1887 — June 17, steamer Champlain burns, grounds, Lake Michigan off Charlevoix, MI–22

— 22 Blanchard estimated death toll.*

— 23 Daily Chronicle, Marshall MI. “A Score of Victims.” June 18, 1887, p. 1.
— 23 Daily Northwestern, Oshkosh, WI. “A Lake Disaster…Steamer Champlain.” 6-17-1887.
— 22 Great Lakes & Seaway Shipping News Archive. Report News (June 2009).
— 22 Great Lakes Shipwrecks “C”
— 22 Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine 1888. “Every Day’s Record, June.” 1889, p. 934.
— 22 Mansfield. History of the Great Lakes (Vol. 1). 1899, p. 805.
— 22 Nash, Jay Robert. Darkest Hours. 1977, p. 689.
— 22 Ratigan. Great Lakes Shipwrecks & Survivals (Revised). 1969, p. 50.
— 22 Shelak. Shipwrecks of Lake Michigan. 2003, p. 172
— 22 Swayze. Shipwreck!…Directory of…Shipwrecks on the Great Lakes. 1992, p. 49.

* Blanchard estimated death toll. Though there were early newspaper reports of twenty-three deaths, all the reports we have seen since then note twenty-two deaths – which we follow.

Narrative Information

Great Lakes & Seaway Shipping News Archive: “On 16 June 1887, Champlain (wooden propeller passenger/package freight vessel, 135 foot, 438 gross tons, built in 1870, at Cleveland, Ohio) was carrying passengers, merchandise and horses on Lake Michigan when an engine room lamp exploded. The fire spread so quickly that the pumps could not be started. She headed for Fisherman’s Island, Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Michigan, but struck a bar and sank a mile short of the beach. 22 of the 57 persons aboard died, most from drowning.” (Great Lakes & Seaway Shipping News Archive. Report News, June 2009.)

Great Lakes Shipwrecks: “Caught fire when an engine room lamp exploded offshore, catching engineer & engine room afire so that pumps could not be started. She was run for Fisherman’s Island [Lake Michigan] but struck a bar and sank a mile short. Most of the dead died by drowning.” (Great Lakes Shipwrecks “C”)

Lippincott’s: “June 17….1887. The American steamer Champlain was burned off Grand Traverse Bay, with a loss of twenty-two lives.” (Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine 1888. “Every Day’s Record,” p. 934.)

Newspapers

June 17, Daily Northwestern, WI: “Charlevoix, Mich., June 17—The steamer Champlain of the Northern Michigan line bound for Cheboygan from Chicago burned at midnight between Norwood and Charlevoix at the mouth of’ Grand Traverse bay. The boat was running ten miles an hour when the flames shot up from beneath the engine driving the engineer from his post with his clothes on fire. An alarm was given, the sleeping passengers were aroused and when life preservers bad been fastened on all they gathered on the forward deck. Two life boats and life rafts were lowered but the steamer was running so fast they got away. In ten minutes from the time the boat caught fire the passengers were compelled to jump into the lake. The steward informed a Journal correspondent that there were fifty seven persons aboard; including the crew. The lost are as follows: [listing of 23 fatalities]….

“Those saved floated for an hour and a half when they were rescued by a yawl and the fish-boat from shore. Several of those saved were badly burned. There are seven not accounted for, the above list lost comprising only those known to have perished. The boat burned to the hull and was then towed here. It is impossible to tell the cause of the fire but it is thought that it many have been caused by a lamp explosion. Seven bodies have already been recovered.” (Daily Northwestern, Oshkosh, WI. “A Lake Disaster…Steamer Champlain.” 6-17-1887, p.1.)

June 18: “Detroit, Mich., June 18. – An Evening Journal special from Charlevoix [MI] says: The steamer Champlain, of the Northern Michigan line, bound for Cheboygan from Chicago, burned at midnight Thursday, between Norwood and Charlevoix, at the mouth of the Grand Traverse bay. The boat was running ten miles an hour, when flames suddenly shot up from beneath the engine driving the engineer from his post, with his clothes on fire. He ran to the hurricane deck, plunged into a tank and then returned to his work, but was too late to stop his engine or connect the hose. The alarm was given, the sleeping passengers aroused, and when life preservers had been fastened on all they gathered on the forward deck. The life-boats and liferafts were lowered, but the steamer was running so fast that they got away. In ten minutes from the time the boat caught fire the passengers were all compelled to jump into the lake. The steward informs the Journal correspondent that there were fifty-seven persons on board, including the crew. The lost are as follows:

Ella Cooper Smith, Charlevoix;
Robert Wilkes, Charlevoix;
George Wrisley, Charlevoix;
Mrs. M. Kehoe, Chicago;
Steward Bean’s two children, aged 3 and 5 years respectively, Chicago;
Capt. Lucas, Petoskey;
Henry Brennan, the clerk, fireman, second cook and cabin boy, Chicago;
Mr. Russell, of the Jackson, Mich., Corset company;
a gentleman and
a boy, from Milwaukee, bound for Mackinac;
one waiter and
four Indian deck hands;
a lady and
daughter, from Frankfort, names unknown.

Those saved floated an hour and a half, when they were rescued by a yawl and fish boats from the shore. Several of those saved were badly burned. There are seven not accounted for, the above list of lost comprising only those known to have perished.

“The boat burned to the hull and has been towed here. It is impossible now to tell the cause of the fire, but it is thought it may have been caused by a lamp explosion….

Charlevoix, Mich., June 18.— In addition to the list of dead already reported from the Champlain disaster,

R. M. McKeal, of Charlevoix, was drowned. The body was recovered.
Caleb Russell, of Jackson, Mich., died after being brought ashore.

“The shoe and foot of un unknown victim has been recovered from the hull, which was towed ashore.” (Daily Chronicle, Marshall MI. “A Score of Victims.” June 18, 1887, p. 1.)

Sources

Daily Chronicle, Marshall MI. “A Score of Victims.” June 18, 1887, p. 1. Accessed at http://www.newspaperarchive.com

Daily Northwestern, Oshkosh, WI. “A Lake Disaster. Burning of the Steamer Champlain.” 6-17-1887, 1. At: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=8811194

Great Lakes & Seaway Shipping News Archive. Report News (June 2009). Accessed at: http://www.boatnerd.com/news/archive/6-09.htm

Great Lakes Shipwrecks “C”. At: http://www.boatnerd.com/swayze/shipwreck/c.htm

Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine 1888. “Every Day’s Record,” Vol. XLIII, January to June 1888, 1889. Accessed at: http://books.google.com/books?id=nLURAAAAYAAJ

Mansfield, John Brandts (Ed. And Compiler). History of the Great Lakes (Vol. 1). Chicago: J.H. Beers & Co., 1899. http://www.linkstothepast.com/marine/chapt36.html — Google digitized: http://books.google.com/books?id=iHXhAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=&f=false

Nash, Jay Robert. Darkest Hours – A Narrative Encyclopedia of Worldwide Disasters from Ancient Times to the Present. New York: Pocket Books, Wallaby, 1977, 792 pages.

Ratigan, William. Great Lakes Shipwrecks & Survivals (New Revised and Enlarged Edition). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1969.

Swayze, David D. Shipwreck! A Comprehensive Directory of Over 3,700 Shipwrecks on the Great Lakes. Boyne City, MI: Harbor House Publications, Inc., 1992.