75 years ago in the foggy dawn of June 25, 1950, a serene pleasure cruise on Lake Huron turned into a nightmare. The City of Cleveland III, a grand passenger steamer, was rammed by the Norwegian freighter Ravnefjeel just miles off the shore of Harbor Beach. The tragedy claimed the lives of three men, left one missing, and injured 20 others.
More than six decades later, this incident, once etched deeply into Michigan’s collective memory, has largely faded from public awareness. However, for the communities of Benton Harbor and Harbor Beach, the story endures—a grim reminder of how quickly disaster can strike even in the most tranquil of settings.
A Morning Shrouded in Fog and Chaos
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At 6:15 a.m., heavy fog blanketed Lake Huron, obscuring visibility and muffling the sounds of the lake. The City of Cleveland III, en route to Detroit, was carrying 125 businessmen and civic leaders from Benton Harbor on an annual pleasure cruise. Many were asleep in their staterooms when the Ravnefjeel, heading north toward the Soo Locks, struck the passenger ship.
The impact tore a 60-foot gash in the side of the City of Cleveland III, hurling some passengers into the icy waters. Others were buried under debris as staterooms collapsed. Lifeboats from the Ravnefjeel were swiftly launched, rescuing survivors and recovering bodies. Amid the chaos, the crew of the City of Cleveland III acted quickly to calm passengers, preventing an even greater loss of life.
The Victims: Benton Harbor’s Loss
Benton Harbor, Michigan •
Mon, Jun 26, 1950″ class=”wp-image-53920″/>
The tragedy deeply affected the town of Benton Harbor, which lost two of its most prominent figures. Alvin Boyd, 53, the city’s beloved police chief, and Merwyn Stouck, 64, a former mayor and local business leader, were among the dead.
Boyd, known for his dedication to public service, was a pillar of the community. “He built our police department from the ground up,” said Captain Vern Story at the time. “His death was not just a loss for his family, but for the entire city.”
Stouck, a co-founder of the Lockway-Stouck Paper Co., was remembered as a visionary who helped shape Benton Harbor during his tenure as mayor. His life was tragically cut short during his morning walk on the ship’s deck, where he was thrown overboard upon impact.
Fred Skelley, a Benton Harbor automobile dealer, was never found. The Coast Guard searched the fog-shrouded waters for days, but the 48-year-old was presumed drowned. His loss added another layer of sorrow to the grieving community.
Survivors’ Stories: Courage Amid Catastrophe
Dr. Charles J. Ozeran, a Benton Harbor physician aboard the ship, described waking to the sound of the crash. “It felt like the ship was being ripped apart,” he recalled. “People were screaming, and debris was everywhere, but the crew acted with incredible courage.”
One survivor, Thomas Spooner, was thrown from his stateroom into the lake. Clinging to floating debris, he was rescued by a lifeboat from the Ravnefjeel. Others, like Richard Lybrook, suffered severe injuries but were found alive amid the wreckage.
Chief Boatswain’s Mate Kenneth Call of the Harbor Beach Coast Guard Station described the scene as surreal. “Mattresses, clothing, and shattered wood covered the water,” he said. “The fog made it feel like we were searching in a dream—except the devastation was all too real.”
A Ship with History: The City of Cleveland III
The City of Cleveland III was no ordinary vessel. Built in 1916, the 425-foot steamer had a storied past as one of the largest passenger ships operated by the Detroit & Cleveland Navigation Company. Designed for luxury and leisure, the ship could carry up to 750 passengers.
By the time of the collision, the ship had been reassigned from its regular Detroit-to-Buffalo route to pleasure cruises. Its nearly century-long history had been unmarred by fatal accidents—until that fateful day in 1950.
Despite the damage inflicted by the Ravnefjeel, the City of Cleveland III remained afloat and eventually made its way to Detroit. The Ravnefjeel, carrying cargo to Milwaukee, sustained only minor damage.
A Second Tragedy in the Shadow of Benton Harbor
The collision of the City of Cleveland III came just three days after another devastating disaster near Benton Harbor. On June 24, 1950, a Northwest Orient DC-4 airliner plunged into Lake Michigan, killing all 58 people on board. The crash, which remains one of the deadliest aviation accidents in Michigan’s history, occurred only a few miles offshore, casting a pall over the Benton Harbor community.
The DC-4 had been en route from New York City to Minneapolis when it encountered severe weather over the Great Lakes. Witnesses described seeing the plane descend into the lake after what they believed was a lightning strike. Search crews recovered wreckage and some remains, but the full scope of the tragedy was never entirely resolved, as the main fuselage of the aircraft was never located.
The Investigation: Fog and Fate
In the immediate aftermath of the collision, the U.S. Coast Guard launched an investigation. Both captains—Rudolph J. Kiessling of the City of Cleveland III and Rolf Thorsen of the Ravnefjeel—were questioned. Heavy fog was identified as the primary factor in the crash, compounded by what investigators described as a “tragic miscommunication” between the ships.
No formal charges were filed, but the incident prompted changes in maritime safety protocols, including improved communication procedures for navigating in poor visibility.
75 Years After the Tragedy
For decades, the collision was a defining moment in the history of Benton Harbor and Harbor Beach. It underscored the vulnerability of even the most experienced mariners to the unpredictable forces of nature.
Today, the story of the City of Cleveland III serves as both a cautionary tale and a poignant reminder of the lives lost and the resilience of those who survived. The ship was retired in the 1960s, its days of grandeur eclipsed by the memory of the tragedy.
As time passes, fewer people recall the collision of the City of Cleveland III and the Ravnefjeel. Yet for those who lived through it—or lost loved ones because of it—the events of that foggy morning remain vivid. Local historians and community members in Benton Harbor and Harbor Beach continue to honor the memory of the victims, ensuring that their stories are not lost to history.
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