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The November 1912 Gale

The Storm that Sank the Christmas Tree Ship

Presented by Steve Ackerman, Professor, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Studies, with Milwaukee Public Library, Wisconsin Marine Historical Society, and Milwaukee Community Sailing Center.

On November 23, 1912, the three-masted schooner Rouse Simmons was bound for Chicago. It carried a full cargo of Christmas trees harvested from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The schooner, which was known as the Christmas Tree Ship, floundered off Two Rivers, Wisconsin and sank during a November gale. There were no survivors. With no eyewitnesses of the sinking, speculations as to what happened to The Christmas Tree Ship blossomed. The November gale certainly played a role.

Weather is of interest to everyone and important to most. The U.S. Weather Bureau, a predecessor today’s National Weather Service, was the U.S. government agency responsible for weather forecasts, warnings, and meteorological data in 1912. The advancement of operational meteorology began during the 19th century. This advancement coincided with the ability to rapidly collect and coordinate weather observations from distant locations, and to plot and analyze the weather in a central location.

In this talk, Dr. Steve Ackerman will explore the wreck of the Rouse Simmons from the perspectives of the weather, the ship, and its cargo. Steve Ackerman is an Emeritus Professor with the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, and Former Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Recognition awards include the American Meteorological Society Teaching Excellence Award and a UW-Madison Chancellor’s Award for Distinguished Teaching. He is also a recipient of the NASA Exceptional Public Service Medal.

Artifacts of the Rouse Simmons from the Library's Special Collections and Archives will be on display for viewing during this presentation. Milwaukee Public Library presents this program in collaboration with the Wisconsin Marine Historical Society and the Milwaukee Community Sailing Center: "Our mission is to promote sailing and make Lake Michigan available to everyone in the Milwaukee community through quality programming."

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