Erie Belle

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The Erie Belle was a Great Lakes steam ship which exploded in 1883 along the shores of Lake Huron. Built in 1864 as the Hector, she initially served the east coast of the USA during the Civil War era. She sailed for many years as a packet steamer on Lake Erie, until sinking and being re-built as a tug. During monumental storms in November 1883 she was sent to an area south of Kincardine, Ontario, Canada to rescue the schooner J. M. Carter which had been blown ashore. While maneuvering offshore it is thought that the water supply to the boiler was cut off, and when restored, superheated steam blew up the boiler and the ship. Four crewmen died. Ironically, the remains of the boiler are still visible, as the naming feature of "Boiler Beach" two miles south of Kincardine. A popular sea-food restaurant in Kincardine is named after the ship.

[edit] External links

• The wreck of the Erie Belle: Boiler Beach, Lake Huron