 Ironsides while she was owned by the Englemann Transportation Company
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| History | |
|---|---|
.svg){kind=small} United States | |
| Name | Ironsides |
| Owner |
|
| Operator |
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| Port of registry |
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| Builder | Ira Lafrinier or Quayle & Martin of Cleveland, Ohio |
| Launched | July 23, 1864 |
| In service | 1864 |
| Out of service | September 15, 1873 |
| Identification | US official number 12091 |
| Fate | Sank in a storm on Lake Michigan 43°2′53.88″N 86°19′8.76″W / 43.0483000°N 86.3191000°W |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Package freighter |
| Tonnage |
|
| Length | |
| Beam |
|
| Depth | 12.75 feet (3.9 m) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion | 2 × 9 feet (2.7 m) 4–bladed fixed pitch propellers |
SS Ironsides was a wooden-hulled American package freighter in service between 1864 and 1873. She was built in 1864 in Cleveland, Ohio, by either Ira Lafrinier or Quayle & Martin. She was built for John E. Turner, also of Cleveland, and operated as part of the Cleveland & Lake Superior Line. She had an identical sister ship named Lac La Belle. Ironsides operated between Cleveland and Lake Superior for a number of years, and was sold several times. In 1869, she was sold to Nathan Englemann of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and operated between Milwaukee and Grand Haven, Michigan. In 1871, she became part of the Englemann Transportation Company.
On the night of September 14, 1873, Ironsides left Milwaukee for Grand Haven with 13,000 bushels of wheat, 500 barrels of flour, 125 barrels of pork, general merchandise, 19 passengers and about 30 crewmen on board. Later that evening, the light breeze that had been blowing became a powerful gale. At 4:00 a.m. the next day, Ironsides began to take on water quickly. After failing to navigate Ironsides into Grand Haven harbour twice, Captain Harry Sweetman decided instead to anchor, and ride out the storm offshore. Later that morning, the water extinguished the fire in Ironsides' boilers. By 11:00 a.m., all people onboard had escaped in five lifeboats. Ironsides sank at 12:10 p.m. Three of the five lifeboats capsized, killing roughly 18 to 28 people.
In 1878, pieces of Ironsides' wreck were brought up by fishermen in their nets. In 1887, the Englemann Transportation Company claimed they would raise Ironsides' wreck, however, the salvage never occurred. The wreck was discovered in about 1966 by shipwreck hunter Gene Turner. The wreck lies partially collapsed in between 109 feet (33.2 m) and 122 feet (37.2 m) of water.