The long and lurid story of the Frank J. Hecker, freighter:

The Frank J. Hecker ship was launched September 2, 1905. In 1913, it was sold to Lackawanna Steamship Co., Cleveland OH, and renamed Perseus. The cargo hold was rebuilt in1924 to arch construction at Ashtabula OH and went to the home port to Wilmington DE in 1932. In 1945 it was sold to Nicholson Transit Co., Detroit MI. In 1954, it was converted to automobile carrier and bulk freighter. In 1961, it was sold for scrap to Hyman-Michaels Co. It was then resold to Italian shipbreakers. Cleared for Genoa Italy under tow of British tug Englishman. Broke away from her tow Sept 11, 1961 northwest of Azores, Atlantic Ocean and abandoned. Found and taken under tow by Netherlands M/V Witmarsum in Sept 21, 1961.