Fontana was a wooden schooner that sank in the St. Clair River in the U.S. state of Michigan on 3 August 1900 while under tow by the steamer Kaliyuga.

History
United States
NameFontana
BuilderSimon Langell
FateSunk in collision 3 August 1900
General characteristics
Length231 ft 4 in (70.51 m)
Beam38 ft (12 m)
Depth9 ft (2.7 m)

Sinking

edit

On the morning of 4 August 1900, Fontana, under tow by the steamer Kaliyuga, collided in the St. Clair River with Santiago, which was under tow by the steamer Appomattox. John McGregor was sleeping in Fontana's forecastle and was killed in the collision.[1]

Days after the collision, the schooner Kingfisher collided with the wreck of Fontana. No company was willing to bid to raise Fontana because of the swift current in the area where she sank and difficulty in patching the hole in her hull. Consequently, she was blasted with dynamite in October 1900 because her wreck was a hazard to navigation and the United States government believed that a further accident involving Fontana′s wreck could obstruct the St. Clair River.[2]

References

edit
  1. ^ "The Wreck of the Fontana". Retrieved 2017-02-10.
  2. ^ "Maritime History of the Great Lakes". Retrieved 2017-02-10.