How many shipwrecks are there in the great lakes

The Hume continued Fast-forward 21 years, and it was the Rouse-Simmons ' turn: She disappeared, too. When they were finally discovered at different times , they were sitting at the bottom of the lake, in almost perfect condition, with no clues as to why they'd sunk. There are a ton of stories just like them: The Rosabelle capsized in , with no signs of collision. Her crew was never found, and neither was Captain George R. It was , and he had just guided the O.

McFarland through treacherous waters when he decided to get some rest. When crew members went to wake him, he was gone. Also gone? Northwest Airlines Flight The plane was flying over the triangle in when it was denied permission to descend. No wreckage has ever been found. What heck, Lake Michigan? It's easy to blame mysterious accidents, disappearances, and shipwrecks on UFOs because you're totally not expected to have proof.

But sometimes, proof of something eerie shows up, and we're left to explain it again. That's kind of what happened in , and underwater archaeologists are still scratching their heads. That's the year that archaeology professors Mark Holley and Brian Abbot did a sonar search of the bottom of Lake Michigan.

They were looking for shipwrecks, but according to Milwaukee Magazine , they found something stranger: a line of stones that looked very deliberately arranged and reminded them of Stonehenge. And don't worry, it gets weirder. The stone structure was only submerged by about 40 feet of water, so they sent a team of divers down to see what they could see via ZME Science. The boulders were between 3.

They estimated that they'd found the 10,year-old remains of a monument built by an ancient civilization that lived alongside post-Ice Age animals, and while that's pretty cool in its own right, some suggest that the mysterious monument might have something to do with the tragedies that befall the ships that sail over it.

The world's full of strange things, so maybe don't discount that? According to Milwaukee Magazine , the largest open-water loss of life on the Great Lakes was the Lady Elgin disaster in She collided with a smaller boat, the Augusta, which made it safely to port, but the Lady Elgin sank with passengers on board.

There's the SS Eastland , which didn't even make it out of port. It was a cool July day in , and the Eastland was getting ready to shuttle 2, people from Chicago to a park 38 miles across Lake Michigan. It was supposed to be a brilliant afternoon out, but there was a huge problem: New regulations that increased the number of lifeboats, rafts, and life preservers on board a ship made the Eastland — with its shallow bottom — incredibly top-heavy.

Even though Smithsonian Magazine notes that those in charge of the shipping companies knew this and warned legislators that the consequences of their new "safety" laws would be more deaths, no one listened. They didn't even listen when it nearly capsized in and again in And so, when the Eastland — which was originally only supposed to carry passengers — took on its weekend passengers that day in Chicago, it listed 45 degrees to port and rolled completely onto its side just two minutes later.

The lifesaving equipment was never launched, and in spite of the efforts of around 10, nearby civilians who tried to help, people died. According to The Homestead , there are around 50 shipwrecks at the bottom of the Manitou Passage alone. One of them is still visible: She's the wreck of the Francisco Morazan , and her story is a pretty perfect illustration of just how many shipwrecks there are in the Great Lakes.

She left Chicago on November 27, , and sailed into driving winds and snow. The ship — laden with 1, tons of general cargo — ran aground just south of South Manitou Island, where she still sits well above the water pictured. No one was hurt, though the ship was declared unsalvageable.

This was not helped by the new federal Seamen' Act which required a complete set of lifeboats to be on many passenger vessels, making the ship's problem of being top-heavy worse since the ship already had to have special restrictions on the number of passengers it could hold. Shortly after seven in the morning, the ship had reached its capacity of 2, passengers, with the majority on the upper decks.

The ship then began to tilt a little towards its port side, despite the crew's attempt to stabilize it. At some point during this a number of passengers rushed to the port side of the ship and the SS Eastland rolled over completely onto its port side. Despite only being about 20 feet from the wharf in the south bank of Chicago River and the fast acting response of a nearby ship that helped stranded passengers, the death toll was people. The SS Eastland is the worst shipwreck to take place in the Great Lakes in terms of the number of casualties.

The ship was known for its size, seasonal haul records, and its ability to entertain boat watchers with its piping music and commentary. They were busy shipping routes, with people and cargo regularly shuffling between cities on the shores. More than ships succumbed to the whims of the lakes; here are 11 of them.

The ship plowed through towering waves to lead its sister ship, the SS Arthur M. Anderson , on a journey to deliver iron ore in November But the foot waves were too much for the Edmund Fitzgerald , which snapped in two , sinking to the bottom of Lake Superior with its person crew.

Though the ship has been found, the cause of its sinking remains a mystery. There are many theories: Some suggest the ship was overloaded; others propose it had its bow on top of one wave with the stern on another, causing the unsupported middle to split. Curiously, the Anderson encountered three giant waves that struck from the stern and continued in the direction of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

This has led to speculation that rogue waves —defined as unpredictable waves that are twice as large as the surrounding swells—could have sunk the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Her nephew, a local ship captain, cautioned her to wait and return home on a new steamer that was almost finished. But she was impatient and instead booked passage on the schooner New Connecticut.

When a storm sent the ship tumbling onto its side, the crew escaped, but there was no sign of Applebee. Five days later, when a salvage crew righted the schooner, Applebee walked up the stairs and onto the deck. Her unexpected appearance was so shocking the sailors screamed in fright. She explained that she had become trapped below deck when the vessel rolled on its side.

She spent nearly a week in waist-deep water, with just a wet cracker and an onion to sustain her [ PDF ]. Applebee, and the badly damaged ship, were brought back to the safety of shore. Built of steel, the SS Western Reserve was faster, lighter, and could carry more cargo than any other ship on the Great Lakes at that time. But on a fateful voyage across Lake Superior in August , it suddenly cracked in half while moving through large waves.

The 22 people on board, including the captain's wife and three children, barely escaped into two lifeboats before the ship sank.

Shortly after being launched, one lifeboat capsized, with two of its five occupants making it to the second lifeboat. The crew rowed for hours.

A solitary survivor made it to the beach. Through such tangible organizations, a greater reach about the details and the findings of these shipwrecks is hoped to be achieved. In addition, these organizations also protect heritage sites and underwater preserves where diving enthusiasts can enjoy these shipwrecks from around the world.

Data and charts, if used, in the article have been sourced from available information and have not been authenticated by any statutory authority. The author and Marine Insight do not claim it to be accurate nor accept any responsibility for the same. The views constitute only the opinions and do not constitute any guidelines or recommendation on any course of action to be followed by the reader.

The article or images cannot be reproduced, copied, shared or used in any form without the permission of the author and Marine Insight. Rishab Joshi is marine engineer with extensive experience of tanker vessels. Presently working with General Maritime Corporation GMC , he loves reading maritime case studies and reports on trending issues. Currently busy writing an e-book on oil tankers. What about the SS. Daniel J. Morrell which foundered in ?

She was sailing down the thumb of Lake Huron in a terrible storm when the strength of the waves caused her to hog in the middle. Out of a crew of twenty-nine men, only the late Dennis Hale survived. We are trying to contact the 29 surviving families and believe we will solve what happened on the stern that night based on clues we have uncovered. My great-grandfather died in a Nov. He was 1st mate on the Lucerne no survivors ; the plan had been to haul iron ore back to Cleveland.

Last week I read of an author who wrote about the shipwrecks in the Great Lakes. The book has apparently just been published. Can you provide me with his name and perhaps even how I can get a copy of the book?

Your email address will not be published. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website Got it! The Great Lakes of North America is one such prominent fresh-water body. Here is a list of ten such noteworthy shipwrecks of the Great Lakes. Table of Contents. Representation image. Report an Error. Want to share your tips and advice? Got questions? Visit the community forum to ask questions, get answers, meet people, and share your tips!