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S. S. Alberta |
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The S. S. ALGOMA was built by Messrs. Aiken and Mansell in 1883 on the Clyde [Scotland], and in that same year, was brought to Montreal, where she was cut in half in order to allow her to pass up the canals. At Buffalo, she was reassembled, and the ALGOMA and her two sister ships [S.S. ALBERTA and S. S. ATHABASCA] were then brought to Port Colbourne where deck cabins were built in the winter of 1883-1884. She and her sister ships, which each cost $300,000, arrived in Owen Sound in 1884. The ALGOMA was a Canadian Pacific Railway ship, made of steel, 1,773 tons, 262 ft. long, 38 ft. 3 inch beam, 23 ft depth of hold, and was divided into watertight compartments up to the main deck. She was commanded by Captain John E. Moore of Owen Sound, who had been sailing since he was fourteen years of age. The ALGOMA was the first of the three sister ships to arrive in Owen Sound, on May 10, 1884, and left the next day for Port Arthur with 1,100 passengers aboard [mostly immigrants heading west]. "The Algoma left Owen Sound on November the 5th 1885, having on board 430 tons freight and 100 tons of fuel. At the Sault, a few extra packages were added. At the time she left Owen Sound, storm signals had been ordered. The ship had a good run to the Sault and left Whitefish Point. The ship struck before daylight about eight miles west of Isle Royal. After a terrible ordeal of 48 hours, passengers were finally able to make land on a raft made from boards from the hurricane deck. Both the Captain and the First Mate were suspended. The Beattie line salvaged the engine...and the Canadian Pacific made almost immediate plans to have the vessel replaced." [Croft] Another source says that the wreck occurred on Isle Royale, near Port Arthur, on Nov. 7, 1885. The S. S. MANITOBA was built at Owen Sound in 1889 to replace the ALGOMA. Images of the C.P.R. vessels show them berthed on the east side of Owen Sound's harbour, near the C.P.R. grain elevator (in 1897 a second, larger elevator was added nearby). The S. S. ALBERTA was referred to as a "C.P.R. liner" circa 1892. William (Will) Rixon of Owen Sound (b. 1869 at Leith) was drowned when he was carried off the CPR liner ALBERTA near Isle Royale, Lake Superior, in May of 1892. He was serving as Second Mate on the vessel. His memorial service was held at Division Street Presbyterian Church, at Owen Sound. |
