SS Manitoulin

SS Manitoulin was a Great Lakes passenger steamship. She was built in 1889 as Modjeska, and renamed Manitoulin in 1927 after a major refit. She was laid up in 1949 and scrapped in 1953.

SS Manitoulin

The ship as Modjeska
History
Canada
Name	1889: Modjeska 1927: Manitoulin
Namesake	1927: Manitoulin Island
Owner	1889: Hamilton Steamboat Co 1911: Niagara Navigation Co Ltd 1915: Canada Steamship Lines 1926: Owen Sound Transportation Co Ltd 1950: Louis Cadesky
Port of registry	1889: Hamilton, Ontario 1926: Owen Sound
Builder	Napier, Shanks & Bell, Yoker
Yard number	46
Launched	13 April 1889
Out of service	1949
Identification	UK official number 96058
Fate	Scrapped 1953
General characteristics
Type	passenger ship
Tonnage	as built: 454 GRT, 23 NRT as rebuilt: 913 GRT, 453 NRT
Length	178.0 ft (54.3 m)
Beam	31.1 ft (9.5 m)
Depth	12.3 ft (3.7 m)
Installed power	166 NHP
Propulsion	2 × screws 2 × triple-expansion engines
Capacity	as rebuilt: 150 passengers

Building

Napier, Shanks and Bell built Modjeska in Yoker, Glasgow, Scotland, launching her on 13 April 1889. Her registered length was 178.0 ft (54.3 m), her beam was 31.1 ft (9.5 m) and her depth was 12.3 ft (3.7 m). She was a twin-screw steamship, and each of her screws was driven by a triple-expansion steam engine built by Dunsmuir and Jackson Ltd. of Govan. Between them her twin engines were rated at 166 NHP.^[1]

Modjeska

Modjeska was an excursion steamer on Lake Ontario. Her first owner was the Hamilton Steamboat Co Ltd, which registered her in Hamilton, Ontario. Her United Kingdom official number was 96058.^[2] Her ownership passed to the Niagara Steam Navigation Co Ltd in 1911 and Canada Steamship Lines Ltd in 1915.^[1]

On June 13, 1903, the Modjeska was involved in an early Canadian demonstration of ship-to-shore wireless transmission. While the ship was about 20 miles offshore, members of the American De Forest Wireless Co. exchanged messages with company engineers, scientists and dignitaries on shore in Toronto.^[3]

Manitoulin

1931 Owen Sound Transportation Company poster featuring Manitoulin

In 1926 the Owen Sound Transportation Company acquired Modjeska in damaged condition, had her refitted, renamed her Manitoulin and moved her to Owen Sound. The refit provided cabins and staterooms for up to 150 passengers^[4] and increased her tonnages to 913 GRT and 453 NRT.^[5]

In 1949 Manitoulin was laid up, and in 1950 Norgoma replaced her. ^[6] Manitoulin was stripped in 1951 at Port Dalhousie, Ontario and scrapped in late 1953 at Port Weller Dry Docks.^[1]