Shipwrecks of the Harbor Beach Area

Shipwrecks of the Harbor Beach Area. . Since man first inhabited the thumb area of Michigan, Lake Huron has been the most important mode of transportation. Long before there were wagon trails or railroads the lake provided a method for Native Americans and pioneers to travel and transport supplies. , As much as Lake Huron has been an asset, it has also been a deadly force to reckon with. Ships have foundered in huge storm waves; collisions have occurred in thick fog and blinding snow and some ships simply left port never to be seen again. , The information provided here is only a sampling of the ships, which have sunk in Lake Huron, there are many vessels on the bottom and many yet to be discovered. , Twelve Michigan Underwater Preserves were created by legislation in 1980 to preserve shipwrecks by making it a felony to remove or disturb shipwrecks or their artifacts. Two of the preserves are the Sanilac Shores Underwater Preserve that encompasses an area from Lexington to Forestville and The Thumb Area Bottomlands Preserve covers an area from Wagener County Park to Port Austin. , Words of caution: The locations indicated on the chart are approximate and not meant for navigational purposes. Wreck diving is a fascinating yet dangerous endeavor only to be pursued by certified and qualified individuals, some area wrecks are shallow enough to snorkel while most are in the realm of only experienced technical divers. , 1. Daniel J. Morrell Bow Section. A 586-foot steel freighter that broke in half during a furious storm on November 29, 1966. There were 28 men lost and one survivor. Depth: 205 feet. , 2. Daniel J. Murrell Stern Section. After the ship broke apart the stern section steamed off another five miles before it sank. Depth: 218 feet , 3. Detroit. The 157, foot wood sidewheel steamer was built in 1846 and sank in a foggy collision with the sailing bark Nucleus on May 25, 1854. Depth: 200 feet. , 4. Frederick A. Lee A 70-foot tug boat that foundered with crew of five on November 13, 1936. Depth 200 feet. , 5. E.P. Dorr. A 161-foot wood tug that sank after a collision with steamer Oliver Cromwell in June 1856. The E.P. Dorr was only one year old at the time of the collision. Depth: 175 feet , 6. Albany A 267 foot steel bulk freighter sank in a collision in fog with the Philadelphia on November 7, 1893. The crew of 8 were killed. Depth: 149 feet. , 7. Iron Chief. The 212-foot ship was built as a schooner in 1881 and converted to a steamer. It sprang a leak during a heavy sea and sank on October 3, 1904. All crew were rescued. Depth: 135 feet, 8. Philadelphia. The 236-foot iron freighter was damaged in a collision with The Albany. The ship sank with up to 24 crew aboard on November 7, 1893. Depth: 125 feet. , 9. Santiago. A 324-foot wood schooner barge with a cargo of iron ore was swamped by high seas and sank. All of her crew were rescued. Depth: 135 feet. , 10. City of Detroit. Loaded with a cargo of wheat and barrels of flour the ship foundered in a storm taking all 20 crew with her on December 4, 1875. Depth: 176 feet., 11. Troy. The steamer Troy went down with all hands on October 24, 1859. Depth: 97 feet. , 12. Hunter Savidge. The 117-foot, two masted schooner capsized after being overcome by a sudden “White Squall” on August 20 1899. Five lives were lost in the sinking. Depth: 175 feet. , 13. Mystery Schooner. This schooner is yet to be identified. Depth: 145 feet., 14. John A. McGean. A large steel freighter measuring 432 feet in length went missing with all hands during the November 1913 storm. Depth: 195 feet. , 15. Dunderburg. In her second season the 186-foot three mast schooner with a cargo of corn and five passengers collided with the steamer Empire State and sank on August 13, 1868. Depth 135 feet. , 16. Marquis. On November 12. 1892 the three-masted schooner-barge was caught in a blizzard and stranded on the beach. Depth 15 feet., 17. Chickamauga The 322-foot wood schooner-barge with a cargo of iron ore began leaking badly in huge storm drive seas on September 12, 1919. The crew was removed before the ship broke apart and sank. Depth: 32 feet., 18. John Wesley. The 135 foot wood schooner entered the Harbor Beach harbor of refuge September 7, 1901, but was blown south into the rock strewn shallows south of the harbor. The ship was abandoned and remained there until it burned to the waterline. The remains of the Wesley like in six feet of water. , 19. W. H. Sawyer In 1928 the 200-foot steamer stranded during a storm just 1240 feet from the Harbor Beach lighthouse. A hazard to navigation, the ship was dynamited. The boiler and part of the engine remain in about 10 feet of water sought of the breakwall. , 20. Dorcus Pendell. The 148-foot wooden schooner built in 1884 was washed ashore during the infamous storm of November 1913. Before it could be pulled to deeper water the ship caught fire and burned to the waterline. The keel can be seen above the surface at times of low water. It is located in the south part of the harbor., 21. Boiler The boiler of a ship's steam engine lies in 8 feet of water north of the Tresscott street dock., 22. Mystery Wreck The remains of a wood ship lie in shallow water just off shore., 23. Charles King. The 140 foot schooner was lost in a storm on September 1918. The crew was rescued by the steamer E.C. Pope. Depth 212 feet., 24. Minnedosa. At 245-feet, the four-masted schooner was the largest sailing ship built on the Canadian side of the lakes. The ship was overcome by a October 20, 1905 gale that assaulted Lake Huron. Depth: 211 feet., 25. Waverly. The 191-foot wood steamer collided with the steamer Turret Court on June 22, 1903. Depth: 121 feet. , 26. Glenorchy. Built in 1902, The 356-foot steel freighter collided in dense fog with the steamer Leonard B. Miller. No lives were lost. Depth: 120 feet. , 27. Goliath. On September 13, 1818 the 131-foot Goliath exploded after catching fire. She was carrying a cargo that included 200 kegs of blasting powder. Depth. 104 feet. , 28. Arctic The 193-foot wood steamer sprang a leak and foundered on September 3, 1893. Depth 131 feet. , 29. New York The 184-foot wood steamer foundered on October 14, 1876 in a northern gale. Depth: 125 feet., 30 Checotah. Launched in 1870 as the Gorge B. Russell the ship capsized and lay on the bottom of the St. Mary’s River for seven years. It was raised and renamed Checotah. On October 30, 1906 the 198-foot ship sank during a violent storm. Depth: 120 feet., 31. Charles Street. The 165-foot wood steamer caught fire and raced for shore where it burned in a complete loss on July 20, 1908. The crew was rescued. Depth: 10 feet., 32. E.B. Gardner. The 177-foot wood schooner worked the lakes for nearly fifty years before it caught fire and was destroyed. Depth 55 feet., 33. North Star. The steel freighter sank after a foggy collision with the steamer Northern Queen. Depth. 98 feet., 34. Mary Alice B. On September 5, 1972 the 62-foot 41 year old wood tug became waterlogged and sank with no loss of life. Depth: 94 feet., 35. Regina The 250 steel freighter capsized and sank with all hands during the tremendous storm of November 1913. Depth: 78 feet., 36. Eliza Strong. The 205-foot wood steamer caught fire and was totally destroyed. Depth: 27 feet., 37. Charles S. Price. The 504-foot wood freighter was one of the largest to fall victim to the Great Storm of November 1913. When the storm abated the Price was found floating upside down in Lower Lake Huron. All hands were lost.