Thomas Wilson (shipwreck)

Infobox_nrhp | name ="Thomas Wilson" (Whaleback Freighter) Shipwreck
nrhp_type =

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caption =Three capstans on the stern end of the deck.
nearest_city= Duluth, Minnesota
area =
built =1892
architect= Alexander McDougall; American Steel Barge Co.
architecture= Whaleback
added = July 23, 1992
governing_body = State
mpsub=Minnesota's Lake Superior Shipwrecks MPS
refnum=92000844 cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2007-01-23|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]

The "Thomas Wilson" was a whaleback freighter built in 1892 and used to haul bulk freight on the Great Lakes. The ship sank in the harbor of Duluth, Minnesota, on Lake Superior, on June 7, 1902, after a collision with the "George Hadley". The "Thomas Wilson" is one of the best remaining examples of a whaleback steamer, and it is also significant for the changes made in operating procedures at the Duluth harbor. The remains of the ship were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. [cite web|url=http://www.mnhs.org/places/nationalregister/shipwrecks/wilson/wilson.html|title=Lake Superior Shipwrecks: Thomas Wilson|publisher=Minnesota Historical Society|date=1996|accessdate=2007-08-16]

The whaleback was designed by Captain Alexander McDougall to carry cargoes of iron ore or grain economically around the Great Lakes. A pair of coal-fired Scotch boiler engines provided steam for the three-cylinder, triple expansion steam engine which drove a single screw propeller. The hull was built of heavy steel plates double-riveted to steel angle frames. The bow and stern were of a conoidal shape, with the center part of the hull being roughly cigar-shaped. The ship was 308 feet (94 m) long, with a convert|38|ft|m|0|sing=on beam and a convert|24|ft|m|0|sing=on deep hold. The hatches on the deck had no coamings, vertical sections that would have prevented water from coming into the hatches. Instead, the hatches were designed to be flush with the surface of the deck, and were simply bolted to the deck. The lack of such coamings and the crew's failure to close all the hatches contributed to the cargo holds flooding quickly after the collision. The "Wilson" was the last whaleback built without hatch coamings. [cite web|url=http://www.mnhs.org/places/nationalregister/shipwrecks/wilson/wilhd.html|title=Thomas Wilson Shipwreck - Historic Description|publisher=Minnesota Historical Society|date=1996|accessdate=2007-08-16]

On June 7, 1902, the "Thomas Wilson" left the Duluth harbor carrying a load of Mesabi iron ore. The hatches were not yet closed, because the weather was clear and calm. Meanwhile, the "George Hadley", a 2073-ton wooden steamer, was inbound for the Duluth harbor. The "Annie L. Smith" tugboat directed the "George Hadley" to divert to the Superior harbor, since all of the Duluth coal docks were full. The captain of the "George Hadley" ordered an immediate turn to port without noticing the direction of the "Thomas Wilson" or blowing the required whistle signals. The captain of the "Thomas Wilson", concerned about the movements of the "Hadley" but suspicious of running aground if he turned to port, ordered an immediate turn to starboard. The "Hadley" struck the "Wilson" just forward of the aft hatch and recoiled from the collision. The "Wilson" rolled over to port, then righted itself and began to sink by the bow. Within three minutes, the entire ship had sunk, drowning nine of the twenty-man crew. The ship and its cargo were valued at $207,000.cite web|url=http://www.mnhs.org/places/nationalregister/shipwrecks/wilson/wildwe.html|title=Thomas Wilson Shipwreck - Description of the Wreck Event|publisher=Minnesota Historical Society|date=1996|accessdate=2007-08-16]

As a result of the collision, new rules were instituted in the Duluth harbor:
# Ships cannot leave the harbor with open hatches.
# Ships may not pull out from another ship following a collision.
# Pilots may not carry out any order given by the captain when another vessel is sighted without first calling the captain's attention to the other vessel.
# All ships must be equipped with signal systems to all parts of the vessel to warn of danger.

The ship rests in 70 feet of water less than a mile from the entrance of the Duluth harbor at the Aerial Lift Bridge. The stern of the ship is substantially complete, though a large section of the hull of the midship has been broken apart due to other ships dragging anchors through the wreck. The interior of the ship has survived largely intact, with relatively few artifacts having been removed by divers.cite web|url=http://www.mnhs.org/places/nationalregister/shipwrecks/wilson/wilpd.html|title=Thomas Wilson Shipwreck - Present Description|publisher=Minnesota Historical Society|date=1996|accessdate=2007-08-16]

References