Michigan researchers find 1914 shipwrecks in Lake Superior
KATHLEEN FOODY
Wed, April 12, 2023 at 7:26 PM GMT+2
CHICAGO (AP) — Michigan researchers have found the wreckage of two ships that disappeared into Lake Superior in 1914 and hope the discovery will lead them to a third that sank at the same time, killing nearly 30 people aboard the trio of lumber-shipping vessels.
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society announced the discoveries this month after confirming details with other researchers. Ric Mixter, a board member of the society and a maritime historian, called witnessing the discoveries “a career highlight.”
“It not only solved a chapter in the nation’s darkest day in lumber history, but also showcased a team of historians who have dedicated their lives towards making sure these stories aren’t forgotten,” Mixter said.
The vessels owned by the Edward Hines Lumber Company sank into the ice-cold lake on Nov. 18, 1914, when a storm swept through as they moved lumber from Baraga, Michigan, to Tonawanda, New York. The steamship C.F. Curtis was towing the schooner barges Selden E. Marvin and Annie M. Peterson; all 28 people aboard were killed.
The society's team found the wreck of the Curtis during the summer of 2021 and the Marvin a year later within a few miles of the first discovery. The organization operates a museum in Whitefish Point and regularly runs searches for shipwrecks, aiming to tell “the lost history of all the Great Lakes” with a focus on Lake Superior, said Corey Adkins, the society's content and communications director.
“One of the things that makes us proud when we discover these things is helping piece the puzzle together of what happened to these 28 people,” Adkins said. “It’s been 109 years, but maybe there are still some family members that want to know what happened. We’re able to start answering those questions.”
Both wrecks were discovered about 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of Grand Marais, Michigan, farther into the lake than the 1914 accounts suggested the ships sank, Adkins said. There was also damage to the Marvin's bow and the Curtis' stern, making researchers wonder whether a collision contributed, he said.
“Those are all questions we want to consider when we go back out this summer,” Adkins said.
Video footage from the Curtis wreckage showed the maintained hull of the steamship, its wheel, anchor, boiler and still shining gauges — all preserved by Lake Superior’s cold waters, along with other artifacts.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/michigan-res ... 16365.html
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My first reaction was... that's a lot of shipwrecks.RTH10260 wrote: ↑Wed Apr 12, 2023 10:56 pmMichigan researchers find 1914 shipwrecks in Lake Superior
KATHLEEN FOODY
Wed, April 12, 2023 at 7:26 PM GMT+2
CHICAGO (AP) — Michigan researchers have found the wreckage of two ships that disappeared into Lake Superior in 1914 and hope the discovery will lead them to a third that sank at the same time, killing nearly 30 people aboard the trio of lumber-shipping vessels.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/michigan-res ... 16365.html
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https://www.mnhs.org/splitrock/learn/sh ... 20Superior.Of the estimated 10,000 shipwrecks in the Great Lakes region, only about 350 of them are located in Lake Superior. Of those, about 50 wrecks are presumed to be within Minnesota waters. Most of Minnesota's shipwreck history can be found in Lake Superior.
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https://www.goerie.com/story/lifestyle/columns/2022/06/03/great-lakes-facts-erie-huron-michigan-ontario-superior-shipwrecks-shoreline/65356053007/18. Lake Erie has experienced more shipwrecks and sinkings than any other Great Lake. It has recorded more sinkings than the Bermuda Triangle.
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**insert song, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald (Gordon Lightfoot)
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“If everyone fought for their own convictions there would be no war.” ― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace
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“If everyone fought for their own convictions there would be no war.” ― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace
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We attended a lecture on this ship and shipwrecks on the Great Lakes on the Great Lakes cruise last fall. It was fascinating.
I would guess there are so many wrecks on Erie because it's so shallow.
I would guess there are so many wrecks on Erie because it's so shallow.
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I've been to the museum on Whitefish point. Beutiful location, great museum, nice lighthouse site and an important bird sanctuary all wrapped up in one.
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So how did they find 1914 wrecks in Lake Superior if there's only 350 of them there?Volkonski wrote: ↑Thu Apr 13, 2023 12:04 pmhttps://www.mnhs.org/splitrock/learn/sh ... 20Superior.Of the estimated 10,000 shipwrecks in the Great Lakes region, only about 350 of them are located in Lake Superior. Of those, about 50 wrecks are presumed to be within Minnesota waters. Most of Minnesota's shipwreck history can be found in Lake Superior.
Be assured that a walk through the ocean of most souls Would scarcely get your feet wet
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So where is the 'rest' of Minnesota's shipwreck history?Volkonski wrote: ↑Thu Apr 13, 2023 12:04 pmhttps://www.mnhs.org/splitrock/learn/sh ... 20Superior.Of the estimated 10,000 shipwrecks in the Great Lakes region, only about 350 of them are located in Lake Superior. Of those, about 50 wrecks are presumed to be within Minnesota waters. Most of Minnesota's shipwreck history can be found in Lake Superior.
Be assured that a walk through the ocean of most souls Would scarcely get your feet wet
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Ok folks. Read the headline. Read the first paragraph. My point was that this was a poorly written headline. TWO shipwrecks from the year 1914 were discovered.MN-Skeptic wrote: ↑Thu Apr 13, 2023 12:01 pmMy first reaction was... that's a lot of shipwrecks.RTH10260 wrote: ↑Wed Apr 12, 2023 10:56 pmMichigan researchers find 1914 shipwrecks in Lake Superior
KATHLEEN FOODY
Wed, April 12, 2023 at 7:26 PM GMT+2
CHICAGO (AP) — Michigan researchers have found the wreckage of two ships that disappeared into Lake Superior in 1914 and hope the discovery will lead them to a third that sank at the same time, killing nearly 30 people aboard the trio of lumber-shipping vessels.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/michigan-res ... 16365.html
Edited - Or maybe you did understand my post and so I apologize for this rant.
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My understanding is the shallow waters make the waves more intense and break more. I think there were sometimes issues with boats getting too near the shore or a river outlet and scraping the bottom. They would keep going while taking on water.
It is also a matter of traffic. Along you Erie you had Detroit, Toledo, Cleveland, and Buffalo. You also had ore ports like Ashtabula and Conneaut where boats would drop MI/WI/MN iron ore for steel plants in Warren, Youngstown, and the Pittsburgh area. Lorain also had heavy steal works along with the shipbuilding.
Lake Michigan had Milwaukee down to Chicago and Northern Indiana, along with lumber ships lumbering up and down but not nearly the concentration of Erie.
101010
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Yes, Erie is the shallowest of the Great Lakes. I lived in the Cleveland area for more than 20 years. I had a relative with a boat (sailboat 24ft, nothing big). Storm comes up?, we all returned to the marina and had beers dock side.northland10 wrote: ↑Fri Apr 14, 2023 9:34 amMy understanding is the shallow waters make the waves more intense and break more. I think there were sometimes issues with boats getting too near the shore or a river outlet and scraping the bottom. They would keep going while taking on water.
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Great Lakes liner fails the floating task:
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Thanks, I watched most of the video. The presenter peddles the line that the SOLAS rules for more lifeboats developed after the Titanic sinking contributed to the Eastland capsizing.
I call that nonsense. As he says, the Eastland was unstable because it had too high a center of gravity, and that was the situation when it was built and was exacerbated by later changes. Yes, adding more lifeboats was one of the later contributing factors to its instability but no, the critical problem was not the extra lifeboats, it was all the other misplaced weight before then.
It's to do with metacentric heights … but probably most people aren't interested, so it's under a spoiler tag.
I call that nonsense. As he says, the Eastland was unstable because it had too high a center of gravity, and that was the situation when it was built and was exacerbated by later changes. Yes, adding more lifeboats was one of the later contributing factors to its instability but no, the critical problem was not the extra lifeboats, it was all the other misplaced weight before then.
It's to do with metacentric heights … but probably most people aren't interested, so it's under a spoiler tag.
► Show Spoiler
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I was interested. Thanks.
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Another year, no answers. Hearts out to the families of the 29.
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Watch until the end.
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I was fortunate enough to see Gordon play this live back 2018. It still got to him, you could see it that he still cared deeply about those 29 men.