AH-WR-1926

William J. Livingstone Jr.

Tug · Lost 1880 · Door County & Lake Michigan

A Port Huron-built tug broke her shaft while towing two barges off Cana Island in 1880 and sank in 43 fathoms.

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Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents.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

Interpretive Reconstruction, drawn to convey the vessel's era, type and general form. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

Port Huron Dry Dock built the wooden steam tug William J. Livingstone Jr. in 1874 for the Peshtigo Company. On October 4, 1880, towing the barges Mauntee and Advance toward Peshtigo, she broke her mainshaft, sternpipe and deadwood off Cana Island and began flooding. By 3 p.m. rising water put out her fires and her crew moved to the Mauntee. The tug Favorite took both in tow, but the Livingstone soon sank in 43 fathoms.

Vessel

Built: 1874
Registry: US registry no. 80411
Builder: Port Huron Dry Dock Co.
Yard: Port Huron, Michigan
Material: Wood
Length: 132 ft
Beam: 26 ft
Tonnage: 291.58 gross tons
Propulsion: Steam, screw
Owners: Not established

Loss

Date: October 4, 1880
Cause: Mechanical failure
Location: Lake Michigan in 43 fathoms off Cana Island, Door County, Wisconsin
Water: Lake Michigan
Voyage: Peshtigo, Wisconsin
Cargo: Towing the barges Mauntee and Advance
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: Not established
Master: Not established