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The Keystorm is a 256 foot long steel hull cargo vessel with a 43.5 foot beam displacing 2300 tons, was built in 1909 at New Castle. She lies in American waters on the south side of Outer Scow Island Shoal near Goose Bay. There are usually 2 buoys marking the wreck. The Bow Buoy, the northern one of the two, provides an easy guide down 25 feet to the pilot house in the forecastle through light to medium current. Once on the wreck, there is little to no noticeable current. The Midship Buoy takes you down to about 45 feet to view her 4 huge open cargo holds and loading booms. You will find the 4 inch cables still lying about from a failed attempt to raise her. Her stern engine room and props lie at 103’.
The Keystorm is lying on her starboard side providing a nice opportunity to view the 40 foot gash on the port bow, that the inexperienced first mate so artfully carved into her using Outer Scow Shoal on October 13, 1912. While you are there, check out the anchor pockets but don’t breath the air you’ll find there. She is still hung on the shoal p roviding the experienced diver with an opportunity to swim through under the wreck at around 90 feet.
As you explore the wreck be aware of overhangs, cables, booms, debris and other wreck associated hazards.
Avoid the temptation of penetrating the wreck unless you are properly equipped, certified and experienced. Even spaces as large and open the holds can kill divers when the silt is stirred up. Be aware that the large steel hull can render your compass useless.
You’ll find a variety of fish all over the wreck. A sizable northern pike has made his home under the bow, large schools of black bass wander the shoal, rock bass will be found hiding under the ship on the shoal side of the swim through. Eels are often spotted amongst the cables and booms. You may even spot a wandering muskie or sturgeon.
On your return be sure to use the buoy lines to return to your boat so that you are not blown off the wreck, it is a lo ng way before the current may take you near land. Do not forget your safety stops.
The following is the finding of the Commander H.L.G. Lindsay, Dominion Wreck Commission, who was assisted by Captain F. Nash, F.J. Thompson and J. McGrath, acting as assessors:
The Keystorm, a vessel belonging to the Keystone Transportation Company of Montreal, engaged regularly in the coal trade between various coal ports in the United States and Montreal, Left Charlotte, NY, on October 25, 1912 about 3:00 PM for Montreal with a cargo of 2,273 tons of coal and arrived of Tibbetts Point in the St. Lawrence about midnight. At 12:15 AM on October 26, the master gave over the charge of the navigation to his first mate, with the orders of a very definite nature as to what he should do, but for some reason or other did not go below to his quarters, but remained on the forward deck, evidently not being quite satisfied of the first mate’s ability to run the vessel in the intricate channel in that locality and also being doubtful as to the state of the weather, which was at that time unsettled.
At 3 AM the ship being off Alexandria Bay, the master retired to his bed, the weather conditions, according to evidence, being the same, but he did not take off his clothes, evidently expecting a call. From that point that point the vessel proceeded safely up to Sister’s Island Light, which was a perfectly straight course from Sunken Rock Light. When passing the Sister’s she rant into a bank of fog which obscured all lights and landmarks. The first mate then showed total disregard of all prudence or common sense and, not knowing what course the vessel would steer by compass, never having, as he said paid any attention to such a method of navigation, he tried to take the customary course by using what he supposed was the glimmer of light on Sister’s Island over the stern, but without being able to see the gas buoy on Chippewa Point Shoal which under ordinary circumstances would have shown on the starboard bow. Then, being doubtful of the ship’s position, and without any reduction in speed, he sent to call down the master, but befor e this could be done the ship struck Outer Scow Shoal, and became a total loss.
The Court finds that the master, Louis Daigneault, showed a lack of judgment in allowing the mate to take charge of the navigation of this valuable vessel in this particular location where the greatest amount of care is necessary for navigation even during the daytime, knowing as he did the limited experience the mate had in this work, and his going below at 3:00 AM was an act of culpable negligence as there were still dangers to avoid and in less than two hours it would have been daylight. The court therefore suspends his certificate from November 1, 1912 to November 1, 1913.
With respect to the conduct of John Leboeuf, the mate, the court is of the opinion that his neglect to call the master when the weather became thick, his lack of initiative in not stopping the engines when he lost his bearing and his utter disregard of the compass course to be steered, was gross and culpable negligence, and suspends his certificate from November 1, 1912 to November 1, 1914.
The court severely reprobates the very loose method of navigation which seems to the customary on vessels of this class, and particularly the want of compass courses, and suggests a printed card of all courses and distances on the various runs, the card to hung up in the pilothouse, ready for instant reference in the case the leading lights or marks become obscured as happened in this case.
The court is of the opinion that everything was done in the Engineer Room with regard to the pumping arrangements, but in spite of this, the water gradually gained and ultimately caused the vessel to slip off the shoal into deep water and flounder about five hours after stranding. No attempt seems to have been made to tray to get the vessel off the shoal and it is the court’s opinion that under the circumstances it was just as well.
S alvage, December 1912
Keystorm at the time of her loss was valued at about $125,000 and her cargo at $300,000 and accordingly her owners were understandably reluctant to abandon her. In the early spring of 1913 a diver was sent down and he reported that the steamer was lying on her starboard side in deep water, with her bottom ripped out for a distance of about 60 feet back from the bow. The diver’s opinion was that it would not be possible to salvage the ship and, as a result, Keystorm was officially abandoned in April 1913.
The Underwriters let a salvage contract to A. J. Lee of Westmount, Quebec, and he arranged for salvage gear to be brought from Quebec with airlocks and compressors coming from New York and divers fro m Halifax. It was determined that the stern of the ship was resting in 102 feet of water and it was thought that if the vessel could be lifted by means of compressed air, she could be shifted about three ship lengths into much shallower water and there the remainder of the necessary work could be accomplished. Lee was apparently interested in proving certain of his theories on the subject of compressed air and it’s value in salvage work and he started work in the fall of 1913 to seal up the wreck in preparation for the lift. Lee went back to work on the Keystorm in the spring of 1914 when the weather conditions were suitable, but his efforts proved unsuccessful and the sunken collier stayed right where she lay on the bottom of Chippewa Bay. As the years of the first World War passed, other salvagers talked of the possibility of raising the ship and reclaiming her cargo, but no body ever succeeded in bringing the canaller to the surface.
The Keystorm had a short career on the lakes, her sisters did much better for themselves. Keynes ran through 1946 at which time she was condemned. Laid up at Kingston, she was scrapped there in 1947 and her remains were shipped by rail to the Saul Ste. Marie plant of the Algoma Steel Company. Keyport was to survive the longest. Keystone Transports was taken over by LaVerendrye Line Lts. in 1957 and during 1957 and 1958 the less economical Keystone ships were retired. Five steamers, however, were kept in operation though the autumn lf 1961 at which time operations were closed down, LaVerebdrye Line being acquired by the Hall Corporation in 1961. The Ships that finished out the service were Keybar, Keystate, Keyshey, Keyvive, and the oldest ship in the fleet, Keyport. She lay idle at Kingston until 1963 and on June 5 of that year was towed to Port Dalhousie where she was scrapped in the old dry dock by A. Newman Company.
But for the carelessness of two men, Keystorm might also have lived to operate into her second half century.
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