Sault Ste. Marie in Algoma District, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)
An Accident at the Canal
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Un accident dans le canal
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 11, 2024
1. An Accident at the Canal / Un accident dans le canal Marker
The dam was put to the test on 9 June 1909 when the Perry G. Walker rammed the lower gates as the passenger ship Assiniboia and the ore carrier Crescent City were in the process of entering the lock downbound. The rush of water unleashed by this accident tore out the lock's main gates. The vessels and their anchors ripped up planking from the lock floor, tore up submarine cables and damaged the lock sill as they cascaded out of the lock. The Emergency Swing Bridge Dam was swung into place, its wickets lowered and the flow of water reduced to allow the auxiliary gates to be closed and the lock repaired. Only 12 days later the canal was operational. The success of this dam's design resulted in its use on the Panama Canal and other waterways.
This nationally significant engineering work is one of the last surviving emergency swing bridge dams of its type in the world.
Le barrage fut mis à l'épreuve le 9 juin 1909 lorsque le Perry G. Walker heurta les portes aval au moment où le navire de passagers Assiniboia et le minéralier Crescent City étaient en train de pénétrer dans l'écluse vers l'aval. L'afflux d'eau libérée par cet accident emporta les portes principales de l'écluse. Les navires et leurs ancres labourèrent le radier de l'écluse, sectionnèrent des câbles sous-marins et endommagèrent le seuil de l'écluse alors qu'ils étaient projetés hors de celle-ci. On fit pivoter le Barrage tournant de secours. on en abaissa les vannelles et le flux d'eau fut réduit de manière à permettre de fermer les portes auxiliaires et de réparer l'écluse. Le canal était de nouveau opérationnel à peine 12 jours plus tard. Le succès de la conception de ce barrage l'a fait utiliser pour le canal de Panama et d'autres voies navigables.
Cet ouvrage de génie d'importance nationale est l'un des derniers barrages tournants de secours de ce type existant encore dans le monde.
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Location. 46° 30.781′ N, 84° 21.059′ W. Marker is in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, in Algoma District. It can be reached from Canal Drive 0.7 kilometers south of Huron Street, on the left when traveling west. The marker is located along the interpretive walkway at the Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1 Canal Drive, Sault Ste Marie ON P6A 6W4, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma Area and in Northern Ontario. It is also in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, in the Great North Woods, on Lake Superior’s North Shore, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, and Rupert’s Land.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within
SSMC Collection
2. Marker detail: View of Canal shortly after the lower gates were swept away
Vue du canal peu après que les portes aval ont été emportées.
Also see . . .
1. Day of the Soo Locks Disaster.
(by Michael Hardy) Excerpt: On June 9, 1909, disaster struck at the heart of North America’s shipping network. The Canadian Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie — one of the busiest passages for commercial freighters on the Great Lakes — suffered a sudden mechanical(Submitted on May 18, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)failure. Within minutes, four ships were caught in a torrent of water. Two sank. Others were severely damaged. The locks were left in ruins, and commercial shipping on the Great Lakes came to a standstill...SSMC Collection3. Marker detail: Emergency Swing Bridge Dam in place reducing the flow of waterLe barrage tournant de secours en place réduisant le débit de l'eau.
2. Sault Canal Emergency Swing Dam (Wikipedia).
Excerpt: The Sault Canal Emergency Swing Dam is an all-metal structure built by the Dominion Bridge Company in 1896. It sits along the Canadian Sault Ste. Marie Canal, to protect against the rush of water that would occur if something ever damaged the Sault locks. It operates by swinging over the canal and dropping wicket gates into the water. The Emergency Dam was put to the ultimate test on June 9, 1909, when the freighter Perry G. Walker crashed into the upstream lock sending a torrent of water crashing into the downstream lock. The Perry G. Walker and another ship the Assiniboia were sent back into the St. Marys River and another ship that was heading upstream out of the locks the Crescent City hit the channel wall. The swing dam proved its worth by slowing down the torrent of water. This(Submitted on May 18, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)example of emergency swing bridge is the last of nine ever built. Other examples were previous in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, USA and in the Panama Canal.SSMC Collection4. Marker detail: Modern Steel StoplogsModern steel stoplogs perform a dual function — recovering complete water control in case of an accident and allowing for dewatering of lock for seasonal maintenance.• • • Les aiguilles modernes en acier louent un double rôle — permettre de regagner le contrôle total de l'eau dans le cas d'un accident et permettre de vider l'écluse pour l'entretien saisonnier.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 11, 2024
5. An Accident at the Canal / Un accident dans le canal Marker
Looking south across the canal; the south side of St. Marys Island is in the background.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 11, 2024
6. Sault Ste. Marie Canal (looking west from near marker)
The Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge, railroad bridge, and Emergency Swing Bridge (in standby position - on the right) are visible in the background.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 18, 2025. It was originally submitted on May 14, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 128 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on May 18, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
