The SS Carl D. Bradley was a prominent American Great Lakes freighter constructed in 1927 by the American Ship Building Company in Lorain, Ohio. This vessel was designed as a self-unloading bulk carrier primarily used to transport limestone from Rogers City, Michigan, to various ports on Lakes Michigan, Huron, Erie, and occasionally Superior. At a length of 639 feet (195 meters), she held the title of the longest and largest self-unloader on the lakes for 22 years, surpassing all other ships in size until the SS Wilfred Sykes was launched in 1949. Her engine was notably powerful—almost twice as large as those in most lake freighters—and she was fully electric, with a generator powering her propeller, lights, and other systems. Her design featured a forepeak and extensive cargo holds divided into five compartments, with unloading machinery located in a conveyor room forward of the cargo spaces. As the flagship of Bradley Transportation Company, she often carried distinguished guests and corporate officials, boasting individual staterooms, a modern galley, and a crew housed in comfortable accommodations. Her construction utilized steel that, over her 31-year career, was extensively used and suspected of brittleness, which contributed to her structural vulnerabilities. Throughout her service, the Carl D. Bradley set records, including carrying over 18,000 long tons of limestone in 1929—a cargo requiring 300 railroad cars—and was the first lake freighter to traverse the new MacArthur Lock at the Soo Locks in 1943. She also served as an icebreaker, with her forepeak filled with concrete to assist in breaking ice during winter. Her demise occurred during a fierce storm on November 18, 1958, when she was en route to Manitowoc for winter maintenance. Despite recent inspections deeming her seaworthy, she encountered storm-force southwest winds and heavy seas. Captain Roland Bryan, aware of her aging and potentially compromised structure, took a course that ultimately led to her breaking apart amid the storm. The ship sank in Lake Michigan, resulting in the loss of 33 of her 35 crew members, with only two survivors. The wreck lies at a depth of approximately 360 to 370 feet (110 meters), lying in two main sections separated by about 90 feet (27 meters). The sinking of the SS Carl D. Bradley remains a significant maritime tragedy, highlighting issues related to structural integrity, steel brittleness, and storm navigation, and it profoundly affected the small community of Rogers City, Michigan. Her legacy is commemorated through memorials, diving expeditions, and documentaries that honor the crew and explore the circumstances of her loss.

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