SS James H. Reed
42°16′10.2″N 80°47′46.2″W / 42.269500°N 80.796167°W
| History | |
|---|---|
| United States | |
| Name | James H. Reed |
| Namesake | James Hay Reed |
| Operator |
|
| Port of registry | Fairport, Ohio |
| Builder | Detroit Shipbuilding Company, Wyandotte, Michigan |
| Yard number | 154 |
| Launched | 29 May 1903 |
| Maiden voyage | 21 July 1903 |
| Out of service | 27 April 1944 |
| Identification | US official number 77589 |
| Fate | Sank in a collision on Lake Erie |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Lake freighter |
| Tonnage | |
| Length | |
| Beam | 52 feet (15.8 m) |
| Depth | 28 feet (8.5 m) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion | 1 × propeller |
| Capacity | 7,300 long tons (7,417 t) |
| Crew | 36 |
| Sister ship(s) | D. G. Kerr D. M. Clemson |
SS James H. Reed was an American lake freighter in service between 1903 and 1944. One of the largest freighters on the lakes at the time of her launching in 1903, she was built by the Detroit Shipbuilding Company in Wyandotte, Michigan, for the Provident Steamship Company of Duluth, Minnesota, managed by Augustus B. Wolvin. She served in the iron ore, coal and grain trade, and was involved in a number of accidents.
On 26 April 1944, as James H. Reed was headed from Escanaba, Michigan, for Buffalo, New York, with a cargo of iron ore under the command of Captain Herbert Brightstone, she encountered thick fog over Lake Erie. Despite sounding fog signals, James H. Reed was unexpectedly rammed by the Canadian freighter Ashcroft at 05:30 EST, 42 miles (67.6 km) west of Long Point. James H. Reed was seriously damaged, sinking rapidly, killing 12 of her crew. The 24 survivors were rescued by Ashcroft and a US Coast Guard cutter.
After sinking into 76 feet (23.2 m) of water, James H. Reed's wreck was dynamited as a hazard to navigation in November 1944. She is the largest shipwreck in Lake Erie.