By Rob Alway
One of the more unusual vessels to work from Ludington during the early carferry era was Manistique, Marquette and Northern No. 1, commonly known simply as Manistique. She was not built for the Pere Marquette Railway, but changing railroad fortunes brought her into the Ludington operation for several years.
American Shipbuilding Co. constructed the vessel at Cleveland in 1902-03 as hull No. 413. Her design closely followed the Robert Logan pattern used for the Pere Marquette carferries. She measured about 338 feet long with a 56-foot beam and registered roughly 2,933 gross tons.
Twin triple-expansion engines developed approximately 3,000 indicated horsepower. Four tracks allowed the vessel to carry about 30 to 32 railroad cars, depending on car length and loading conditions.
The ship was intended for a route between Manistique and Northport, Mich. Delays involving the Northport terminal led to a brief charter to the Ann Arbor Railroad before the owner began operating its planned service in late 1903.
The Manistique, Marquette & Northern soon encountered financial trouble, and the Pere Marquette Railway took control of operations. Traffic through Northport did not meet expectations. In June 1904, the service was shifted to Ludington, giving the carferry a much longer Lake Michigan run between Ludington and Manistique.
The round trip covered roughly 276 miles. At least three trips were scheduled each week, making it one of the longest regular railroad carferry routes on Lake Michigan. One 1904 account described a 24-hour circuit during which the ship averaged about 14 mph.
Manistique became closely integrated with the Ludington fleet during portions of 1905 and 1906, although assignments changed and sources also place her back on the Northport route during parts of the same period. The vessel carried both railroad freight and passengers while serving under Pere Marquette operational control.
The ship experienced a severe Lake Michigan gale in October 1905 during a run from Manistique to Ludington but arrived without significant damage. In January 1908, she developed serious leaks near Manistique and sank in shallow water at a dock. Accounts differ on whether a grounding or another hull failure caused the damage. She was raised within days and repaired.
A reorganized Manistique & Northern later acquired the vessel, and in 1908 she was sold to the Grand Trunk Milwaukee Car Ferry Co. and renamed Milwaukee. She then entered service between Grand Haven and Milwaukee.
The former Manistique was lost in a severe gale on Oct. 22, 1929. There were no survivors. Sources differ slightly on the exact number of people aboard, generally placing the total in the mid-40s. A note recovered from the purser reported that the stern sea gate had been damaged and that water could not be kept off the car deck.
Later theories suggested loose railroad cars may have damaged the sea gate, but archaeological investigation of the wreck has not confirmed that explanation. The exact sequence of the loss remains unresolved. The wreck lies in about 120 feet of water east of Fox Point and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Coming in Part 13: The second Pere Marquette 18 - the replacement built after the 1910 disaster.