&sq=&lang=&file=File:Steamship_Erie_G-001939-20120912.jpg) Likely painted in 1838, artist unknown, gifted to the National Gallery of Art by Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Erie |
| Owner | Charles Manning Reed |
| Port of registry | Erie, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Builder | Erie Steamboat Company, Erie, Penn. |
| Completed | 1837 |
| Maiden voyage | May 28, 1838 |
| Fate | Sank off the coast of Silver Creek, New York, after burning, on August 9, 1841 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Wooden steamship |
| Tonnage | 497 GRT |
| Length | 176 ft 8 in (53.85 m) |
| Beam | 27 ft 4 in (8.33 m) |
| Depth | 10 ft 8 in (3.25 m) |
| Propulsion | Side-wheel paddle |
| Speed | 16 mph (26 km/h) |
| Capacity | 350 |
| Crew | 35–40 |
Erie was a steamship that operated as a passenger freighter on the Great Lakes. It caught fire and sank on August 9, 1841, resulting in the loss of an estimated 254 lives, making it one of the deadliest disasters in the history of the Great Lakes.
The Erie had a wooden hull and used a side-wheel paddle for propulsion. It was built by the Erie Steamboat Company, of Erie, Pennsylvania, under the supervision of Thomas G. Colt and Smith I. Jackson. Shortly after its completion, in 1837, it was purchased by Charles Manning Reed, who was the exclusive owner of the boat until its destruction.