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Great Lakes Shipwreck News & Rumor - Fall 2001
By Brendon Baillod

The past few months have witnessed a number of interesting events around the Lakes.

The Southwest Michigan Underwater Preserve Committee has announced the discovery in May of a large shipwreck just outside the Preserve's boundaries that is believed to be the wreck of the Chicora, which vanished in 1895 during a Lake Michigan storm. The wreck was located by David Trotter of Underwater Research Associates as part of a continuing project in conjunction with the Preserve. The wreck has been examined with an ROV and is entirely consistent with the remains fo the Chicora. The wreck is in tech diving range, but is still under active archeological investigation by The Chicora Preservation Society, an independant group founded by members of the Southwest Michigan Underwater Preserve. Future management plans for the site are underway at this time and will include the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, the Michigan Historical Center and Benton Harbor's Fort Miami Heritage Society.

On August 7, 2001, the Carl D. Bradley was visited using scuba in 380 ft. of water by diver Mirek Standowicz from the boat of Pat & Jim Stayer of Out of the Blue Productions. Mirek collected 12 minutes of footage on the Bradley's bow section, some of which will be shown by the Stayers at the third annual Ghost Ships Festival.

Other big news has been the discovery of the long sought wreck of the A.A. Parker off Grand Marias in Lake Superior. The Parker went down in a 1903 gale and the US Lifesaving Service rescued her crew. Her location was subsequently fairly well known and she had been the object of several searches over the years. She was found in late June by the crew of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society's research vessel David Boyd and lies at a diveable depth. She is broken into a few large pieces and her artifacts are scattered about the wrecksite. Her bell, engine, guages, anchor and many dishes remain at the site. The GLSHS is working with the State of Michigan to establish a conservation plan for the portable artifacts before opening the wreck to sportdivers. Video of the wrecksite was shot by the GLSHS ROV and is available online via RealPlayer 8 along with a series of wrecksite photos.

Divers in the Thunder Bay and Minnesota areas are abuzz about the discovery of a "ship graveyard" in deep water off Thunder Bay. Over fifteen significant ships were towed out and scuttled off Thunder Bay in 1936, as they were considered eyesores. Recently located by sidescan in 200 - 270 ft. of water, the vessels have been explored by drop camera. In the newly established Thunder Bay Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve, four new shipwrecks were located during an intensive bottom survey conducted by Dr. Robert Ballard's Institute for Exploration and the EPAs vessel Lake Guardian. Some of the new wrecks are reportedly in very deep water and at least one is thought to be inverted on the Lake bottom. ROV and assessment work is planned for next summer to determine the identity of the vessels.

Notable discoveries announced recently by the Niagara Divers Association include the steamer Niagara (42-44.310/79-36.285), which was lost in 1899 when she foundered with all hands about 8 miles SW of Port Maitland, Ontario, the barge Betty Hedger (42-25.110/79-36.528), lost in November of 1937 when she broke free from the tug Ballenas off Barcelona, NY, and the trawler Carol Sue II, a 63 ft. ocean vessel that foundered NE of Conneaut, OH in a storm on October 11, 1999.

Jim Herbert of Osprey Dive Charters in Barcelona, NY has reported finding two virgin wrecks in eastern Lake Erie with his side scan sonar. From Ian Marshall of Niagara Divers Association: "The first wreck appears to be a schooner/barge about 125-140' long in a depth of 147'. It has a windlass & two anchors at the bow as well as a bilge pump and a total of five holds. It has another bilge pump and a very nice wheel aft. The bow sits about 3' above the mud line, but the stern is closer to 10'. [The location of this wreck will be announced in the near future.] The other appears to be a schooner in 165' of water."

Record low water levels in the Great Lakes have been revealing wrecks previously covered by sand or lying just below the surface. Several long buried keels and ribs have poked out of the sand on Lake Michigan, Lake Superior and Lake Huron. Among these are the remains of the steamer Peninsula lost at Eagle River, Michigan in 1854 and an unidentified sidewheeler just north of Goderich harbor, off Homans Beach in 20 ft. of water.

A large unidentified keel and ribs also emerged from the sand in the Southampton, Ontario area and another poked out of the sand at the Point Betsey Lighthouse on Lake Michigan. A large hull section has become exposed just off Au Sable Point on Lake Huron as well as another near Ludington, Michigan.

This September, the French cruise ship Le Levant will visit the Great Lakes and be the first cruise ship to offer passengers a virtual Great Lakes wreckdive. The cruise ship's owners have teamed up with the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society to simulcast an ROV visit from the Society's vessel David Boyd to the wreck of the Vienna off Whitefish Point. Passengers will view the narrated visit to the Vienna, which sank in 1892 in 150 ft. of water, through the cruise ships closed circuit TV system.

If you have info. for Great Lakes Shipwreck News & Rumor, please email Brendon Baillod.