kids encyclopedia robot

Ottawa (tug) facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
The Ottawa
The Ottawa
Quick facts for kids
History
Name Ottawa
Owner Reid Wrecking Company, of Sarnia, Ontario (last owners)
Port of registry Flag of the United States.svg United States
Builder Built in 1881 at Chicago
Laid down November 13, 1909
Launched 1881
Fate Burned and sank 29 November 1909
Status Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992
Notes Wreck located between Basswood Island and the Bayfield Peninsula
General characteristics
Type Tugboat
Tonnage 610.8 gross tons
Length 151 feet (46 m)
Beam 28 feet
Depth of hold 13 feet
Installed power 600 horsepower engine
Notes Originally named the Boscobel, renamed Ottawa when sold.
Ottawa (Tug) Shipwreck Site
Nearest city Russell, Wisconsin
MPS Great Lakes Shipwreck Sites of Wisconsin MPS
NRHP reference No. 92000594
Added to NRHP June 8, 1992

The Ottawa was a powerful tugboat that sank in Lake Superior. Its wreckage lies off the coast of Russell, Bayfield County, Wisconsin. In 1992, the site was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important historical place.

History of the Ottawa Tugboat

The Ottawa was first built in 1881 in Chicago, Illinois. Its original name was Boscobel. At the time, it was the biggest tugboat ever made in Chicago. It stayed the largest and strongest tug on the Great Lakes until it sank in 1909.

Early Life and New Name

The Boscobel was first used to move large groups of logs, called log rafts, across Lake Michigan. In 1901, the Reid Wrecking Company bought the tugboat. This company was based in Sarnia, Ontario. When they bought it, they changed its name to Ottawa.

The Final Rescue Mission

On November 13, 1909, a steamboat got stuck on a shallow area called a shoal. This happened during a storm near the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior. The steamboat was about two miles from Outer Island. The first mate and some crew members used a lifeboat to go ashore and get help.

For a week, four other ships tried to help the stranded steamboat. Finally, three more vessels, including the Ottawa, were sent to the scene. On November 29, they successfully freed the steamboat.

The Fire and Sinking

That evening, the crew of the Ottawa ate dinner and went to bed. Less than 30 minutes later, they woke up to a fire that was already very big. Other ships quickly pushed the Ottawa away from the steamboat it had just rescued. This was to stop the fire from spreading to other vessels. Another tugboat was sent to help the burning Ottawa.

Despite everyone's efforts, the Ottawa burned down to the waterline. It then sank into Lake Superior. Luckily, all the crew members on board were saved.

The exact reason for the fire is still a mystery. One idea is that the fire started on its own in the ship's coal bunkers. These bunkers held 130 tons of coal, which could have caught fire by itself.

kids search engine
Ottawa (tug) Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.