk freighter

Built at Chicago IL by Chicago Shipbuilding Co., Hull 50
Launched Oct 5, 1901

450’ LOA, 430’ LBP, 50’ beam, 28’6” depth
1 deck, hold beams, hatches @ 24’, coal-fired boilers, quadruple expansion engine, 1700 IHP

Enrolled at Duluth MN Oct 19, 1901 (#15)
430.0 x 50.2 x 24.5, 4897 GT, 3630 NT     US 121208     to:
Peavey Steamship Co., Duluth MN, A. B. Wolvin, Mgr. (home port Duluth MN)

Entered service 1901

Fleet management transferred 1912 to G. A. Tomlinson, Duluth MN

Fleet sold Feb 18, 1916 to Reiss Steamship Co., Sheboygan WI

Renamed Otto M. Reiss (1) 1917

Home port to Fairport OH 1920

Cargo hold rebuilt 1921 to arch construction
Remeasured to 4463 GT, 3513 NT

Side tanks rebuilt 1923 at Manitowoc WI by Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co.
Remeasured to 437.5 length and 4378 GT, 3367 NT

Home port to Duluth MN 1925

Sold April 18, 1926 to Chicago Navigation Co., Chicago IL, D. Sullivan & Co., Mgr. (home port to Chicago IL)

Transferred 1931 to Gartland Steamship Co., Chicago IL, D. Sullivan & Co., Mgr.

Renamed Sullivan Brothers (1) 1934 (home port to Wilmington DE)

Renamed Henry R. Platt Jr. (1) 1957

Sold 1959 to Pillsbury Co. for grain storage at Buffalo NY and retired from active service.  Reduced to barge, remeasured to 4883 GT, 4786 NT and renamed Pillsbury’s Barge 1960 and Pillsbury 1966.  Towed 1967 to Burns Harbor IN and scuttled as a temporary breakwater

See history in Detroit Marine Historian April 1983 (#1)
Also in Great Lakes Ships We Remember II p. 383

 

0118

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *