.jpg) John M. Osborn under sail.
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | John M. Osborn |
| Owner | George F. Cleveland and the Cleveland Iron Mining Company |
| Port of registry | Detroit, Michigan  United States |
| Builder | Morley & Hill of Marine City, Michigan |
| Completed | 1882 |
| Fate | Sank in Whitefish Bay 27 July 1884 after she was rammed by the Alberta |
| Notes | United States Registry # 76307 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Propeller, wooden steam barge |
| Tonnage | 891.02 Gross Register Tonnage 710.95 Net Register Tonnage |
| Length | 178 ft (54 m) |
| Beam | 32 ft (9.8 m) |
| Depth | 14 ft (4.3 m) |
| Propulsion | Propeller |
The John M. Osborn was a wooden steam barge that sank in Lake Superior in 1884 with the loss of five lives. The Osborn was just 2 years old when the larger, steel-hulled Alberta, which was called a "steel monster" and "terror of the lakes", rammed her. The wreck of the Osborn was discovered 100 years after her sinking. The wreck was illegally salvaged in the 1980s. Many of Osborn's artifacts became the property of the State of Michigan after they were seized from Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. The State allows the museum to display the artifacts as a loan. The wreck of the Osborn is now protected by the Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve as part of an underwater museum.