Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Three shipwrecks located in the Great Lakes including S.S. Michigan
Niles Daily Star ^ | Monday, July 11, 2005 | Monday, July 11, 2005

Posted on 07/12/2005 10:32:15 AM PDT by nickcarraway

HOLLAND - A recent expedition by Holland-based Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates has led to the discovery of the final location of the Great Lakes passenger steamer S.S. Michigan, the remains of the car ferry Ann Arbor 5 and an unnamed barge.

The S.S. Michigan is one of MSRA's six most-sought-after shipwrecks and is the subject of a 2004 documentary called, "ICEBOUND! The Ordeal of the S.S. Michigan."

The S.S. Michigan sank on March 19, 1885, just four years after her launch.

The 30-man crew made it safely to shore after being stranded on the ice for 42 days.

MSRA board members Craig Rich, Valerie and Jack van Heest, Jan Miller and Ross Richardson teamed up with Great lakes shipwreck hunter David Trotter for the search in early June.

The vessel was found upright in more than 270 feet of water off Holland, making it a "technical dive" for experts only.

MSRA-affiliated scuba divers have made several deep dives to the wreck, beginning the process of documentation.

So far, they have seen the ship's massive anchors, the ship's wheel and the smokestack. Most intriguing, they located the capstan with the name "S.S. Michigan" and "Wyandotte, Michigan" inscribed on it. There is no doubt as to the identity of this shipwreck.

Built in 1881 as a sister ship to the S.S. Wisconsin by the Detroit Dry Dock Co. at Wyandotte for the Goodrich Transportation Co., the S.S. Michigan was a sturdy iron-hulled passenger steamer. She was 204 feet long and 35 feet wide, powered by a compound engine, which drove a single propeller.

The discovery of the Michigan came exactly one year after the team discovered an unnamed barge in the same general location.

Due to its clean condition and lack of equipment, this barge is believed to have been scuttled.

The site, off Holland, will make a fine technical-diver training location since it lies in 275 feet of water.

Earlier this year, a joint expedition between MSRA and Clive Cussler's National Underwater Marine Agency (NUMA) produced a number of interesting finds, but the location of Northwest Airlines Flight 2501 remains a mystery. The DC-4 airliner crashed into Lake Michigan off South Haven in 1950 with the loss of all 58 persons aboard.

Flight 2501 was en route from New York to Minneapolis when it encountered a severe thunderstorm late in the evening of June 23, 1950. Three crewmembers and 55 passengers perished in the disaster.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; US: Michigan
KEYWORDS: archaeology; clivecussler; godsgravesglyphs; greatlakes; michigan; msra; shipwrecks; ssmichigan
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041 next last

1 posted on 07/12/2005 10:32:15 AM PDT by nickcarraway
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down Of the big lake they call Gitchigumi.


2 posted on 07/12/2005 10:45:21 AM PDT by Dog Gone
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway
I wonder how freshwater preservation/decay compares to saltwater at the same latitude. I would guess the temp range at that depth runs from 34-56 winter-summer? The colder side of the temp range would favor preservation would it not?
3 posted on 07/12/2005 10:48:22 AM PDT by Monterrosa-24 (France kicked Germany's teeth out at Verdun among other places.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

I hope they look for the Edmund Fitzgerald yet. It would be interesting to see if the corpses have turned over in their graves after being immortalized by Gordon Lightfoot.


4 posted on 07/12/2005 10:52:39 AM PDT by Rodney King (No, we can't all just get along.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Rodney King

They found the Edmund Fitzgerald some years ago. They brought up her ship's bell. IIRC.


5 posted on 07/12/2005 10:56:56 AM PDT by LexBaird (tyrannosaurus Lex, unapologetic carnivore)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Rodney King
They found the Edmund Fitzgerald several years ago, and placed a memorial with the names of the deceased on the wreck.

And I like the Gordon Lightfoot song.

6 posted on 07/12/2005 10:58:44 AM PDT by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilisation is Aborting, Buggering, and Contracepting itself out of existence.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Rodney King

There's no mystery as to the Edmund Fitzgerald's location. The ship's bell was recovered in 1995, partly in response to an increasing number of divers visiting the shipwreck site.

http://www.shipwreckmuseum.com/fitz.phtml?page=recovery


7 posted on 07/12/2005 10:58:57 AM PDT by BlackRazor
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway
Most intriguing, they located the capstan

Good grief, the first time I read that, I thought it said captain!!

Down with the ship!
8 posted on 07/12/2005 10:59:42 AM PDT by BaBaStooey (Ethiopia: The New Happiest Place on Earth.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Dog Gone

sorry dong gone, wrong lake.. these ships sank in Lake Michigan, Gitchigumi is Lake Superior, and it has lots of wrecks in it.


9 posted on 07/12/2005 11:00:15 AM PDT by markman46 (loving america for 50yrs)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: markman46

picky, picky. It was a great song except that it got played 2 gazillion times.


10 posted on 07/12/2005 11:11:56 AM PDT by Dog Gone
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Dog Gone
Gitchigumi

Lake Superior?

11 posted on 07/12/2005 11:13:41 AM PDT by Mike Darancette (Mesocons for Rice '08)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: markman46
sorry dong gone

Ouch, that would hurt..

I wonder if there is any treasure in this boat, or at least some interesting artifatcs.

12 posted on 07/12/2005 11:15:04 AM PDT by No Blue States
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Dog Gone

LOL.. Oh ya they play the song every November in Minn. I like it too.


13 posted on 07/12/2005 11:16:23 AM PDT by markman46 (loving america for 50yrs)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

An old Navy guy in Milwaukee told me that the lakes were rougher than any ocean he'd ever been in. The size and depth combine to make semi-large waves that come at an astounding frequency. It can pummel the rivets right out of a vessel.


14 posted on 07/12/2005 11:17:30 AM PDT by July 4th (A vacant lot cancelled out my vote for Bush.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: No Blue States
sorry dong gone

Ouch, that would hurt..

Damn finger slips.. must be old age creeping up.. sorry DOG GONE

15 posted on 07/12/2005 11:20:10 AM PDT by markman46 (loving america for 50yrs)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: GreenEggsNHam; CasaDeQueso

Bump.


16 posted on 07/12/2005 11:20:36 AM PDT by ericthecurdog (NOBODY puts BABY in the corner!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: markman46

hahah

Then notice I mispelled artifacts.

That age deal is creeping up on me too.

I wasnt being the grammer nanny, it was just a funny typo. ;)


17 posted on 07/12/2005 11:23:58 AM PDT by No Blue States
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Dog Gone

The company I worked for in Minnesota put fuel on the Ed Fitz on the last run she made. Our tanker captain knew many of the guys, including the replacement cook who went aboard that last day when the regular cook became ill.


18 posted on 07/12/2005 11:24:09 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks (Scratch a Liberal. Uncover a Fascist)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

Clive Cussler's National Underwater Marine Agency (NUMA)

Never knew it was for real.


19 posted on 07/12/2005 11:26:23 AM PDT by PeterPrinciple
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Monterrosa-24

One thing they don't have to worry about in fresh, is the teredo worm. It destroys the wood of ships in warm saltwater seas. Read more here: http://southseas.nla.gov.au/biogs/P000404b.htm


20 posted on 07/12/2005 11:32:12 AM PDT by Graymatter
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson