Emergencies and World Disasters
The Clock at Four AM: How the Whaleback Clifton Vanished
24 min•24 juli 2026
Om avsnittet
The Clock at Four AM: How the Whaleback Clifton Vanished
A stopped clock washed ashore still attached to a section of pilot house; its hands frozen at four in the morning during one of the most violent storms ever recorded on the Great Lakes. For ninety-three years a folk ballad and scattered wreckage were all that told the story - but what really sank the Clifton remains an open question: did the high-mounted self-unloading gear doom her, or did the wreck tell a different tale?
In this episode, we lay out the Clifton’s history from her build to her final radio call and the wreckage that surfaced, and we follow the trail of evidence that could answer how she vanished. What does the ship itself on the lake floor reveal about those final hours and the theory that topside machinery caused the loss?
Ship: Clifton (formerly Samuel Mather)
Length: 308 feet
Lost: Night of September 21-22, 1924
Last reported position: Near Mackinaw City, entering Lake Huron
Recovered wreckage: Pilot house section with clock stopped at 4:00 AM
- Built in 1892 at the American Steel Barge Company yard in West Superior, Wisconsin.
- Original name Samuel Mather, renamed Clifton after 1923-1924 refit by Progress Steamship Company.
- Dimensions: 308 feet long, 30 feet beam, carrying capacity 3,500 tons of iron ore.
- Refit added a Smith-patented self-unloading system mounted high on deck during 1923-1924 conversion to carry crushed stone.
- Wreckage surfaced starting September 26, including painted sticks 24 miles northeast of Pointe aux Barques Light and pilot house section with clock stopped at 4:00 AM.
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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
A stopped clock washed ashore still attached to a section of pilot house; its hands frozen at four in the morning during one of the most violent storms ever recorded on the Great Lakes. For ninety-three years a folk ballad and scattered wreckage were all that told the story - but what really sank the Clifton remains an open question: did the high-mounted self-unloading gear doom her, or did the wreck tell a different tale?
In this episode, we lay out the Clifton’s history from her build to her final radio call and the wreckage that surfaced, and we follow the trail of evidence that could answer how she vanished. What does the ship itself on the lake floor reveal about those final hours and the theory that topside machinery caused the loss?
Ship: Clifton (formerly Samuel Mather)
Length: 308 feet
Lost: Night of September 21-22, 1924
Last reported position: Near Mackinaw City, entering Lake Huron
Recovered wreckage: Pilot house section with clock stopped at 4:00 AM
- Built in 1892 at the American Steel Barge Company yard in West Superior, Wisconsin.
- Original name Samuel Mather, renamed Clifton after 1923-1924 refit by Progress Steamship Company.
- Dimensions: 308 feet long, 30 feet beam, carrying capacity 3,500 tons of iron ore.
- Refit added a Smith-patented self-unloading system mounted high on deck during 1923-1924 conversion to carry crushed stone.
- Wreckage surfaced starting September 26, including painted sticks 24 miles northeast of Pointe aux Barques Light and pilot house section with clock stopped at 4:00 AM.
To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.
© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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