Roberval
Ship stats
Vessel Type: Propeller, steel steambarge
Length: 126 feet
Breadth: 28 feet
Gross Tonnage: 343.53
Cargo: 256,000 board feet lumber
Built: 1907 by Polson Iron Works, Toronto, Ontario
Port of Registry at Loss: Montreal, Quebec
Owner at Loss: Hall & Eligh, Montreal, Quebec
Date Lost: September 25, 1916
Cause of Loss: Deck load shifted and foundered
Loss of Life: 2 of 9
Historical Background
The steel steambarge Roberval was built in 1907 by the Polson Iron Works of Toronto and was first registered at the Port of Toronto on August 27, 1907. Roberval was 128 feet long, 28 feet wide, and 9 feet deep, measuring 343.53 tons gross.
In December 1907 it was sold to La Compagnie du Nord of Chicotumi, Quebec and enrolled at Montreal. In 1910, the steambarge was sold to Hall & Eligh of Montreal, who operated the vessel until its loss in 1916.
On September 25, 1916, Roberval cleared past Cape Vincent, upbound for Oswego, heavily laden with 256,000 board feet of lumber consigned to the Diamond Match Company of Oswego, much of which was carried as a deckload. While mid-lake and rolling in high westerly seas, Roberval fell into the trough of the waves and listed heavily to port. The deck load of lumber shifted, leaving the vessel broadside to the waves, listing heavily, and taking on water. As Roberval began to quickly flood and settle by the stern, three crew escaped to the port lifeboat at the stern. Four others jumped to the water from the bow, forming a makeshift raft of floating timber to remain afloat. Two of the crew were lost in the sinking.
The following morning, Roberval’s yawl with three crew aboard landed at Oswego, reporting the loss, though it remained unknown if Roberval had sunk, as the vessel had not yet foundered when they had last seen it. Late that afternoon four additional crew were rescued from a lumber raft by members of the Big Sandy Life Saving Station after more than 23 hours adrift. The search yielded no sign of Roberval.
Roberval was discovered in 2022 NOAA survey during a hydrographic survey of eastern Lake Ontario. The site was independently relocated by Mr. Tim Caza and Mr. Dennis Gerber in July 2024, who collaborated with NOAA archaeologists in identifying the wreck as Roberval. In May 2025 NOAA and its partners at the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute documented the site using a remotely operated vehicle.
Wreck Site
The wreck of Roberval lies in deep water, beyond the limits of technical diving (330 feet/100 meters), north of Oswego, New York. Roberval rests upright and intact with its stern deeply embedded in the bottom and its bow rising prominently off the bottom. On the forecastle at the bow, the pilothouse and attached captain’s cabin remain partially intact with the ship’s steam-assisted steering mechanism in place. The windlass is present on deck and both anchors remain stowed in their hawsepipes at the bow. Amidships the holds remain full of stacked lumber with hoisting winches on deck. The stern cabins are intact but embedded in the bottom at the fantail. Roberval’s stack remains standing atop the stern structure.
