The SS Henry B. Smith was a steel-hulled lake freighter constructed in 1906 by the American Ship Building Company in Lorain, Ohio. Designed as a substantial cargo vessel, she measured 545 feet in length, 55 feet in width, and 31 feet in height. Her gross tonnage was 6,631, with a net tonnage of 5,229, and she was powered by a triple-expansion steam engine, typical of large Great Lakes freighters of her era. The vessel was owned by the Acme Transit Company of Lorain, Ohio, under the management of William A. Hawgood, and bore hull number 343 with the registration number US203143. Named after Henry B. Smith, a notable lumberman and managing owner of the Ludington Woodenware Company, the ship played a significant role in transporting iron ore across the Great Lakes. Her service was marked by a notable incident during the Great Lakes Storm of 1913, when she foundered in Lake Superior near Marquette, Michigan, on November 9 or 10, 1913, during a fierce storm. At the time, she was carrying a load of iron ore and had arrived at Marquette on November 6 to load further cargo. The ship's loading was delayed due to freezing ore in the hopper cars caused by cold weather, which contributed to her late departure amid deteriorating weather conditions. As the storm intensified, witnesses observed Smith struggling against the gale, with crew members hurriedly attempting to close her 32 hatches. Within twenty minutes of departure, the ship was lost from view, with debris washing ashore days later. Only two bodies were recovered: Second Cook H.R. Haskin and Third Engineer John Gallagher. A suspicious note found in 1914 claimed the ship had broken in two east of Marquette, but this was disputed. The wreck was discovered in 2013, lying upright in 535 feet of water approximately 30 miles north of Marquette. The vessel is largely intact but broken in two amidships, with her cargo scattered on the lakebed. The bow retains her pilothouse and forward mast, while the stern's cabin has collapsed. Her fully legible name on the stern confirmed her identity, making her an important maritime relic of the Great Lakes' storm history and early 20th-century lake freighter design.

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