The SS William Edenborn was a 497-foot (151 m) long Great Lakes freighter that had a 62-year career on the Great Lakes. She was built by the West Bay City Shipbuilding Company of West Bay City, Michigan. She was originally built for the American Steamship Company, in 1900. At the time of her launch she was the largest vessel on the lakes, this is why she was given the title Queen of the Lakes. In 1901 she was sold to the Pittsburgh Steamship Company.[1]
Mataafa Storm
The Edenborn aground after the Mataafa Storm
On 28, November 1905, Edenborn was towing the barge Madeira, when both vessels were caught in a fierce storm with winds that had a speed of up to 50 miles per hour (80 km/h). The captain of Edenborn feared the loss of his crew, and his ship and made the decision to cut Madeira loose. Shortly after this Madeira crashed into Split Rock. The first mate of Madeira went down with the ship. Two days later the tug Edna G rescued the stranded crew members of Madeira. On that same day Edenborn ran aground and broke in two near Split Rock.[2]
Final years of service
In 1952 Edenborn was transferred to U.S. Steel. She served until 1962 when she was decommissioned, stripped, and sunk as a breakwater at Cleveland, Ohio. She currently is buried under 39 feet (12 m) of dredgings from the Cuyahoga River.
