Iona
Ship stats
Vessel Type: Wooden propeller, steambarge
Length: 123.5 feet
Breadth: 24.2 feet
Gross Tonnage: 231.53
Cargo: 1,000 tons soft coal
Built: 1892 by S. Perry at Trenton, Ontario
Port of Registry at Loss: Montreal, Quebec
Owner at Loss: F.E. Hall & Company, Montreal, Quebec
Date Lost: May 18, 1912
Cause of Loss: Burned
Loss of Life: 0 of 13
Historical Background
The wooden steambarge Iona was built in 1892 at Trenton, Ontario by S. Perry. Iona was 123.5 feet in length, with a 24.2-foot breadth and a 10.2-foot depth of hold, measuring 231.53 gross tons and 157.45 net tons. It was assigned Canadian Official Number 94922.
Iona was built for Captain James D. Van Alstine of Picton, Ontario to replace the aging steambarge Saxon, from which Iona received its vertical steam engine and boiler. Van Alstine owned and sailed Iona until 1897, selling a controlling share in the vessel to his partner Edward A. Hall and Franklin E. Hall of Picton, and later, Montreal. Throughout its career, Iona was primarily employed in the St. Lawrence River forwarding trade, transporting various cargoes between Lake Ontario ports, Montreal, and Quebec; however, it frequently carried cargoes of grain from Upper Lakes ports as far away as Duluth and Fort William on Lake Superior to Kingston and ports on the St. Lawrence River.
On the evening of May 18, 1912, Iona was enroute from Sodus, New York to Montreal, Quebec, laden with 1,000 tons of soft coal, steaming northeast in rough seas. While approximately 15 miles off Oswego, a fire was discovered in the boiler room behind the smokestack. The fire spread rapidly through the stern, the blaze being stoked by the strong winds. It quickly became apparent to the crew that Iona could not be saved. Captain Paul Hammond and the 12 crew escaped to one of the ship’s boats.
Drifting with the winds and driven by the heavy seas, the boat had not drifted out of sight of the burning steambarge before the crew saw it go down by its bow. The crew struggled to keep the boat head onto the waves through the night but landed at Henderson Harbor the following morning shortly after daybreak, exhausted and suffering from exposure
The wreck of Iona was discovered in October 2022 by NOAA. The site was independently located by Mr. Tim Caza and Mr. Dennis Gerber in 2024, who identified the vessel as Iona in cooperation with NOAA archaeologists. In May 2025, NOAA and the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute documented the vessel using a remotely-operated vehicle.
Wreck Site
Photo model of the steambarge Iona. Photo: NOAA/OECI
Iona lies in deep water beyond the limits of technical diving (330 feet/100 meters), approximately 15 miles off Oswego, New York. Its hull is almost entirely intact apart from the stern which has been burned to the waterline. Iona’s boiler and steam engine stand within the burnt out remains of the stern. Forward of the stern, the hull and deck are intact. The forecastle at the bow remains completely intact, with a capstan on the forecastle deck, and a windlass and both anchors stowed on the main deck within the forecastle. A mast remains standing on the aft side of the forecastle.
