City Of Montreal

Congratulations Rock! The Rock has correctly identified this week’s Mystery Ship as the City Of Montreal. The ship was built in 1927 at Midland, Ontario by the Midland Ship Building Company. She was one of five “City Class” package freighters built for the Canada Steamship Lines. The vessel was sold in 1961 to Steelfactors, Ltd. and scrapped shortly thereafter at the Davie Shipbuilding & Repair Yard in Lauzon, Quebec.

John Roen

Congratulations Rock! The Rock has correctly identified this week’s Mystery Ship as the John Roen. The tug was built in 1895 at Camden, New Jersey for the Army Corps of Engineers. The vessel was acquired by Walthen & Company of Baltimore, Maryland in 1932 and renamed the Lamont. The Roen Steamship company purchased the tug in 1935 and renamed the vessel the John Roen. The ship changed hands several times over the next few decades before being acquired by the Great Lakes Towing Company in 1951. She was renamed the Samuel E. Bool in 1953. The tug was renamed the Georgia in 1972 and slipped from documentation shortly thereafter.

John R. Emery

Congratulations Jim! Jim has correctly identified this week’s Mystery Ship as the John R. Emery. The ship was built in 1905 and launched as the Trenton in Buffalo, New York. The W.L. Emery Company of Detroit, Michigan purchased the vessel in 1925 and renamed it the John R. Emery. The ship was reduced to barge in 1957 and converted to oil in 1958. The sand-sucker spent almost 100 years on the Great Lakes before retiring in 1999. If you would like to see a color photo of the John R. Emery taken by Jim Hoffman in 1980, please click here.

Renvoyle

Congratulations Rock! The Rock has correctly identified this week’s Mystery Ship as the Renvoyle. The ship was built in 1925 and launched as the Glenledi in Wellsend, England. The ship was built to canal size and sailed across Atlantic Ocean carrying her own prefabricated mid-body. After reaching Midland, Ontario, the ship was lengthened by Midland Shipbuilding Company. The vessel was then acquired by the Canada Steamship Lines who renamed her the Renvoyle. The ship sailed for over 40 years on the Great Lakes before it collided with and sunk the Sylvania on June 1, 1967. The ship was sent for scrapping later that year. If you wish learn more about the Revoyle's collison with the Sylvania, please click here.

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No, the site hasn’t sunk, however, I have run out of Mystery Ship photos. Thus, there will be a slight change. I will be posting photos of known ships with the name obscured. Once someone identifies the ship, the answer, as always, will be posted. As for the photo above, it was taken in 1929 when the Ralph Budd was stranded on the rocks of Saltese Point six miles west of Eagle Harbor in Lake Superior. All crew members were rescued.

Sagamore

Thanks to Harold Tartell and William T. Mentz for identifying the ship as the Sagamore.

Mr. Tartell of upstate New York supplied the following information about the beginnings of the Sagamore:

The SAGAMORE built in 1939 as the PETER MORAN by Pennsylvania Shipyards, Beaumont, Texas. She was transferred over to the US Navy during World War II, and became DONOCANA YTB-733. After the war she went back to Moran as PETER MORAN, and after 1948 she was sold to James McWilliams Blue Line to become SAGAMORE. She was sold in the late 60's, and went South to become BUCK ALLEN and then CHARLIE MENTZ. She was eventually scrapped in the 70's.

Mr. Mentz provide the final chapter in the story of the Sagamore:

The tug's last name was "Charlie Mentz" from 1975 to about 1983 and was then scrapped by Bisso Towboat Company of New Orleans. I have the original Wooden Wheel / Engine Telegraph and 2 Brass Port Holes on display in my home.

I christened the tug in April 1975. It was named in honor of my father who was very instrumental and major supporter / customer of Bisso when re-organized under new ownership in 1968 by ancestors of original owners of Bisso.