Draft:J. C. Morrison (Steamship) (1854)

• Comment: Please see WP:VERIFY qcne (talk) 15:26, 28 November 2024 (UTC)

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J. C. Morrison was a side-wheel steamship that ran for the Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Railroad Company between 1855-1857. She burnt up and sank just off Centennial Beach in Barrie, and her wreck now serves as a popular scuba diving site.

Background

Lithiograph of "J. C. Morrison" for international newspaper advertising
History
British North AmericaBritish North America
Name	"Joseph Curran Morrison"
Namesake	Joseph Curran Morrison
Owner	Ontario, Simcoe & Huron Railroad Company
Operator	Captain Fellows, Captain Charles T. Bell
Port of registry	Bell(e) Ewart
Ordered	1851
Builder	Bell Ewart Shipyard
Launched	1854
Completed	After May 2, 1855
Acquired	After May 2, 1855
Maiden voyage	After May 2, 1855
Out of service	August 4, 1857
Fate	Sank on August 4, 1857 after burning in Kempenfelt Bay
General characteristics
Length	150 feet (46 m)
Installed power	18 km/h (9.7 kn)
Propulsion	two side-lever steam engines

Joseph Curran Morrison, or J. C. Morrison as it was usually called, was built for the Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Railroad Company. The company had purchased steamboats like the Morning before from other companies, but most didn't make a huge profit. The company was trying to compete with another steamship, Beaver, which ran passengers and cargo around Lake Simcoe. The Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Railroad Company believed that they could Pioneer the lake, as they have pioneered Ontario grounds with their widely popular steam train service. They decided to build another side-wheel steamship much larger than Beaver, faster, and more comfortable. The company went into partnership with the Bell Ewart shipyards to use them for building this new ship.

Construction

The Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Railroad Company hired Captain Hugh Chisholm to design the ship, and by 1853 news was spreading about a brand-new steamship, supposed to be the grandest on Lake Simcoe. In 1854 the keel was laid and the hull was launched later that year. She was named Joseph Curran Morrison after the president of the Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Railroad Company at the time. Her furnishings were fitted out by the Jaques and Hay Furniture Company from Toronto, her 25 ft. tall beam engine and boiler were designed by Gartshore & Company and her silverware was manufactured by W. Adams & Sons. By mid-to-late 1855, J. C. Morrison was fully completed with a final cost of around $15,000 (roughly $34,000 today).

Career

J. C. Morrison was chartered for service in 1855 under the command of Captain Fellows to transport passengers and cargo between Jackson's Point, Beaverton, Atherley, Orillia, Port Bolster, and Hawkstone before returning to Bell(e) Ewart, on time for her passengers to make connections with the steam trains. J. C. Morrison became so popular among the community that she was eventually chartered for night cruises under the command of Captain Charles T. Bell at the price of $3 (around $150 today). The sudden success was in part because of her speed. She was much more comfortable than anything many of her passengers have seen all their lives, having stained glass windows and comfortable velvet sofas. Eventually she was chartered to make stops at nearly every major town and village surrounding Lake Simcoe.

Mishaps During Her Career

Although J. C. Morrison was well-received within Simcoe County, no ship is perfect, especially in the middle of the Steam Era. Her rudder was stiff and made the ship difficult to steer quickly, and she was top-heavy. Within her career she collided with multiple small schooners and sail boats, and once beached herself on the shallow waters in Lake Couchiching. She was left there overnight with a full load of passengers.

Loss

On August 4, 1857, J. C. Morrison was docked at Allendale Station overnight with passengers asleep in their berths. At around 12:45 AM, Captain Bell was woken by the smell of smoke filling the air. He was shocked to see fire spreading rapidly from above the boiler. He gave the order to abandon ship and began to wake his passengers. Only a few minutes passed before the entire ship was in flames, and it was feared that Captain Bell wouldn't make it off the ship himself. He eventually saved himself from the burning J. C. Morrison after evacuating every last passenger on board. Firefighters quickly made it on the scene and decided to let the ship go out on the lake to burn without the risk of nearby buildings going up in flames. As they did so, a light breeze began to push the ship farther north than intended, causing the vessel to land at one of the many wharves on the North side of Barrie. She was let go once more and finally grounded in 30 ft of water just offshore of Centennial Beach after burning for about an hour and a half. Nothing was saved from J. C. Morrison with the exception of some cash and a few account books from her cargo. The cause of the fire was never determined.

Following the Disaster

Lithiograph of a sail boat in the Lake Simcoe Boat Club

Immediately following the loss of J. C. Morrison, the Lake Simcoe Boat Club located the wreck and removed the paddle wheels from the site and into deeper waters so it would be easier for them to hold their 10th annual Regatta without damaging any of their boats on the wreck. They were eventually caught and forced into relocating the paddle wheels and placing them back on the wreck, but only one was ever found. The site of the wreck was not recorded and remained lost and forgotten.

Re-discovering the Wreck

In 1974, two Innisfil scuba divers located the broken up wreck of J. C. Morrison. They noted that the wreck was split into three main sections- the bow, mid-ships, and the stern, the latter was mostly intact. Artifacts were recovered and put on display at the Simcoe County Museum, including silverware and glasses made by W. Adams & Sons, which was used to identify the wreck. Today the wreck is mostly used as a training site for amateur scuba divers in Simcoe County. Although there is not much to see in terms of a wreck, it is a nice place to spot out the different kinds of fish that call the ship home. As of November, 2024, the aft part of the keel, the rudder, two ballast tanks, the forward mast, a paddle wheel, an anchor chain and the walking beams still remain. It is estimated that divers visit the wreck around 50 times a year.