| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Argo |
| Owner | Independent Pier Company |
| Operator | W.J. Townsend |
| Builder | Spedden Shipbuilding Company |
| Launched | 1911 |
| Fate | Sank 1937 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Tank barge |
| Tonnage | 421 |
| Length | 120 ft (37 m) |
| Beam | 34 ft (10 m) |
| Depth | 12-foot-6-inch (3.81 m) |
The Argo is a tank barge that sank in Lake Erie on October 20, 1937. It was carrying nearly 200,000 gallons (4,762 barrels) of crude oil and benzol when it foundered in a storm off of Pelee Island. The Argo was not designed for open waters. In 2013 the wreck was assessed to be the Great Lakes shipwreck most likely to create an environmental disaster. The wreck sat at the bottom of the lake for nearly 78 years before it was discovered in 2015. A three-month cleanup effort involving the U.S. Coast Guard, Canadian authorities, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration extracted nearly 50,000 gallons of contaminated water from the wreck.