Bayfield in Bayfield County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Schooner Pretoria

Historic Shipwreck

— Wisconsin’s Maritime Trails —

Schooner <i>Pretoria</i> Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Paul Fehrenbach, September 25, 2016

1. Schooner Pretoria Marker

Inscription.

Schooner Pretoria. Historic Shipwreck. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places In the waters off Outer Island lies the wreck of the Pretoria, one of the largest wooden vessels ever to sail the Great lakes. On September 1, 1905, Captain Charles Smart and nine crew departed the Allouez ore docks in Superior, Wis., in tow of the steamer Venezuela. They were bound for Chicago with a load of iron ore. The following morning the two vessels encountered a ferocious gale 30 miles northeast of Outer Island. When Pretoria's steering gear failed, they headed for the shelter of the Apostle Islands. The tow line snapped before they reached the islands, leaving the colossal Pretoria helpless and wallowing in the heavy seas. In the poor visibility, the Venezuela lost sight of the Pretoria., Captain Smart lowered his anchors, but they could not hold in the rocky bottom. The pounding seas ripped the hatch covers, and Pretoria started taking on water. The anchors finally took hold a mile and a half off Outer Island. By mid-afternoon, a big roller had ripped off a deck house, and the waves were tearing away at the deck. Captain Smart finally ordered Pretoria's crew to the lifeboat. The crashing surf near shore capsized them and flung them ten feet into the air. The elderly lighthouse keeper on Outer Island , John Irvine, repeatedly plunged into the waves and pulled five men to safety. The other five drowned., Today, the Pretoria lies in 55 feet of water off Outer Island. Marked by a Wisconsin Historical Society seasonal mooring buoy, the broken hull lies amid a large debris field. The donkey boiler, salvaged in the 1960s, was returned to the site in 2001. Pretoria's anchor chain is draped around Bayfield’s waterfront as ornamental fencing, and her anchors are on display at the Madeline Island Historical Museum.

Type: Wooden schooner-barge, three-masted , Built: 1900, Davidson Shipyard, West Bay City, Mich. , Sank: September 2, 1905 , Length: 338’ Beam: 44’ , Cargo: Iron ore , Depth of Wreckage: 55’ , Lives lost: 5 , . This historical marker was erected by Wisconsin Historical Society, University of Wisconsin Sea Grant, Wisconsin Coastal Management Program, NOAA. It is in Bayfield in Bayfield County Wisconsin

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places In the waters off Outer Island lies the wreck of the Pretoria, one of the largest wooden vessels ever to sail the Great lakes. On September 1, 1905, Captain Charles Smart and nine crew departed the Allouez ore docks in Superior, Wis., in tow of the steamer Venezuela. They were bound for Chicago with a load of iron ore. The following morning the two vessels encountered a ferocious gale 30 miles northeast of Outer Island. When Pretoria's steering gear failed, they headed for the shelter of the Apostle Islands. The tow line snapped before they reached the islands, leaving the colossal Pretoria helpless and wallowing in the heavy seas. In the poor visibility, the Venezuela lost sight of the Pretoria.

Captain Smart lowered his anchors, but they could not hold in the rocky bottom. The pounding seas ripped the hatch covers, and Pretoria started taking on water. The anchors finally took hold a mile and a half off Outer Island. By mid-afternoon, a big roller had ripped off a deck house, and the waves were tearing away at the deck. Captain

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Smart finally ordered Pretoria's crew to the lifeboat. The crashing surf near shore capsized them and flung them ten feet into the air. The elderly lighthouse keeper on Outer Island , John Irvine, repeatedly plunged into the waves and pulled five men to safety. The other five drowned.

Today, the Pretoria lies in 55 feet of water off Outer Island. Marked by a Wisconsin Historical Society seasonal mooring buoy, the broken hull lies amid a large debris field. The donkey boiler, salvaged in the 1960s, was returned to the site in 2001. Pretoria's anchor chain is draped around Bayfield’s waterfront as ornamental fencing, and her anchors are on display at the Madeline Island Historical Museum.

Type: Wooden schooner-barge, three-masted
Built: 1900, Davidson Shipyard, West Bay City, Mich.
Sank: September 2, 1905
Length: 338’ Beam: 44’
Cargo: Iron ore
Depth of Wreckage: 55’
Lives lost: 5

Erected by Wisconsin Historical Society, University of Wisconsin Sea Grant, Wisconsin Coastal Management Program, NOAA.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Disasters • Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Wisconsin Historical Society series list. A significant historical date for this entry is September 2, 1905.

Location.

Photographed By Paul Fehrenbach, September 25, 2016

2. Schooner Pretoria Marker

Archaeological Site Plan

46° 48.516′ N, 90° 48.888′ W. Marker is in Bayfield, Wisconsin, in Bayfield County. Marker is at the intersection of South 1st Street and Wilson Street, on the right when traveling south on South 1st Street. Marker located in front of Bayfield Maritime Museum. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 131 S 1st St, Bayfield WI 54814, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. A Turning Point in Place and Time (within shouting distance of this marker); Memorial to Commercial Fishermen of Bayfield (approx. 0.2 miles away); Bayfield Historic Waterfront (approx. ¼ mile away); The Booth Cooperage (approx. ¼ mile away); Cultural Fire Returns to Stockton Island (approx. 0.4 miles away); Madeline Island (approx. 2.3 miles away); Early Vessels (approx. 2.7 miles away); La Pointe Indian Cemetery (approx. 3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bayfield.

Additional keywords. Shipwrecks

Photographed By Paul Fehrenbach, September 25, 2016

3. Schooner Pretoria Marker

Upper left inset: The only existing photo of the Pretoria. Courtesy of Historical Collections of the Great lakes, Bowling Green State University

Photographed By Paul Fehrenbach, September 25, 2016

4. Schooner Pretoria Marker

Previously salvaged donkey boiler, returned in 2001

Photographed By Paul Fehrenbach, September 25, 2016

5. Schooner Pretoria Marker

Photographed By Paul Fehrenbach, September 25, 2016

6. Schooner Pretoria Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on September 29, 2016. It was originally submitted on September 27, 2016, by Paul Fehrenbach of Germantown, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 608 times since then and 57 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on September 27, 2016, by Paul Fehrenbach of Germantown, Wisconsin. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.