Features
Many of the twenty-three known shipwrecks lying in depths from 30 feet (9.1 m) to 270 feet (82 m) are moored to protect the wrecks and enhance the safety of divers. The preserve has good visibility and offers deep water diving on a variety of shipwrecks. The preserve is one of the last places in the Great Lakes to observe shipwrecks without zebra mussel encrustation. Dry suits are recommended due to cold temperatures and unprotected coves or bays. Most of the dive sites are deep and divers must be certain of their ability and their equipment before they attempt to dive in this preserve.
| Site name | Type | Depth | Coordinates | Disaster History |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allegheny | Wood schooner | 30 feet (9 m) | 46°46.016′N 85°10.601′W / 46.766933°N 85.176683°W / 46.766933; -85.176683 (Allegheny) | Stranded at Crisp Point in a gale on 6 June 1913. Crew rescued by Vermilion Point Life-saving Station crew with no loss of life. |
| Comet | Wood propeller steamer tug | 200 feet (61 m) to 230 feet (70 m) | 46°43.02′N 84°52.00′W / 46.71700°N 84.86667°W / 46.71700; -84.86667 (Comet) | Sank 26 August 1875 after colliding with the Manitoba above Whitefish Point with the loss of ten lives. |
| John B. Cowle | Steel propeller bulk freighter | 170 feet (52 m) to 200 feet (61 m) | 46°44.435′N 84°57.877′W / 46.740583°N 84.964617°W / 46.740583; -84.964617 (John B. Cowle) | Sank 12 July 1909 in Whitefish Bay after colliding with the Isaac M. Scott with the loss of fourteen lives out of a twenty-four-man crew. |
| Drake | Wood propeller bulk freighter | 40 feet (12 m) to 50 feet (15 m) | 46°46.588′N 85°05.933′W / 46.776467°N 85.098883°W / 46.776467; -85.098883 (Drake) | Foundered 2 October 1901 off Vermilion Point, along with her tow, the schooner, Michigan. Crew of both vessels were rescued by the propellers Northern Wave and Superior City with no loss of life. |
| Eureka | Wood schooner barge | 50 feet (15 m) to 55 feet (17 m) | 46°50.15′N 85°10.76′W / 46.83583°N 85.17933°W / 46.83583; -85.17933 (Eureka) | Disappeared 20 October 1886 after separating from the steamer Prentice 5.0 miles (8.0 km) off Vermillion Point with the loss of all 6 crew members. |
| Indiana | Wooden schooner barge | 100 feet (30 m) to 115 feet (35 m) | 46°48.66′N 085°17.16′W / 46.81100°N 85.28600°W / 46.81100; -85.28600 (Indiana) | Sank 6 June 1858 40 miles (64 km)above Whitefish Point and 10.0 miles (16.1 km) from shore with the crew of twenty-one taking to the life boats before she sank. |
| Jupiter | Wooden schooner barge | Driven ashore near Vermilion Point 27 November 1872 in an arctic gale when the towline parted from steamer John A. Dix and the schooner Saturn. | ||
| Samuel Mather | Wooden propeller | 140 feet (43 m) to 170 feet (52 m) | 46°34.308′N 084°42.325′W / 46.571800°N 84.705417°W / 46.571800; -84.705417 (Samuel Mather) | Sank 21 November 1891 in a collision with the Brazil in off Point Iroquois in Whitefish Bay with no loss of life. |
| John Mitchell | Steel freighter | 120 feet (37 m) to 150 feet (46 m) | 46°50.05′N 85°04.81′W / 46.83417°N 85.08017°W / 46.83417; -85.08017 (John Mitchell) | Sank 10 July 1911 off Whitefish Point in a collision with William Henry Mack with the loss of three lives. |
| Miztec | Wooden schooner barge | 45 feet (14 m) to 55 feet (17 m) | 46°48.073′N 85°04.500′W / 46.801217°N 85.075000°W / 46.801217; -85.075000 (Miztec) | Foundered 13 May 1921 off Vermilion Point with the loss of all seven crew. |
| Myron | Wooden propeller, lumber hooker | 45’ to 55’ | 46°48.463′N 85°01.646′W / 46.807717°N 85.027433°W / 46.807717; -85.027433 (Myron) | Foundered 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of Whitefish Point on 23 November 1919 with barge Miztec in tow. Seventeen lives were lost from the Myron. Only the Captain survived. He was picked up by the W.C. Franz when he was found drifting on wreckage near Ile Parisienne. |
| Neshoto | Wood propeller | 45 feet (14 m) to 55 feet (17 m) | 46°49.173′N 85°07.488′W / 46.819550°N 85.124800°W / 46.819550; -85.124800 (Neshoto) | Blinded from forest fire smoke, driven ashore and stranded 2.5 miles (4.0 km) east of Crisp Point Light, crew rescued by Crisp Point Life Saving Crew. |
| Niagara | Wood schooner barge | 90 feet (27 m) to 100 feet (30 m) | 46°49.173′N 85°07.488′W / 46.819550°N 85.124800°W / 46.819550; -85.124800 (Niagara) | Foundered 7 Sep 1887 after breaking tow from the steamer Australasia 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Whitefish Point Light, all hands, 9 lives lost. |
| Alexander Nimick | Wood propeller | 100 feet (30 m) | 46°45.743′N 85°12.982′W / 46.762383°N 85.216367°W / 46.762383; -85.216367 (Alexander Nimick) | Pounded to pieces in 27 feet (8 m) of water on 21 September 1907 after she was stranded on a sandbar near the mouth of the Two Hearted River with the loss of 6 lives. The 11 survivors made it to shore by lifeboat. |
| Ora Endress S. S. | Fish tug | 13 feet (4 m) to 15 feet (5 m) | Capsized and sank about 1 mile (1.6 km) west of Whitefish Point. The Whitefish Point lighthouse keeper and 2 other men rescued all 11 crewmembers. | |
| John M. Osborn | Wooden propeller | 165 feet (50 m) | 46°51.974′N 85°05.210′W / 46.866233°N 85.086833°W / 46.866233; -85.086833 (John M. Osborn) | Sank 27 July 1884 in a collision with the Alberta 6 miles (9.7 km) west-northwest of Whitefish Point with the loss of 3 lives. |
| Panther | Wood propeller | 90 feet (27 m) to 110 feet (34 m) | 46°51.974′N 80°05.210′W / 46.866233°N 80.086833°W / 46.866233; -80.086833 (Panther) | Sank 26 June 1916 in a collision in a fog with the James H. Hill off Parisienne Island in Whitefish Bay with no loss of life. |
| Sadie Thompson | Wooden barge | 80 feet (24 m) to 114 feet (35 m) | 46°42.512′N 84°59.856′W / 46.708533°N 84.997600°W / 46.708533; -84.997600 (Sadie Thompson) | Broke free and sank 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Whitefish Point during the construction of the Harbor of Refuge in 1967. |
| Sagamore | Whaleback barge | 45 feet (14 m) to 65 feet (20 m) | 45°31.089′N 84°37.927′W / 45.518150°N 84.632117°W / 45.518150; -84.632117 (Sagamore) | Sank 29 July 1901 in a collision with propeller Northern Queen near Point Iroquois in Whitefish Bay with the loss of 2 lives. |
| Saturn | Wood schooner barge | 20 feet (6 m) | 46°45.952′N 85°01.547′W / 46.765867°N 85.025783°W / 46.765867; -85.025783 (Saturn) | Pounded to pieces 27 November 1872 after grounding just west of Whitefish Point after breaking her towline with steam John A. Dix and sister Jupiter with the loss of 7 lives. |
| Superior City | Steel freighter | 190 feet (58 m) to 270 feet (82 m) | 46°43.51′N 84°52.37′W / 46.72517°N 84.87283°W / 46.72517; -84.87283 (Superior City) | Sank 20 August 1920 after her boilers exploded in a collision with steamer Willis L. King with the loss of 29 lives. |
| Vienna | Wood propeller | 120 feet (37 m) to 148 feet (45 m) | 46°44.46′N 84°57.91′W / 46.74100°N 84.96517°W / 46.74100; -84.96517 (Vienna) | Sank 17 September 1873 after a collision with propeller Nipigon about 4 miles (6.4 km) below Whitefish Point with no loss of life. |
| Zillah | Wood propeller | 230 feet (70 m) to 250 feet (76 m) | 46°43.75′N 84°54.97′W / 46.72917°N 84.91617°W / 46.72917; -84.91617 (Zillah) | Foundered 4 miles (6.4 km) off Whitefish Point 29 August 1926. Her crew of 14 were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard and the William B. Schiller. |
Read more about this topic: Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve
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