SS Thomas F. Cole

The Thomas F. Cole in Poe Lock
History
United States
Name	Thomas F. Cole
Namesake	Thomas F. Cole
Operator	Pittsburgh Steamship Company (1907-1952) U.S. Steel (1952-1980)
Port of registry	United States, Duluth, Minnesota (1907-1949) Wilmington, Delaware (1949-1951) New York (1951-1967) Wilmington, Delaware (1967-1980)
Builder	Great Lakes Engineering Works, Ecorse, Michigan
Yard number	27
Launched	January 26, 1907
In service	May 26, 1907
Identification	U.S. Registry #203891
Fate	Scrapped in 1980, in Thunder Bay
Notes	In 1913 the Cole collided with the barge Iron City
General characteristics
Tonnage	7,268 gross 5,484 net
Length	605.6 ft (184.6 m)
Beam	58 ft (18 m)
Height	32 ft (9.8 m)
Installed power	2× Scotch marine boilers
Propulsion	1,880 horsepower triple expansion steam engine
Speed	10 knots
Capacity	12,370 tons

The SS Thomas F. Cole was a 605.6 ft (184.6 m) long Great Lakes freighter built in 1907 for the Pittsburgh Steamship Company by the Great Lakes Engineering Works of Ecorse, Michigan. The boat was named after mining mogul Thomas F. Cole. She was launched as hull #27 on January 26, 1907. She was powered by a 2,000 horsepower triple expansion steam engine which was attached to a single fixed pitch propeller. She was powered by two coal-fired scotch marine boilers. She had a top speed of ten knots. She entered service on May 26, 1907 (homeport Duluth, Minnesota). She arrived for her first load of iron ore on May 29, 1907.

On August 24, 1910 the Cole suffered severe damage when she ran aground in the St. Marys River. The Cole collided with the barge Iron City on May 13, 1913, on Lake St. Clair cutting her in two and sinking her.^[1]

In April 1946 the Cole had new hopper side tanks installed. In 1947 the Cole had two new coal-fired Babcock & Wilcox water tube boilers.^[2]