AH-WR-1513

James B. Colgate

Whaleback Freighter · United States · Lost 1916 · The Lake Erie Islands

A whaleback lost in Lake Erie's Black Friday storm of 1916; only her captain survived.

Become Captain of Record See Shipwreck on Map

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents. See the documented evidence.

Historically Reconstructed. Drawn from partial documentation of this vessel together with her known class and configuration. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

James B. Colgate was a whaleback freighter built in 1892, with the rounded, cigar-shaped hull of her type. On 20 October 1916, loaded with coal, she foundered in the Black Friday storm on Lake Erie. Her captain, Walter Grashaw, survived for more than a day on a raft. The rest of her crew were lost.

Vessel

Built: 1892
Builder: Not established
Yard: Not established
Material: Steel
Length: Not established
Beam: Not established
Tonnage: Not established
Propulsion: Steam, single screw
Owners: Not established

Loss

Date: October 20, 1916
Cause: Storm
Location: Lake Erie, off Long Point, Ontario
Water: Lake Erie
Voyage: Not established
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: Not established
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: Not established
Condition: Not established
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established

Position

Coordinates: 42.45° N 80.20° W
Accuracy: General area only
Nearest: Long Point, Ontario
Region: The Lake Erie Islands

Pin marks the named place of loss, not a surveyed wreck position.

Evidence

Overall confidence: Partially documented (70/100)

Exact wreck position, depth and present condition are not established in the sources reviewed.

Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Bowling Green State University
Vessel particulars and career.
Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society
Vessel history, loss and search history.