SUNKEN HISTORY & MARITIME TREASURES
The Sand Beach Life-Saving
The Great Race
Tashmoo and City of Erie

This month’s Sunken History & Maritime Treasures features work by artist Robert McGreevy. Robert has researched and painted numerous ships; the following story is an excerpt from his upcoming book Lost Legends of the Lakes.

On June 4, 1901, the passenger boats Tashmoo and City of Erie raced in a grand and mighty contest on the waters of Lake Erie to determine which vessel would carry the title of fastest ship on the lakes.

The City of Erie, measuring 316' long by 77.2' wide, was built in 1898 for the Cleveland Buffalo Transit Co. (C&B), and by many, this nineteenth century vessel was heralded as the fastest ship on the Great Lakes. Nicknamed the “Honeymoon Special,” the City of Erie worked the lakes, transporting newlyweds to Niagara Falls.

Built at Wyandotte, Michigan, the Tashmoo was the flagship of Detroit’s White Star Line and the first steamer built in 1900. Measuring 308' long and 69' wide, the Tashmoo’s construction and design focused on affording the steamer the greatest speed possible, and the luxurious twentieth century steamer, capable of speeds exceeding 21 mph, was quickly dubbed the “White Flyer.”

A similar competition, of smaller grandeur and on friendlier terms, took place the previous year between the City of Chicago and the City of Milwaukee. When the City of Chicago won the race by a full minute, a Chicago newspaper claimed the City of Chicago was the fastest on the lakes.

Meanwhile, in Detroit, the swift rebuttal came that at least nine steamers could travel at a greater speed than the Chicago, including the City of Erie. Upset that the Tashmoo had been omitted from the list, A.A. Parker, president of Detroit’s White Star Line, wagered $1,000 that the Tashmoo could outdistance any competitor willing to make the attempt. T.F. Newman, president of the C&B Line, rose to the challenge, offering the City of Erie as the steamer to compete.

While each agreed the winner would donate the $1,000 winnings to charity in either Detroit or Cleveland, depending on the race’s outcome, it was the prestige of the title both men sought. Rivalry between the two cities increased, and interested parties placed their own wagers. Upon the race’s end, upwards of $100,000 dollars would change hands.

The 94-mile course ran between Cleveland, Ohio, and Erie, Pennsylvania, and while the route chosen was a clear advantage to the City of Erie since it followed the steamer’s regular route, the Tashmoo’s owners and crew carried few concerns. On the day preceding the race, the Tashmoo made a practice run on the outlined course: the White Star Line president was well pleased with her time.

In preparation for the race, the Erie’s crew had stripped the ship of her rafts and lifeboats and anything else that might weigh her down. So confident were the Tashmoo’s owners, the Tashmoo crew did nothing; the White Flyer could win this race, carrying lifeboats and all.

On Tuesday morning, June 4, 1901, excursion boats and steam vessels plied their way to the site of the action to claim a prime vantage point for their passengers. More than 20,000 spectators flooded the Cleveland waterfront, and when the cannon blasted at 9:18 a.m., the Tashmoo and the City of Erie began the great race.

Both ships carried newspaper reporters and company officials, and many prominent Cleveland citizens aboard the City of Erie called themselves deckhands. Small boats and buoys stationed along the course ensured the two steamers would maintain a half-mile channel of distance between them.

To the roar of Cleveland fans, the Erie gained two full lengths ahead by the time she cleared the Cleveland breakwall. Spectators onshore watched breathlessly as the Tashmoo gained speed and closed the distance. After 15 minutes, the Tashmoo took the lead by three lengths.

Accustomed to her river runs, the Tashmoo’s wheelsman was not used to steering by compass, and as the shoreline disappeared, so, too, did the Tashmoo’s lead. The Erie passed the Tashmoo, steadily increasing her lead. To add to the calamity, sailors in the Tashmoo engine room worked frantically on an overheated condenser, as the Erie increased her lead by six lengths.

Back on track and the condenser fixed, the Tashmoo’s crew could also now finally see the boat marking the finish line. While the Erie strained under her speed, the Tashmoo began to close the gap.

The three kites flown by the judge’s boat indicated the winner: The City of Erie won the race with a mere 45-second lead.

Evident that the Tashmoo was clearly the faster vessel on the straight-away, the White Star Line offered a re-match with $10,000 going to the victor. The C&B Line politely declined.

The Great Race is an excerpt from Robert McGreevy’s upcoming book, Lost Legends of the Lakes. A local artist, Robert McGreevy has completed over 300 paintings of ships. McGreevy’s Michigan-made, hardcover, coffee-table book contains over 50 color illustrations and will feature images never before published, along with complementing ship stories guaranteed to intrigue. Lost Legends of the Lakes will be released in the summer of 2011 and is co-authored and edited by Huron County writer, Janis Stein. For more information about Robert McGreevy’s work, please visit www.mcgreevy.com.