PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GREAT LAKES SHIPWRECK MUSEUM
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society announced on October 22 the discovery of three shipwrecks in Lake Superior near Grand Marais in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, in addition to several more shipwrecks currently awaiting identification.
The schooner Dot, schooner-barge Frank W. Wheeler and schooner-barge Michigan were discovered by the society after more than 100 years beneath the water through a combination of historical research, technology and teamwork to map where the ships were last reported lost, and then a search of those areas to analyze the lake bottom.
“This has been a great year for us at the Shipwreck Museum, and we have never located so many new wrecks in one season,” said Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum Executive Director Bruce Lynn, reports mlive.com. “Each shipwreck has its own story…and the drama of the Drake and the Michigan, and the rescue of both crews…these are fantastic, true stories that we can tell in the museum someday.”
Dot sank in 1883 on a voyage from Marquette by taking on water while being towed by the M. M Drake carrying a load of iron ore. The Frank W. Wheeler likewise sank while being towed in 1885, caught in a gale that overtook the schooner in Lake Superior. The Michigan went down along with the M. M. Drake in 1901 while being towed through rough waters 12 miles west of Whitefish Point.
