Ep. 05 - Storm of the Century: The 1905 Mataafa Blow

Rescue crews returning after finally reaching the surviving crew of the S.S. Mataafa, November 29th, 1905.

This week, the Witch of November has come stealin' again as we bring you the truly EPIC tale of a storm that was remembered for decades by residents of Minnesota’s North Shore as the “Storm of the Century.” An inland cyclone blew across Lake Superior on November 27th, 28th, and 29th of 1905, sinking 29 ships and claiming 36 lives.

This episode has everything, from the most harrowing shipwreck narratives we’ve ever heard, the heroic derring-do of a "human squirrel," Samoan kings, “horny-handed sons of toil,” and the origins of Split Rock Lighthouse. You won’t want to miss it.

[Content warning: tragic death, drowning, freezing to death]

Images

S.S. Madeira

The S.S. Madeira, a three masted schooner primarily used as a barge, ca. 1904 or 1905.

Gold Rock Point, where the Madeira crashed. These are the cliffs that human squirrel Fred Benson climbed.

Madeira wrecking on Gold Rock Point, by Kurt Carlson. (Great Lakes Historical Society, Whitefish Point, MI.)

The wreck of the Madeira today under the waters just off Gold Rock Point.

Divers explore the wreck of the Madeira.

S.S. William Edenborn

The S.S. William Edenborn, which was towing the Madeira.

S.S. Mataafa

The S.S. Mataafa, sometime before the wreck.

 Mataafa commemorative cigars were sold after the storm.

Postcard depicting "Duluth Ship Canal during Storm," ca. 1901. These are the twin piers that the Mataafa had to sail between in order to "shoot the chutes" and enter Duluth harbor.

Photos taken by bystanders during the wreck, November 28th, 1905:

The Mataafa strikes the North Pier at the entrance to the Duluth Canal.

Yet another view of the same from a postcard sold afterwards.

The Mataafa beached 100 feet from the end of the pier, with waves breaking over it. You can see the outlines of crew members huddling on the stern. A zoomable high-res version of this photo can be found here.

The aft portion of the ship begins to sink.

From the front page of the Duluth Evening Tribune, November 29th, 1905.

Photos take after the wreck:

A United States Life-Saving Service crew rowing out to rescue survivors on November 29, 1905.

A souvenir postcard.

Duluth residents walk out on the iced-over lake to the wreck of the Mataafa, January, 1906.

The Mataafa being salvaged in the sporing of 1906.

The salvaged Mataafa in dry dock. Note the broken up propeller.

The repaired Mataafa departs for its final voyage in 1964. At this point it had been converted to a car ferry.

Other Ships Wrecked on November 28th, 1905:

Some the other more notable wrecks in this storm included:

-The Ira H. Owen, a freighter headed for Buffalo with a with a "light load" of 116,000 bushels of barley, sank somewhere off the Apostle Islands. All 19 crew perished. The ship has never been found.

The Ira H. Owen.

-The steamer Lafayette and her barge The Manila were both wrecked on the rocks about six miles east of Two Harbors. One man, fireman Patrick Wade, was lost while trying to make it form the ship to shore. Forgotten Minnesota has a nice account of the wreck and the harrowing experience of the crew.

The wrecks of the Lafayette and Manila.

From the Duluth News Tribune, December 10th, 1905.

-The Monkshaven crashed into Pie Island near Port Arthur, Ontario:

The wreck of the Monkshaven.

-In the podcast we mentioned how the R. W. England attempted to "shoot the chutes" and enter the Duluth canal, but was blown off course and ran aground on Park Point. The harbor rescue crews were rescuing the crew of the England when the Mataafa crashed.

From The Duluth News Tribune, 12/01/1905.

-The steamer Crescent City ran aground about 7 miles northeast of Duluth. Unlike most other freighters on the lake, which were carrying bulk goods such as iron ore, grain, or lumber, the Crescent City carrying a mix of various mercantile goods, including thousands of Thanksgiving turkeys. The contents of the ship were promptly looted by locals.

From The Duluth News Tribune 11/29/1905.

Wikipedia has a list of all 29 ships wrecked in the storm on November 28th, 1905.

Last but not least, the storm provided a lucky break for four prisoners in a jail in Superior, WI, who were able to escape:

Freeborn County Times, 12/01/1905.

Sources Cited:

Books and Articles:

Brown, Curt. So Terrible a Storm: A Tale of Fury on Lake Superior. (MN: Voyageur Press, 2008)

Lemay, Konnie. "The Mataafa Blow: The Stormy Horror of 1905," Lake Superior Magazine, October 1, 2005. https://www.lakesuperior.com/the-lake/maritime/the-mataafa-blow-stormy-horror-of-1905/

Newspaper Articles:

"Movement of Ore Nears Close," and "Snow Storm is Cause of Delay," The Duluth News Tribune, 11/26/1905, page 3.

"Four Barges Break Loose," The Duluth News Tribune, 11/27/1905, page 2.

"Duluth Finds Itself in Grip of Fierce Storm," The Duluth News Tribune, 11/28/1905, page 3.

"Terrific Storm on Three Lakes," The Duluth News Tribune, 11/29/1905, page 1.

"Crew on Steamer Mataafa, Pounded By Waves At Entrance to Harbor, Is Facing Awful Death," The Duluth News Tribune, 11/29/1905, page 1-2.

"Nineteen Ships Wrecked in Storm," The Duluth News Tribune, 11/29/1905, page 3.

"Wind and Sea Combine to Destroy Two Harbors," The Duluth News Tribune, 11/29/1905, page 9.

"Nine Men Perish in Mataafa Wreck," The Duluth News Tribune, 11/30/1905, pages 1-2.

"Nine Drowned, Fifteen Saved," Duluth Evening Herald, 11/30/1905, page 1.

"Fate of Storm-Racked Boats," The Minneapolis Journal, 11/30/1905, page 1.

"Crew of Lafayette and Manila are Snatched From Death's Jaws," The Duluth News Tribune, 12/01/1905, page 2.

"Madeira is Broken Up," Duluth Evening Herald, 12/01/1905, page 7.

"Crew of Madeira has close Call With Death," The Duluth News Tribune, 12/01/1905, page 2.

"Gale on Great Lakes," Freeborn County Herald, 12/01/1905. page 10.

"Four Prisoners Escape," Freeborn County Herald, 12/01/1905. page 10.

"Storm's Death Toll Increases," Minneapolis Journal, 12/01/1905, page 8.

"Worst Storm in Many Years," Post and Record (Duluth), 12/01/1905, page 12.

"A Terrific Storm," Cook County Herald, 12/02/1905, page 3.

"Weather Bureau Big Help to Vesselmen," The Duluth News Tribune, 12/05/1905, page 4.

"Loss of Steamer Mataafa," Worthington Post and Herald, 12/08/1905, page 8.

"Another Ship Lost," Worthington Post and Herald, 12/08/1905, page 8.

"Echoes of Record Breaking Storm on Superior," The Duluth News Tribune, 12/10/1905, page 17.

"Sunken Hulk," Duluth News Tribune, 7/24/1955, page 25.

Podcast Credits

Minnesota Unknown is produced, hosted, written, and researched by Alex Weston, Hannah Norton, and Josie Bergmann. This episode was edited by Alex Weston. Our theme song is by Union Shakedown. This episode is copyright 2025 by Minnesota Unknown, LLC. All rights reserved.

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