The 133-year-old, 283-foot wooden steamer New York lost at sea on October 1, 1910 was recently discovered in the depths of Lake Huron and its location brought to the surface by noted shipwreck hunter David Trotter, according to a recent article published in the Detroit Free Press.
“We were very excited because it was such a large vessel,” Trotter was quoted as saying in the article.
This discovery, made at a depth of 240 feet in Lake Huron’s waters, marks Trotter’s two-year quest to recover the ship. The find, according to the newspaper, is expected to shed light on how ships of this era were constructed — at a time when most shipbuilders didn’t work off of written plans.
At the time it was built in 1879, New York was the largest wooden steamer in existence. Divers discovered the ship resting upright, with a damaged stern and broken stacks nearby, about 40 miles north of the tip of Michigan’s Thumb.
Over the course of his career, Trotter, 71, has located more than 90 shipwrecks. To find out more about Trotter and his work, visit shipwreck1.com.
Photo courtesy of David Trotter
