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Che Detroit Marine Historian JOURNAL OF MARINE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF DETROIT, INC. Volume 7, No.10 July-August, 1954 RR KOR KK OK OR KOR OK RK OK ROK OR KOK F Masthead cut, at right - ERNEST T.WEIR, contributed by Bob Zeleznik. OK OK OK OK Ok OR OK Ok OK OK OK OK OR OK OR OK OK OK OK KOK Kk OR OK OK OK OR OK OR OK OK OK OK OK OK The ships of the NORTHERN TRANSPORTATION COMPANY, by Wm.A.McDonald, Part II The LOTTA BERNARD of 1869 Author's Collection In 1870 the controlling interest was purchased by the Vermont Cen- tral Reilroad, who ran the boats for several years and some new steamers were added to the fleet as replacements. In 1875 the V.C.R.R. got into finan- vial difficulties and the boats returned to their original owners. The name of the company was changed to Northern Transit Company, Philo Chamberlain of Detroit was manager, and the home port and offices were located in Cleve- =e By this time travel westward had declined. Further more the boats were mall and obsolete and could not compete with newer and larger vessels. In 1882 Liquidation was begun and the fleet disposed of, most of the boats were cut down to steam barges for the coal and lumber trade. During the fleet's 30 years of operation, three of its vessels were involved in major disasters. The OGDENSBURG and the sidewheeler ATLANTIC collided on Lake Erie, 820-52. Over 200 lives were lost when the ATLANTIC sank from the damage inflicted by the OGDENSBURG. The WISCONSIN burned on Lake ERIE, 5-21-67 and 23 lives were lost. The BROOKLYN took a toll of 16 to 20 lives when she sank after her boiler exploded on the Detroit River, wctober eee 1874. ihe last of the Fleet to survive was the CHAMPLAINE, which ended her ons as the KANSAS, being destroyed by fire at Manistee in 1924. Of the ships that became steam barges, the LAWRENCE and CITY OF NEW YORK were both lost in 1921. (Turn to P.3 for continuation of the list of ships of this fleet)