SS Lafayette

SS Lafayette was a 454 ft long Great Lakes bulk carrier that broke in two in the Mataafa Storm of 1905 near Encampment Island, Two Harbors, Minnesota. She was part of the "College Line" of ships; a group of five completely identical vessels named after the colleges attended by five of Pittsburgh Steamship's executives. The Lafayette's sister ships were: Harvard, SS Cornell, SS Princeton and the SS Rensselaer.

Lafayette was sailing with her barge Manilla, which crashed into her when she ran ashore. The waves caused the ship to break in two, the stern stayed on the rocks, while the bow was pounded to pieces by the waters of Lake Superior. One life was lost. The ship was declared a total loss (the cost of the ship was about $300,000). The stern of Lafayette was used in 1909 to build the steamer J.S. Ashley.