Tragedy Strikes in Seven Minutes; “Loss of the Steamer Fred McBrier”

by Tony Gramer

The 161 foot Steamer Fred McBrier was built in 1881 in West Bay City, MI. On the night of October 3, 1890 the down bound Fred McBrier with a load of iron ore and towing the barges A. Stewart and J.B. Lozen was squarely hit amidships by the up bound larger steamer Progress. Both steamers misunderstood signals as they past that night, the McBrier went down in just seven minutes; approximately 10 miles west from old Mackinaw point in Lake Michigan.