Thrush
Site photo model of Thrush. Photo:Ben Ioset/NOAA.
Ship stats
Depth: 17 feet
Coordinates: To be announced
Vessel Type: Wooden schooner barge
Length: 181 feet Breadth: 34 feet
Gross Tonnage: 584 Cargo: None
Built: 1890 by A. Cantin at Montreal, Quebec
Port of Registry: Montreal, Quebec
Owner at Loss: Montreal Transportation Company, Montreal, Quebec
Date Lost: May 9, 1916
Cause of Loss: Foundered in Storm Loss of Life: None of 2
Wreck Site
The schooner barge Thrush’s remains lie in approximately 17 feet of water off Fair Haven, New York. The wreckage consists of the bottom of the hull (bilge), with this section of the hull measuring approximately 168 feet long and 32 feet wide. The ship’s construction displays many innovations characteristic of wooden ship construction at the end of the nineteenth century, including iron knees, an iron keelson, and diagonal iron strapping to strengthen the hull.
Historical Background
The schooner-barge Thrush (C97200) was built by A. Cantin at Montreal, Quebec, in 1890. The schooner-barge was 181 feet long, with a breadth of 34 feet and a depth of hold of 12 feet, and measured 584 gross tons. It was constructed for the Kingston & Montreal Forwarding Company for the forwarding trade along the St. Lawrence Canal between Lake Ontario ports and Montreal.
In 1896, Kingston & Montreal Forwarding Company outfitted Thrush along with the barges Lapwing and Hiawatha for carrying grain between the Upper Great Lakes, namely Thunder Bay on Lake Superior, and the eastern terminals of the Canadian lake trade at Kingston, Prescott, and Cardinal, Ontario. In March 1906, Thrush was sold to the Montreal Transportation Company of Montreal, who owned the vessel until its loss in 1916.
On May 9, 1916, Thrush was bound from Kingston to Fair Haven under tow, where it was to take on a load of coal. While entering the channel, Thrush went aground. As a total loss, plans were made to remove Thrush, as the wreck was a hazard to navigation. The wreck was not removed though it appears that the wreck was broken apart to prevent it being a hazard to passigng vessels.