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CHARLES M. BEEGHLY The familiar bulk carrier Charles M. Beeghly began her Vessel career on the Great Lakes in 1958 as the green-hulled * Shenango II for the Shenango Furnace Co. of Cleveland. Spotlight Built at a cost of approximately $8 million by the American Shipbuilding Company of Toledo, the Shenango II was the last of three 710-footers to enter service built to similar plans, the other two vessels being George M. Humphrey (1954) and John Sherwin (1958). On May 9, 1962, Shenango Il established a wheat record for U.S. flagged vessels when she loaded 689,000 bushels at Chicago bound for Trois- Rivieres, Quebec. She set a winter storage cargo record in December 1965 when she loaded 910,340 bushels of oats at Duluth for storage at Buffalo. Shenango II was sold in 1967 to Pickands-Mather’s Interlake Steamship Co. of Cleveland along with her smaller fleet mate William P.Snyder.The Snyder was immediately chartered back to Shenango Furnace for 1967 and 1968. The Shenango Il was renamed Charles M. Beeghly. During her 1971/72 winter lay-up at Fraser Shipyards in Superior, Wis., the Beeghly was lengthened 96 feet, increasing her capacity to 31,000 tons. Upon returning to service in 1972, she was the third largest vessel on the Great Lakes. exceeded in length only by the Roger Blough (858 feet) and the Stewart Cort (1,000 feet). On July 28, 1978, she set a Lorain, Ohio, record, delivering 31,015 tons of iron ore pellets loaded at Taconite Harbor, Minn. Since it was becoming increasingly expensive and time-consuming to unload cargoes of this size using shore-based equipment, the Beeghly was converted to a self-unloader during winter lay-up in 1980/’81 at Fraser Shipyards. The conversion was probably a life-saver, as her sister ship and fleet mate John Sherwin was not converted and has not seen service since late 1981.- George Wharton Shenango Il in the early 1960s. (Tom Manse) The Beeghly as she looks today. (Roger LeLievre) 40 KYS‘04