Champlain II

The steamboat Oakes Ames was built in 1868 by the Napoleon B Proctor Shipyard in Burlington, Vermont for the Rutland Railroad. The 244-foot paddle wheeler was designed to ferry railroad cars from Burlington across Lake Champlain to Plattsburgh, New York. She was named after one of the railroad's directors' Oakes Ames.[2]

This article is about a shipwreck in Lake Champlain. For other second Champlains, see Champlain (disambiguation).
CHAMPLAIN II Shipwreck
The Champlain II was built as the Oakes Ames, depicted here in a c. 1868 painting by James Bard
LocationAddress Restricted, Westport, New York
Coordinates44°12′21″N 73°22′39″W
Area2 acres (0.81 ha)
Built1868
ArchitectProctor, Napoleon Bonaparte; Spear, Orson Saxton
Architectural styleSidewheel Passenger Steamer
NRHP reference No.97000980[1]
Added to NRHPSeptember 15, 1997

She successfully trialed on 19 August 1868 and her maiden excursion ran the next day to Willsboro Bay, Plattsburg, onward to Montreal for a review of the railroad's assets.[3]

Champlain II aground, 1875

In 1874, the ship was renamed and repurposed for passenger service as the Champlain II. [4] The following year, on July 16, 1875, the ship was wrecked when it ran aground after drifting off course while being guided by a pilot under the influence of morphine.[5] A salvage operation shortly afterwards removed much of the superstructure, leaving about a third of the wreck in place.[6]

The site is now an archaeological site located in Lake Champlain near Westport in Essex County, New York. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.[1]


References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. "Personal". Burlington, Vermont: The Burlington Free Press. 20 August 1868. p. 4. Retrieved 23 May 2020. Hon. Oakes Ames, of North Eaton, Mass. Mr. Ames' high position among the enterprising and successful manufacturers and railroad capitalists of the Bay State, has long been recognized. A member for two years of the State Executive Council, and a Member of Congress since 1862, he has proved his eminent fitness for public as well as private trusts. One of the original projectors of the Union Pacific Railroad, he showed his confidence in the route by becoming one of its largest stockholders. As one of the firmest friends and strongest supporters of the plan for the extension of the Rutland R, R. line, they have honored themselves in naming their new boat after him.
  3. "Personal". Burlington, Vermont: The Burlington Free Press. 20 August 1868. p. 4. Retrieved 23 May 2020. Cars were run on to the Ames yesterday with perfect success, and a train of freight and passenger cars will be taken over to-day.
  4. Ames, Sarah. "The Steamboat Oakes Ames, ca. 1868*". evelinaames.com. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  5. "Examination of the wreck" (Evening edition). Burlington, Vermont: The Burlington Free Press. 20 Jul 1875. p. 3. Retrieved 23 May 2020. Examination of the wreck of the 'Champlain' shows that she had been run out of her course at least thirty yards. She lay at an angle with the shore of forty-five degrees, with over half her length on land, while her stern was in deep water. The vessel glided up a Hit rock, causing the hull to break in two just forward of the engines, amidship. Within five minutes from the time that she struck, the stern and promenade decks wero completely submerged in water, while the boat's bow dropped over the rock and on the shore.
  6. Scott A. McLaughlin (April 1997). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: CHAMPLAIN II Shipwreck". New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Retrieved 2010-07-14. See also: "Accompanying seven photos".
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