SS Robert Wallace

{{short description|Wooden steamship wrecked in Lake Superior in 1902}}

{{Other uses|Robert Wallace (disambiguation){{!}}Robert Wallace (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox ship image

|Ship image=Robert Wallace ship.jpg

|Ship caption=The Robert Wallace underway

}}

{{Infobox ship career

|Hide header=

|Ship name=Robert Wallace

|Ship country=United States

|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|United States|merchant}}

|Ship operator=*David Wallace 1882–1899

James Corrigan 1899–1900
Wickliffe Transit Company 1900–1902

|Ship ordered=

|Ship registry={{flag|United States|civil}}

|Ship builder=William H. Radcliffe

|Ship yard number=

|Ship laid down=

|Ship launched=April 13, 1882

|Ship completed=1882

|Ship identification=U.S. Registry #110518

|Ship acquired=

|Ship in service=April 26, 1882

|Ship out of service=November 17, 1902

|Ship fate=Sprang a leak and sank on Lake Superior with no loss of life

|Ship notes=

}}

{{Infobox ship characteristics

|Hide header=

|Header caption=

|Ship type= Bulk Freighter

|Ship tonnage=*{{GRT|1189.56}}

{{NRT|905.38}}

|Ship displacement=

|Ship length={{convert|220|ft}}

|Ship beam={{convert|36|ft}}

|Ship height={{convert|19.6|ft}}

|Ship draught=

|Ship draft=

|Ship ice class=

|Ship sail plan=

|Ship power=1 × Scotch marine boiler

|Ship propulsion=550 horsepower compound steam engine

|Ship speed=

|Ship capacity=

|Ship crew=

|Ship notes=

}}

{{Infobox NRHP

| embed = yes

| name = Robert Wallace (bulk carrier) shipwreck site

| nrhp_type =

| locmapin = Minnesota#USA

| location = {{convert|7|mi|km}} south of Knife River, Minnesota

| coordinates = {{coord|46|50.819|N|91|43.729|W|display=inline,title}}

| area =

| mpsub = {{NRHP url|id=92000845|title=Minnesota's Lake Superior Shipwrecks MPS}}

| refnum = 09000828{{NRISref|2010a}}

| added = October 14, 2009

}}

SS Robert Wallace was a wooden-hulled American bulk freighter that served on the Great Lakes of North America from her construction in 1882 to her sinking in 1902 on Lake Superior near the town of Palmers, St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States. On November 17, 1902 shortly after leaving Superior, Wisconsin with a cargo of iron ore, Robert Wallace sprang a leak and sank.{{cite web |url = https://www.greatlakesvesselhistory.com/histories-by-name/w/wallace-robert-2/ |title = Wallace, Robert (wooden) |work = Great Lakes Vessel Histories of Sterling Berry |accessdate = March 6, 2018 }} Her wreck was found in 2006, and on October 14, 2009, the wreck of Robert Wallace was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.{{cite book|last=Daniel| first=Stephen B.|title=Shipwrecks Along Lake Superior's North Shore: A Diver's Guide |publisher=Minnesota Historical Society|year=2008|isbn=9780873516181|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jkb6W7rlg9sC&q=Robert+Wallace|pages=61–62}}

History

File:Robert Wallace.png

Robert Wallace (Official number 110518) was built in 1882 by William H. Radcliffe of Cleveland, Ohio, for David Wallace of Lorain, Ohio. Her homeport was Lorain. She had a length of {{convert|220|ft|m}}, a beam of {{convert|36|ft|m}}, and she had a {{convert|19.6|ft|m|adj=on}} depth. She was powered by a small 550 horsepower compound steam engine and fueled by a single coal-fired Scotch marine boiler. She had a gross tonnage of 1189.56 tons and a net tonnage of 905.38 tons.{{cite web|url=http://greatlakes.bgsu.edu/vessel/view/007387|title=Wallace, Robert|work=Bowling Green State University|access-date=January 15, 2019}} She was launched at 2:30P.M. on April 13, 1882.{{cite web

|url=http://images.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/31348/data?n=3

|title=Robert Wallace (Propeller), U110518, 14 Apr 1882

|website=6 March 2018

}} She usually carried bulk cargoes such as iron ore, coal and grain.

On August 2, 1883, Robert Wallace was towing the schooner barge J.M. Hill when she and J.M. Hill were struck by lightning in the Milwaukee harbour. Both the Robert Wallace and the J.M. Hill had their foremasts heavily damaged.{{cite web

|url=http://images.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/48017/data?n=5

|title=Robert Wallace (Propeller), U110518, lightning, 30 Jul 1883

|website=Maritime History of the Great Lakes

|access-date=6 March 2018

}}

On November 18, 1886, Robert Wallace was towing her schooner barge David Wallace (which was named after Robert Wallace's brother) when she stranded near Marquette, Michigan. Robert Wallace eventually caught fire and burned down. This incident almost ended her career but she was pulled off and repaired.{{cite web |url = http://www.superiortrips.com/NShoreShipwreckImages/Wallace_Shipwreck.htm |title = History of the Robert Wallace |work = Superior Trips |accessdate = March 6, 2018 }}{{cite web

|url=http://images.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/60161/data?n=10

|title=Robert Wallace (Propeller), U110518, aground, 1 Nov 1886

|website=Maritime History of the Great Lakes

|access-date=6 March 2018

}}

On November 12, 1891, Robert Wallace ran aground because of low water in the Sheboygan Harbor. She was loaded with a cargo of coal at the time of the incident. She was also towing David Wallace which was carrying 1,500 tons of coal and also ran aground.{{cite web

|url=http://images.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/60125/data?n=8

|title=Robert Wallace (Propeller), U110518, aground (low water), 12 Nov 1891

|website=Maritime History of the Great Lakes

|access-date=6 March 2018

}}

On October 22, 1896, the boilers of Robert Wallace started to leak and they needed to be repaired so that she could continue her journey. She was repaired in Harbor Beach, Michigan.{{cite web

|url=http://images.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/56909/data?n=6

|title=Robert Wallace (Propeller), U110518, boiler leaking, 22 Oct 1896

|website=Maritime History of the Great Lakes

|access-date=6 March 2018

}}

Sinking

On November 17, 1902, Robert Wallace departed the ore docks in Superior, Wisconsin laden with a cargo of iron ore. She was also towing the schooner barge Ashland, which was also full of iron ore. About four hours after their departure Robert Wallace sprang a leak and started sinking. Accounts differ on what caused the leak. Some accounts claim that Robert Wallace struck a floating log, others claim Ashland pulled off her stern post. Her crew was transferred to Ashland which then sailed to Two Harbors, Minnesota, and was towed to safety by the steel hulled tug Edna G. Even though Robert Wallace was loaded with iron she sank quite slowly. Hours after her crew abandoned her, Robert Wallace continued to float on the surface of Lake Superior with her lights still on. Even when she sank her pilothouse broke off and continued to float on the surface.

''Robert Wallace'' wreck

=Discovery=

The remains of Robert Wallace remained undiscovered until 2006 when an unidentified diver discovered the wreck near the shipping lanes.{{cite web|url=https://www.glsps.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=625896&module_id=223821|title=Shipwreck Robert Wallace National Register of Historic Places Nomination|work=Great Lakes Shipwreck Preservation Society|access-date=January 17, 2019}} The diver reported the location of her wreck to diver Jay Hanson, who conducted a dive with wreck hunter Ken Merryman in 2006; in 2007 Hanson and Merryman captured video footage of the wreck. Later, Merryman and diver Bob Olson identified her wreck after seeing her name, still painted in white lettering on her stern.

=''Robert Wallace'' today=

The wreck of Robert Wallace rests relatively intact in {{convert|240|ft|m}} of water about {{convert|7|mi|km|spell=in}} south of Knife River, Minnesota. Close by are the wrecks of several ships including the wreck of the iron hulled steamer Onoko, the steel hulled package freighter Benjamin Noble, and the wooden hulled rafting tug Niagara, all of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.{{cite web |url = http://www.superiortrips.com/NShoreShipwreckImages/Wallace_Site.htm |title = The Robert Wallace shipwreck site |work = Superior Trips |accessdate = March 7, 2018 }} The wreck of Robert Wallace is the most intact known wooden-hulled bulk freighter in Minnesota waters.{{efn-ua|While Robert Wallace is the most intact known wooden bulk freighter in Minnesota waters, the wooden barge Harriet B. (also listed on the National Register of Historic Places) is much more intact.{{cite web|url=https://www.umsatshow.org/speaker/caitlin-zant-and-tamara-thomsen-2018/|title=Harriet B. Minnesota's Deepest and Most Intact Shipwreck|work=Caitlin Zant and Tamara Thomsen|access-date=May 4, 2020}}

|group=Note}} Her hull is separated about {{convert|35|to|40|ft|m}} at the stem, which makes exploring her wreck easier. Numerous artifacts lie outside the wreck; it is illegal to remove any artifacts because she is protected by the state of Minnesota. Her stern, however, remains intact, disproving the theory that Ashland pulled off her stern post.

The wreck was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009 for its state-level significance in the themes of commerce, engineering, historical archaeology, and maritime history.{{cite web |title=Robert Wallace (bulk carrier) (shipwreck) |url=http://www.mnhs.org/preserve/nrhp/NRDetails.cfm-NPSNum=09000828.html |work=Minnesota National Register Properties Database |publisher=Minnesota Historical Society |year=2009 |accessdate=2018-12-01}} It was nominated for its significant research potential on the formative design and shipboard life of the first lake freighters.{{cite journal |last=Meverden |first=Keith |author2=Tamara Thomsen |title=National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Robert Wallace |publisher=National Park Service |date=2009-05-20}}