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5. Ship of the Month - cont'd. feet beam and thirty-two feet deep, and in a single trip can carry as great a load as three hundred freight cars, or twelve thousand tons. In her are nine million five hundred thou­ sand pounds of iron and steel! What does this mean? It means that if every man, woman and child in Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota were to join in carrying this material to a certain place, each person would have to transport one pound. In the mass would be eight hundred thousand rivets, ranging in size from five eighths of an inch to one and one eighth inches in diameter. " An interesting note regarding the changes in the ability of the new ships to carry cargoes as compared to the smaller ships was written by Al Miller in his recent volume Tin Stack­ ers. He wrote: "In its first year of operation, THOMAS F. COLE steamed 36, 000 miles and carried more than 248, 000 tons of iron ore loaded in Duluth and Two Harbors. After expenses were deducted, it earned the fleet $51, 677, compared to the $4, 347 profit eked out that year by the tiny (whaleback) barge 118. " The steamer entered service in March of 1907 and this was the beginning of a somewhat che­ quered career. The Pittsburgh Steamship Company Bulletin No. 9 of 1907 carried the follow­ ing report: "October 23rd the steamer GRIFFIN ran into steamer COLE, making a large dent in her starboard side at No. 1 tank. Accident took place in the Sault River. " This same bulletin reported in June of 1908: "Violation of the Pilot Rules. June 16th, the steamer MASABA was passing Lorain about two miles out in the lake, the second mate being in charge. The second mate of the MASABA blew one whistle to a passing steamer which answered by two blasts. This passing steamer was the T. F. COLE, which steamer was also in charge of the second mate. Fortunately both captains got on deck and avoided any trouble. Notwith­ standing, Captain Morgan discharged the second mate of the COLE. 'I reported this violation of the Pilot Rules to the Local Inspectors and his license was suspended for thirty days! " We mentioned that THOMAS F. COLE was fitted to carry passengers. On a summer trip on board the COLE in 1910 was Mr. William J. Olcott, president of the Oliver Mining Co., with his family. The pleasant trip suddenly turned into an ordeal when the COLE slid onto a shoal in northern Lake Huron. The "Duluth Herald" carried the following story on August 25, 1910. "THOMAS F. COLE Runs Gravel Island Shoal Near Detour, Mich. W. J. Olcott and Family Tempo­ rarily Marooned on Freighter. W. J. Olcott, president of the Oliver Iron Mining Company and family are marooned aboard the steamer THOMAS F. COLE which ran on the reef of Gravel Island Shoal, in the St. Mary's River, at an early hour yesterday morning. "Five of the tanks on the starboard side are filled with water but the ship is in no dan­ ger. The wrecking tug FAVORITE has been sent to the scene of the accident. The Olcott party will probably leave the boat and return to Duluth by rail. "Although the boat was running at a very low rate of speed, she was carried nearly her full length over the reef. H. W. Brown of the Pittsburgh Steamship Company was informed of the accident by brief messages yesterday. Few details were obtainable at the Soo up to an early hour this morning. "The messages received in the city state that the starboard compartments, from 4 to 8, are badly punctured. They are filled with water on which the pumps have not been able to make much of an impression. "The COLE was bound for Duluth light. She got out of her course Tuesday night, in the heavy fog, as she was entering the river. It is not known how many of the plates are damaged. She rests easily in her present position. The weather is calm and it is thought that there is little danger of further damage. "The steamer COLE is one of the largest and finest of the ore carriers. She is 607 feet long (sic) and has a 58-foot beam. Her estimated gross tonnage is 7, 268. She was built in 1907 and is commanded by Capt. J. W. Morgan. "At the Duluth office of the Pittsburgh Steamship Company, it was stated today that nothing further had been heard regarding the condition of the COLE. Whether the big freighter had been cleared from the reefs or whether the vessel is still on the rocks and in a precarious condition, could not be learned at the Pittsburgh office. " The Pittsburgh Steamship Bulletin No. 6 of 1910 carried the following explanation of what had happened. "August 24, 1910 - COLE Stranding on Holdridge Shoal, Aug. 24, 1910. This was quite a serious grounding. The facts in this case are as follows: Capt. Morgan reported that