PS Alpena
Template:Short description Template:For
Template:Infobox ship imageTemplate:Infobox ship careerTemplate:Infobox ship characteristicsPS Alpena was a sidewheel steamer built by Thomas Arnold of Gallagher & Company at Marine City, Michigan in 1866. She was operated by the Goodrich Line after being purchased from Gardner, Ward & Gallagher in April 1868. The Alpena sank in Lake Michigan in the "Big Blow" storm on October 15, 1880, with the loss of all on board.<ref name="michiganshipwrecks">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Construction
Built in 1866, by the Thomas Arnold of Gallagher & Company of Marine City, Michigan, the Alpena was Template:Convert in length, Template:Convert in breadth, with a depth of Template:Convert. It was rated at 654 tons displacement. The vessel was driven by a steam engine, and photographs of the vessel show its walking beam suspended above the paddlewheels.
Sinking
At least 60 people died when the ship, also carrying a large cargo of apples, capsized in the middle of the lake. The ship was on a trip from Grand Haven, Michigan, to Chicago, Illinois, and was spotted at 8:00 am on October 16 in heavy seas. Some time later, probably due to a shift in the cargo on deck caused by the waves, it capsized and drifted northwest. On the 17th, debris including a piano came ashore in Holland, Michigan, while apples and wood debris were found at Saugatuck. A section of beach near Holland where debris was found is still called Alpena Beach.<ref>Alpena Beach near Holland has a tragic namesake, mlive, Nov 19, 2012</ref> The loss of life is estimated at about 60-consisting of about 25 crew<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and about 35 passengers<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
See also
- List of maritime disasters in the 19th century
- List of storms on the Great Lakes
- Sea Wing disaster
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