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The twin-screwed steamer, official number 130381, was constructed in 1887 at Wilmington, Deleware by the renowned shipbuilders Pusey and Jones. Christened Naugatuck, the new ship was delivered to the Naugatuck Valley Steamboat Company of Derby, Connecticut. The iron-hulled vessel measured 130 feet in length, 26 feet in beam, with an eight-foot depth of hold. The superstructure and passenger areas were made of wood; originally she was equipped with a foremast with an eagle at the top, later a second mast would be installed. Propulsion was provided by twin compound fore-and-aft steam engines designed to be handled by a single engineer, transferring power to two composite shafts to drive twin iron propellers.
Service in the Gulf of Mexico
Competition with local railroads caused hard times for the steamship company, and within two years the ship was offered for sale. Naugatuck's new owner was H.B. Plant, whose railroad empire terminated at Tampa, Florida, bridging the gap between North and South to become one of the largest conglomerates in the United States. The steamer was put into service in the local Tampa area, and in 1891 she was sent back to her builders, who lengthened her hull by 30 feet and added several staterooms. Renamed Tarpon, she returned to her Florida career, and may have been one of the dozens of Plant vessels used to transport troops and supplies to and from Cuba during the Spanish-American War.
In 1902, she was sent to Philadelphia for sale. Her buyers, the newly-incorporated Pensacola, St.Andrews & Gulf Steamship Co., sent Captain Willis Green Barrow to bring Tarpon back to Florida. From this point on, the lives of the ship and her skipper were to become inseparable. Beginning in 1903, Tarpon and her master became famous along the northern Gulf Coast, making weekly runs between the ports of Mobile, Pensacola, St. Andrew Bay (Panama City), Apalachicola, and Carrabelle. With few paved roads or bridges, commerce and communication between coastal communities was almost totally dependent on water-borne traffic. Barrow and Tarpon developed a reputation for reliability and dependibility, transporting passengers and essential supplies while maintaining a strict schedule regardless of weather. The captain often was quoted as claiming that "God makes the weather, and I make the trip." Despite storms, hurricanes, groundings and fires, Tarpon continued her weekly schedule between six ports year in and year out.
On August 30, 1937, five weeks short of her 50th birthday, Tarpon was loaded as usual at Mobile for her next journey east. And, as usual, her captain loaded as much cargo as he could fit on the steamer. As she left Mobile, she had over 200 tons of general cargo aboard, most of which had been loaded through four side ports.
The ship made port in Pensacola and departed for Panama City the evening of August 31. She had taken on, in addition to her cargo of flour, sugar, canned goods, and beer, a quantity of iron for the paper mills. Almost 200 barrels of fuel oil were in her tanks, as well as some 15 tons of fresh water carried forward in the hull. As Tarpon rounded the sea buoy and made for St. Andrews Bay, her freeboard was less than five inches.
At 2 a.m. (September1) the engineer was awakened and informed that the bilge pumps were having difficulty keeping water pumped from the bilges, due to a leak in the bow that was steadily increasing in rough seas. The ship began to list to port as the men worked the pumps. Several barrels of flour were jettisoned until the steamer returned to an even keel. Just before dawn, the winds reached gale force, and the pounding seas began to pour through Tarpon's wooden bulkheads, causing her to list to starboard. The first mate turned Tarpon toward shore, intending to try to beach her before she sank.
Captain Barrow emerged from his cabin to receive the engineer's report that the ship was out of control. He ordered more cargo overboard, and then steered Tarpon back on course. But the steamer was settling down into the sea by the stern. With no radio to call for help, 18 of the 31 on board, including Barrow, lost their lives to the sea.
The remains of Tarpon lie on a sand and live-rock bottom at a depth of 95 feet of water, 7.8 nautical miles from shore at 30°05.702'N, 85° 56.555'W. The sunken ship is situated almost parallel to the shoreline; her bow is on a bearing of 290°. The hard bottom terrain has prevented the wreck from sinking into the sand. Water clarity generally is good at the wrecksite, compared to other offshore shipwrecks which lie to the east.
Tarpon News
August 1997
Tarpon Final Report -
bayfinal.pdf
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As with all other historical or archaeological sites on public uplands or submerged bottomlands, Tarpon is protected by Florida laws forbidding unauthorized disturbance, excavation, or removal of artifacts. Please help keep the site intact for others by not disturbing or harvesting marine life. To prevent anchor damage to the site, four submerged mooring buoys have been placed around the shipwreck. Please tie only to the mooring buoys, and remember to display a "diver down" flag.
For local information on land-based displays of historical materials and artifacts from the Tarpon contact:
Museum of Man in the Sea
17314 Back Beach Road
Panama City Beach, Florida 32413
(850) 235-4101
Site plan.
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