r/ShipwreckPorn

The Mary D Hume was a steamboat made in Gold Beach Oregon in 1881. The Mary D Hume had a long and interesting career. It was a whaling ship in 1899-1901 then it was brought to Seattle to be converted into a tugboat. In 1914? It sank in Seattle but it was refloated and had its superstructure replaced. In 1978 it was retired after 97 years of service! It was brought to the port of Gold Beach and was turned into a museum ship but the cradle it was being put on collapsed on the aft side slamming the stern into the floor almost breaking it in half. Then the forward side collapsed as well and the ship sank in 4 feet of water. They were unable to bring it back up so it was abandoned in place. currently it is in really bad shape and it looks like the funnel will collapse any day now and when that happens the rest of the ship will likely collapse soon after it.

I didn't even know this book existed, so it may be new and of interest to others in this community. Just glancing through, there seem to be lots of cool historical photos, most of which I haven't seen before.

Launched as the W.K. Bixby in 1905, She was converted to a self-unloader in 1933 and renamed to Sydney E. Smith Jr in Fall 1971.

On June 4th 1972 at 1:46am, she was struck amidship by the heavily loaded Parker Evens in the St. Clair river , sinking into the shallow water 40 minutes later, all of her crew where rescued.

Sydney E Smith Jr laid on her side in the shipping channel, later being cut/blown in two to be salvaged. Her bow and stern where raised in Summer and Fall 1972 and turned into a dock in Sarnia