Shipwreck hunters make astonishing find in Lake Michigan – but there’s a heartbreaking twist to the discovery
Shipwreck hunters in Wisconsin discovered a 131-year-old shipwreck on the bottom of Lake Michigan that was struck by a storm and killed the captain’s dog.
The Margaret A. Muir, a schooner, was found off the coast of Algoma, Wisconsin, on May 12, just before the Wisconsin Underwater Archeology Association survey team had nearly pulled the sonar out of the water for the day. press release said.
“I knew she was in about 50 feet of water, I knew her sides were open, I knew she was flat, and I knew she was going to be harder to find,” said Brendon Baillod, a search crew member, Fox 6 Milwaukee.
Tamara Thomsen, a member of the Wisconsin Historical Society, said all parts of the ship have been found, including personal belongings lost by sailors in the wreck.
The 130-foot, three-masted schooner was scheduled to dock in South Chicago from Bay City, Michigan, but on September 30, 1893, at around 5 a.m., the ship became stranded in a storm with 50 mph winds.
Margaret A. Muir, a schooner, was found off the coast of Algoma, Wisconsin, on May 12, just before the Wisconsin Underwater Archeology Association survey team had nearly pulled the sonar out of the water for the day.
The 130-foot three-masted schooner was due to dock in South Chicago from Bay City, Michigan, when it became stranded in a storm with 50-mile-per-hour winds around 5 a.m. on September 30, 1893.
The ship struggled with the harsh weather conditions until 7:30 a.m., when massive waves crashed over the deck, flooding the hold with meters of water, prompting 71-year-old Captain David Clow to call on his crew to abandon ship.
The ship had almost reached Ahnapee, present-day Algoma, when they abandoned it.
“After the order was given, the ship listed violently and plunged to the bottom, taking with it Captain Clow’s faithful dog and the ship’s mascot,” the WUAA said.
Although all the crew survived, they still had to brave 4.5 meter high waves in an open boat. They had to repeatedly scoop water from the lifeboat to get to land.
The ship battled the harsh weather until 7:30 a.m., when massive waves crashed over the deck, filling the hold with meters of water, prompting 71-year-old Captain David Clow to call on his crew to abandon ship.
The ship had almost reached Ahnapee – present day Algoma – when they left it behind
Eventually they reached safety, where a local saw the soaking wet and freezing crew of six. They were taken to the St. Charles Hotel to rest and get dry clothing.
Captain Clow mourned the loss of his faithful dog, saying he would “rather lose a certain amount of money than see the beast die in this manner.”
The old captain stopped sailing after the wreck, despite having seen many in his time. He said, ‘I have stopped sailing, because water does not seem to please me any more.’
The WUAA began searching for the shipwreck after Baillod compiled a database of 20-year-old wrecks in Wisconsin and found the Muir to be “remarkably findable.”
The old captain stopped sailing after the wreck, despite having seen many in his time. He said, ‘I have stopped sailing, because water does not seem to please me any more.’
The site is now in the process of being nominated for a National Register of Historic Places
In 2023, he approached the group to begin a search for the ship. They narrowed the search area to 13 square kilometers using historical materials.
Sonar picked up the wreck a few miles from the entrance to Algoma Harbor.
The site is currently being nominated for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
Another shipwreck, the Trinidad, also located off the coast of Algoma in June 2023, has been declared a historic site.