She was named for the wife of one of her owners. The canal schooner went ashore November 2, 1870. (Buoyed)Īlso known as the Sandpiper, this 100-foot long wreck is the bottom of a schooner that was laden with iron ore from Marquette. She rests on a rocky shelf in about 20 feet of water, protected by the island. Her hull is largely intact with scattered timbers and the huge rudder. (Buoyed)Īfter striking Grand Island, the 252-foot wooden hulled freighter sank October 26, 1903, after burning to the waterline in a freak accidental fire in the cabins. She is the most intact wreck in the area, offering experienced divers many hours of underwater exploration. The most dramatic and well-known wreck in the preserve, the Smith Moore rests just off Sand Point in about 95 feet of water with her deck at the 85 foot level. I hope you get a chance to explore these when you visit Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.Īfter colliding with the James Pickands, this 230-foot wooden steam barge sank July 13, 1889, as it was being towed in by the M.M. The last recorded wrecks in the Pictured Rocks area happened in the late 1940s. With the invention of marine radios, gps, and radar the shipping on this big lake finally became much safer. As you continue your walk to the lighthouse you can enjoy views of this wreckage along the beach. Both ships were able to get their crews to shore with no loss of life. The Sitka grounded in 1904 while the Gale Staples grounded in 1918. Because each of these ships, wooden bulk freighters, are almost identical in size, shape and type of construction, it’s tough to tell which piece belongs to which ship. From here you can see the remains of two ships, the Sitka and the Gale Staples. As you continue towards the lighthouse you can access a set of stairs to a sandy beach for the last third of the walk. The long oak keelsons studded with iron nails are just below the surface. Today the remains may still be seen resting on the sandstone bottom just off the beach near the trail to the lighthouse. The Mary Jarecki, a wooden freight steamer heavily laden with iron ore, ran off its course and became lost in fog off the mouth of the Hurricane river before grounding ashore on July 4th of 1883. Walking from the lower Hurricane day use area to the Au Sable Light Station allows visitors to view the remains of three other shipwrecks. Today this bell, which can be viewed in the museum at the Au Sable Light Station, is one of the few artifacts that remains from this tragedy. Between 35 and 42 people perished in this wreck. Foundering on the rocks, passengers were washed overboard and had to swim in frigid waters to the lakeshore. Attempts to lighten the load were unsuccessful and as she took on water the boiler fires were extinguished. The side-wheeler steamer Superior in heavy seas lurched off course. Today Spray falls is a popular kayak and boat destination but one of the most tragic shipwrecks occurred at this location in late October of 1856. The other element contributing to the wrecks in this area is the thick, dense fog that can form swiftly. Of the 45 recorded shipwrecks in the waters along the park, 28 or almost two-thirds occurred in September, October or November when these strong winds are prevalent. This 80 mile stretch of Lake Superior, known as the shipwreck coast, gets pounded by these waves and Pictured Rocks makes up the west half of the blue bar. This occurs a result of strong north or northwest winds that can create large waves over a distance of 160 miles until they reach the shoreline area represented by the blue bar. Along the Pictured rocks National Lakeshore, in the fall of each year, it’s not uncommon to have marine forecasts issued that can call for maximum potential wave height of up to 25 feet. My name is Ranger Kelly and today we are going to explore some of the shipwrecks along this shoreline and learn why this area earned the dubious name “The Shipwreck Coast of Lake Superior”.
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