The SS Benjamin Noble was a lake freighter built in 1909 by the Detroit Shipbuilding Company, measuring 239 feet (73 meters) in length with a beam of 40 feet (12 meters). Originally constructed as a "canaller," designed to fit the dimensions of the Welland Canal, she was later converted for service in the open waters of the Great Lakes by her owners. The vessel was distinctive in her design, featuring elevated stern cabins on a poop deck and bow cabins on a forecastle deck, which contributed to her low freeboard and top-heavy profile. This unusual configuration meant she often sat quite low in the water, with her spar deck frequently getting wet. Her service record includes a notable incident on October 14, 1912, when she struck near Detroit and sustained damage to 54 plates, which was repaired after she arrived in Superior on October 20. The vessel's most tragic event occurred during her final voyage in April 1914. Under the command of Captain John Eisenhardt, on her first trip of the season, she entered Lake Superior bound for Duluth with a cargo of railroad rails. That night, a fierce spring storm struck, and the Benjamin Noble, vulnerable due to her low freeboard and possible overloading, was caught near Knife Island. The storm caused her to sink in a Lake Superior storm, with all hands lost. The ship's disappearance was noted when her hatch covers and pilot house washed ashore near Duluth, and wreckage including a long spar was later reported in the lake. After more than 90 years, the wreck of the Benjamin Noble was rediscovered in autumn 2004 by a shipwreck research team using side-scan sonar. The remains lie upright in a trench on the lake bottom, with the bow buried in silt and the stern partially buried and split just forward of the boiler room. The wreck's cargo of railroad rails is exposed, and the ship shows extensive damage from sinking, including collapsed rear cabins, a fallen rear mast, and scattered debris such as ventilators and a lifeboat. The Benjamin Noble is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, marking her as a significant maritime relic of the Great Lakes.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.