Kate JohnsonWhat lies at the bottom of the sea is something that has always intrigued many researchers. We do not know exactly what exists deep under the sea as our equipment often fails to dig deeper. Sailors and fishermen have always been exposed to incredibly threatening and unexpected experiences while at sea. Before modern technology, people used to rely solely on the myths and superstitions to explain what goes on underwater. But this ship and its crew members had a firsthand experience that life at sea can indeed be unpredictable…
After 90 Years
Back in the year 1928, a steamboat disappeared after meeting with a heavy storm while transporting passengers and goods on Lake Huron. This was a mystery looming over the locals head for so many decades now. But this ship was discovered 90 years later after shipwreck hunters found the doomed ship on the bottom of the lake. However, this was not all there was to it…
Meant For Speed
So what was the history of this steamboat? Well, it was back in June of 1888, when the S.S. Macassa arrived in Hamilton, Ontario. This steamboat had been built that very same year by William Hamilton & Co. in Glasgow, Scotland. This was supposed to be a different steamboat that had been specially made to be quite speedy and can reach a huge amount of distance in a short span of time.
Meant For People
Well, to understand what the steamboat looked like, here is the dimensions of the body. This steamboat was originally 155 feet long and just 24.1 feet wide. It was not mean to carry just goods and supplies, there was another use meant for this boat. Since it was specially built to transport people, the ship had been made to be able to travel very fast.
A Summertime Ferry
So after months of carefully shaping this boat to be what it became, the company that built it were done with its construction. And soon after reaching Ontario, the Hamilton Steamboat Company put the ship into service. They could hardly wait to see how the boat would perform as they had high hopes for it. This boat was meant for the summertime.
Useful For So Many
So pretty soon, the boat started to function and would be used to carry people. The S.S. Macassa functioned as a ferry that traveled on Lake Ontario transporting vacationers, picking them up in Hamilton and taking them to Burlington Beach. This ferry was used throughout the summer months and was indeed a useful means of transport for a lot of people during its time.
Years Of Service
So just as expected and anticipated, the S.S. Macassa successfully transported a lot of folks through the sea at high speed. In the following few decades, the S.S. Macassa would go on to successfully serve as a ferry for vacationers at the same time carrying cargo between Toronto and Hamilton. It was making a lot of money and proved to be very popular.