SS D.M. Clemson (1903)
SS "D.M. Clemson" was a long steel-hulled Great Lakes freighter that went missing on 1 December 1908, on Lake Superior. The ship was last seen coming through the Soo Locks, onto Lake Superior. The ship was built in 1903 for the Provident Steamship Company. She is known for sinking on Lake Superior, on the night of 1 December 1908 with all hands; 24 men lost their lives. The wreck of "D.M. Clemson" is still missing, and the cause of her sinking remains a mystery to this day. Possible cause of the sinking. Historian and author  Frederick Stonehouse discussed the disappearance of the "Clemson" in his book "Went Missing". According to Stonehouse the "Clemson" suffered some structural damage when she struck a lighthouse pier at Ashtabula, Ohio, on October 20, 1908. The incident damaged 10 hull plates and a water tank on the starboard side. Temporary repairs were made until the "Clemson" went into layup for the winter of 1908. Another theory suggests that the Clemson's wooden hatch covers failed causing water to leak into the cargo hold and sink the ship. Aftermath. There were no survivors to tell what happened to the ship. However , for weeks debris and some bodies from the 24 crew members washed ashore from the ill-fated ship between Crisp Point and Grand Marais. One of the bodies found was the body of the Clemson's watchman, Simon Dunn of Dublin, Ireland, which washed ashore at Crisp Point. Dunn was wearing a life jacket with "D.M. Clemson" written on it. Later, pieces of the ship's cabin, 23 of the ship's wooden hatch covers and at least three more bodies were seen floating further west. Only one other body was recovered, and was identified as second mate Charles Woods  of Marine City, Michigan. A second vessel named "D.M. Clemson" was launched in 1917.