Onondaga was a steam cargo ship built in 1905 by William Cramp & Sons of Philadelphia for Clyde Steamship Company with intention of operating on their East Coast and West Indies routes.

In 1904 Clyde Steamship & Co. following an increase in their freight business placed an order for two steamers of approximately 2,700 GRT to serve on their East coast route between Boston and southern ports.

[3][2] The ship was of the three-deck type, and had all the modern machinery fitted for quick loading and unloading of the cargo, including a large number of derricks similar to her sister-ship Chippewa.

[6] Onondaga continued serving the same route for the rest of her career, connecting Charleston, Brunswick and Jacksonville with Boston, with occasional stops at Georgetown.

After consulting his log, captain Bunnell came to conclusion that he probably overtravelled on his current path, and ordered the vessel to turn in-shore for a short time to try to find the lights.

The ship's engine was put in reverse but while it may have slowed her down, Onondaga' bow rode straight on the sunken rip, getting stuck in the sand with her momentum swinging the vessel broadside and driving her further north.

After two months of tries, Onondaga was finally floated on March 14 and proceeded to Boston towed by tug Underwriter and reached port in the evening of the same day.

She was berthed to unload her remaining cargo of granite and machinery and put into drydock afterwards for examination which revealed that many bottom plates were damaged and had to be replaced in addition to her engines being full of sand.

After finishing the repairs, Onondaga sailed to Charleston at the end of April and returned to Boston on May 8, 1907 with a large cargo of lumber, naval stores, rosin and fruit.

The waves were sweeping over the ship's deck causing damage to her crew quarters such as blown out windows and broken doors, but overall the vessel held up.

A few miles north of Savannah the steamer's steering gear gave in and snapped forcing the crew to drop anchors which fortunately could hold the vessel.

[16] In May 1912 the steamer was chartered to transport a large cargo of steel rails from Baltimore to Key West for the Florida East Coast Railroad being constructed at the time.

[18] On May 7, 1913 Onondaga ran aground in the St. John's River, about 15 miles east of Jacksonville while on passage from the port to New York with a large general cargo but was soon floated with the help of several tugs and suffered no injuries.

[19][20] Onondaga had yet another encounter with a hurricane in September 1914 when she was again severely battered by the weather on her way from Jacksonville to Boston, when it took her 28 hours to cover 125 miles between the Frying Pan lightship and Diamond Shoal, off North Carolina coast.

Men poured out to the deck as the ship hit the rocks of Catomb Reef, about half a mile off Watch Hill Light injuring her bottom.

Everyone on board safely made to the shore where they were met by the local life-savers, while Onondaga quickly sank in approximately 30 feet of water bow first and listing to starboard.