The Rothesay

The Rothesay. . , Launched February 2, 1868 at St. John, New Brunswick the Rothesay is a 65 m. (178') long twin side-wheeler that initially sailed between Fredericton and St. John but was later relocated to service the Montreal to Prescott route where she was referred to as "The Greyhound of the St. Lawrence"., On the evening of the 12th of September, 1889 a serious collision occurred between Rothesay and the tugboat Myra of Ogdensburg, New York. Rothesay rammed Myra when there was a mix-up over passing signals., Myra sank immediately and the lives of both her engineer and fireman were lost. The Rothesay was damaged to such an extent that she had to be beached., In 1901 a group from the Royal Military College in Kingston used the Rothesay wreck for explosives practice which flattened her mid section, though stern and bow remain relatively intact., The rope from shore meets Rothesay about the midsection where you can still view the walking beam and paddlewheels outlined. The bottom here is firm with weed growth between Rothesay and the shore, however the site has little current and remains an enjoyable visit. The Rothesay was rediscovered on September 25, 1964 by the Underwater Society of Ottawa and has become one of Eastem Ontario's most famous shipwreck sites.