She was built in 1906 by the Great Lakes Engineering Works in St. Clair, Michigan, for the Cornell Steamship Company of Chicago, Illinois, which was managed by C.W.

When she was off Vermilion Point, John Mitchell was inexplicably rammed in her port bow by the unladen bulk freighter William Henry Mack.

Following the collision, John Mitchell immediately took on a list to port due to the rapid influx of water.

Three crewmen jumped overboard to aid in the rescue, but were sucked under and drowned when John Mitchell sank.

[1] In the mid-1840s, Canadian companies began importing iron vessels prefabricated by shipyards in the United Kingdom.

[1] Despite the success of Merchant, wooden vessels remained preferable to iron ones until the 1880s, due to their inexpensiveness, and the abundance of timber.

[2][3][4] In the early 1880s, shipyards around the Great Lakes began to construct iron ships on a relatively large scale,[4][5] and in 1884 the first steel freighters were built there.

[17] The grounding occurred as a result of low water levels (2 feet (0.6 m) lower than usual), which were caused by strong winds that had been blowing for the previous 24 hours.

[17] After loading 7,000 long tons (7,112 t) to 7,500 long tons (7,620 t) of coal bound for Superior, Wisconsin, at the Erie coal dock, John Mitchell left Buffalo, New York, at 2:00 a.m. on July 7, 1911, under the command of Captain John H.

[18][20] In addition to Captain Massey, there were 33 passengers and crew, including six women and a small boy on board.

[20] Following the collision, John Mitchell immediately took on a list to port due to the rapid influx of water.

[20] John Mitchell's foremast fell onto William Henry Mack's deck, briefly keeping the two vessels together.

[20][24] The majority of the passengers and crew climbed over to William Henry Mack, while three men and three women escaped using a lifeboat.

[20][24] Sixteen year-old passenger Fay Clemens, one of the six people in the overturned lifeboat was able to get William Henry Mack's crew to throw her a line, which she fastened to the overturned lifeboat, enabling two crew of William Henry Mack to right it.

[18][20][24] As she was sinking, three crewmen, second officer Archie Causley, watchman George Austin and steward Albert "Al" Clemens, father of Fay Clemens jumped overboard to aid in the rescue, and were sucked under and drowned when John Mitchell sank.

[23] It was discovered that as William Henry Mack was travelling 16 miles (26 km) east-southeast of Manitou Island, she encountered a thick fog bank, sounded her fog whistle, but did not reduce her approximate speed of 12 miles per hour (10.4 kn).