SS William E. Corey

The steamer William E. Corey after her launch
History
Name	William E. Corey (1905–1963) Ridgetown (1963–1970)
Namesake	William Ellis Corey
Operator	Pittsburgh Steamship Company (1905-1952) US Steel (1952-1963) Upper Lakes Shipping Ltd. (1963-1970)
Port of registry	United States, Fairport, Michigan
Builder	Chicago Shipbuilding Company
Yard number	67
Launched	24 June 1905
Completed	28 July 1905
In service	12 August 1905
Identification	U.S. Registry #202296
Fate	Sunk as a breakwater outside Mississauga, Ontario
General characteristics
Type	Bulk freighter
Tonnage	6,363 GRT 5,045 NRT
Length	569 ft (173 m)
Beam	56 ft (17 m)
Height	31 ft (9.4 m)
Installed power	2× Scotch marine boilers
Propulsion	1,800 horsepower (1,300 kW) triple expansion steam engine attached to a single fixed pitch propeller
Speed	10 knots
Crew	29

SS William E. Corey is a steel-hulled propeller-driven Great Lakes freighter that had a lengthy career on the Great Lakes. She served from her launching in 1905 to her conversion to a breakwater in 1970.

History

William E. Corey was a product of the Chicago Shipbuilding Company of Chicago, Illinois. William E. Corey was launched on June 24, 1905, as hull number #67. The laker was one of four almost identical vessels; Elbert H. Gary and William E. Corey were both launched in Chicago, Henry C. Frick launched in West Bay City, Michigan and George W. Perkins launched in Superior, Wisconsin. All four vessels were the largest on the lakes at the time of their launch, hence the unofficial title "Queen of the Lakes".

Mataafa Storm

The launch of William E. Corey

Shortly after her launch the brand new William E. Corey encountered one of the worst storms in Great Lakes history, the Mataafa Storm of 1905. On November 28, William E. Corey was driven hard aground onto Gull Island Reef in the Apostle Islands. During a very short period of time the temperatures dropped to −12 °F (−24 °C) and the winds reached hurricane force. After the storm William E. Corey was refloated on December 10, 1905.

SS Ridgetown

Ridgetown acted as the breakwater for the harbour.

Over the next fifty three years William E. Corey changed hands many times until in 1963 she was sold to the Upper Lakes Shipping Company and renamed Ridgetown. The ship served for seven more years until in May 1970 when she was scuttled as a temporary breakwater at Nanticoke, Ontario in the summer. Later refloated in 1973. On June 21, 1974 she was scuttled as a breakwater at Mississauga, Ontario.