SS Henry B. Smith was a steel-hulled lake freighter built in 1906 by the American Ship Building Company at Lorain, Ohio USA.

Smith arrived at Marquette on November 6 to take on iron ore. Over the next two days a southwest gale swept over Lake Superior, dropping the temperature to 24 degrees Fahrenheit.

The cold weather caused the ore to freeze inside the hopper cars, requiring men to knock the material loose by hand.

Captain James Owen had been plagued by misfortunes all year that had resulted in Smith being delayed or late for its destinations.

Immediately afterwards, Smith backed away from the loading dock and headed out, the crew apparently hoping to take advantage of a brief lull in the storm.

Witnesses saw Smith turn to port, possibly seeking shelter behind Keweenaw Point, but the ship was then lost from view.

After a long debate, the boat's owners decided the note was a phony; it was dated 12 November, while Smith sank either on the 9th or the early morning hours of the 10th.