by ashland69 » August 1, 2025, 5:30 pm
Another candidate for suffering a major accident and sailing again was the Donnacona of Canada Steamship Lines in 1964. The Donnacona was built by the Western Dry Dock & Shipbuilding Co. of Port Arthur, Ontario, and launched as W. Grant Morden on April 14, 1914. CSL was less than a year old when the company took delivery of the 190.50 metre long vessel. The first cargo was iron ore taken aboard at Escanaba, Michigan, for delivery to Port Colborne. Setting Great Lakes cargo records was common in the early years and included 760,066 bushels of oats in 1915, 504,908 bushels of wheat in 1916, 14,955 tons of iron ore in 1928 and a world record 587,844 bushels of barley taken aboard on April 30, 1947. CSL changed the name to Donnacona in 1926 and the ship continued regular service on the upper four Great Lakes. On Aug. 27, 1932, the ship made its first trip down the newly opened Welland Canal, opening Lake Ontario ports, particularly Kingston, as a destination.
A fire disabled the ship in Lake Huron on Dec. 16, 1964, before an SOS could be sent out. The blaze did serious damage to the wheelhouse and forward cabins and these were replaced at Windsor over the winter of 1964-1965. Donnacona last operated in 1968 and laid up at Midland. Following a sale to Spanish ship breakers, the ship raised steam one last time and came down the Welland Canal under her own power on June 14, 1969. A week later, it was taken in tow at Quebec City and delivered to Bilbao, Spain, on July 12 for dismantling.
Another candidate for suffering a major accident and sailing again was the Donnacona of Canada Steamship Lines in 1964. The Donnacona was built by the Western Dry Dock & Shipbuilding Co. of Port Arthur, Ontario, and launched as W. Grant Morden on April 14, 1914. CSL was less than a year old when the company took delivery of the 190.50 metre long vessel. The first cargo was iron ore taken aboard at Escanaba, Michigan, for delivery to Port Colborne. Setting Great Lakes cargo records was common in the early years and included 760,066 bushels of oats in 1915, 504,908 bushels of wheat in 1916, 14,955 tons of iron ore in 1928 and a world record 587,844 bushels of barley taken aboard on April 30, 1947. CSL changed the name to Donnacona in 1926 and the ship continued regular service on the upper four Great Lakes. On Aug. 27, 1932, the ship made its first trip down the newly opened Welland Canal, opening Lake Ontario ports, particularly Kingston, as a destination.
A fire disabled the ship in Lake Huron on Dec. 16, 1964, before an SOS could be sent out. The blaze did serious damage to the wheelhouse and forward cabins and these were replaced at Windsor over the winter of 1964-1965. Donnacona last operated in 1968 and laid up at Midland. Following a sale to Spanish ship breakers, the ship raised steam one last time and came down the Welland Canal under her own power on June 14, 1969. A week later, it was taken in tow at Quebec City and delivered to Bilbao, Spain, on July 12 for dismantling.