The Weehawk (sometimes spelled Wee Hawk) was a diesel-electric automobile ferry constructed in 1926 by the American Boveri Electric Company for Electric Ferries Incorporated, based on a design by naval architect Eads Johnson. Measuring 145.6 feet in length, 37.1 feet in beam, and 12.7 feet in depth, with a gross tonnage of 405 tons and official registry number 226166, it was capable of speeds around 11 miles per hour during its early trials. Along with its five sister ships, the Weehawk primarily served as a commuter ferry across the Hudson River, transporting passengers and vehicles from the foot of West 23rd Street in Manhattan to Baldwin Avenue in Weehawken, New Jersey, throughout the 1920s and 1930s. This route was part of a bustling network of electric ferries operated by the company, emphasizing efficient urban transit in the New York area during a time of growing automobile use.
After decades of service on the Hudson, the Weehawk and one of its sister ships, the John J. Walsh, were sold and relocated to Canada in 1961. They were purchased by Percy Larose, a scrapyard operator based at Lock 27 in the old Galop Canal system along the St. Lawrence River near Cardinal, Ontario. The Galop Canal, originally opened in 1846 to bypass treacherous rapids in the river, had been a key part of pre-St. Lawrence Seaway navigation but was largely obsolete by the mid-20th century. Larose intended to dismantle the ferries for scrap at the site of the former Lock 28, just west of Cardinal. However, tragedy intervened before the scrapping could be completed. Larose was involved in a severe car accident that resulted in the death of his wife and left him physically unable to continue his work. Abandoned and neglected, the Weehawk gradually deteriorated and sank into the shallow waters of the canal, likely in the early 1960s following its arrival. Some accounts describe it as having been scuttled, though the primary cause appears to have been disuse and exposure to the elements. The John J. Walsh met a similar fate initially but was later removed from the site between October and November 1989. The Weehawk, however, was left in place. Today, the Weehawk rests as a shipwreck in approximately 18 feet (5.5 meters) of water in the former Lock 28 of the Galop Canal. The site is part of the St. Lawrence River's underwater heritage, visible from the surface in calm conditions and popular among scuba divers for its accessibility and historical intrigue. The wreck consists of rusted steel remnants, including exposed hull and superstructure, but it is considered unstable and deceptive, with potential hazards like poor visibility, silt, and currents in the adjacent Lock 27. Divers often combine explorations of the Weehawk with drift dives through Lock 27 to nearby sites like the Conestoga wreck, encountering local marine life such as bass along the way. The area around Cardinal continues to attract history enthusiasts, geocachers, and underwater archaeologists interested in the region's 19th- and 20th-century maritime legacy. Location ID #BR0135
|
Historical Photographs:
|
