Identification & Site Information

• Name: Dan. Tindall
• Other Names: None
• Official Number: 6137
• Type at Loss: Schooner, wood
• Builder: W. Totten, Fremont, Ohio
• Date Built: 1858
• Specifications: 299 tons
• Date of Loss: September 18, 1871
• Place of Loss: North side of North Bay, Wisconsin
• Lake: Michigan
• Type of Loss: Storm
• Loss of Life: None
• Carrying: 270,000 board feet of lumber

Vessel Type & Description

The Dan. Tindall was a wooden Schooner, a common type of vessel used for the transport of cargo, particularly lumber, on the Great Lakes during the 19th century. This Schooner was built in 1858 by W. Totten in Fremont, Ohio, and had a tonnage of 299 tons. Schooners like the Dan. Tindall were typically equipped with multiple masts (often two or three), enabling them to navigate the lakes and carry substantial cargo, such as lumber, grain, and other bulk goods.

The Schooner’s cargo capacity of 270,000 board feet of lumber made her particularly suited for transporting large quantities of timber, a staple cargo for many vessels operating in the Great Lakes region, particularly in areas like Chicago and Collingwood.

Final Voyage & Loss

On September 18, 1871, the Dan. Tindall was en route from Oconto, Wisconsin to Chicago when she encountered heavy weather on Lake Michigan. Caught in a violent storm, the Schooner was driven ashore on the north side of North Bay, Wisconsin, where she became a Total Loss. Fortunately, no lives were lost, and there are no records indicating injuries to the crew. The vessel’s cargo of lumber, however, would have likely been lost or severely damaged in the wreck.

Before her final loss, the Dan. Tindall had experienced a prior mishap earlier that same year while bound from Chicago to Collingwood, when she went aground on the Waugoschance Reef (located in Lake Michigan). The Schooner was reported to have been broken up as a result of this grounding.

After being Rebuilt in 1870, it is unclear if the vessel had been fully restored to operational condition before the storm struck, but it seems likely that she was still active and sailing in the Great Lakes trade at the time of her final disaster.

Final Dispositions

The Dan. Tindall was Abandoned as a Total Loss after the storm-driven grounding in North Bay, Wisconsin. Given the nature of her damage and the destruction to her Hull and cargo, the Schooner was not recovered, and there are no records of salvage operations. The vessel’s wreck remains part of the history of Lake Michigan shipwrecks, with no major recovery of her materials or machinery reported after the event.

NOTMARs & Advisories

• Waugoschance Reef: Mariners should be cautious when navigating near Waugoschance Reef in Lake Michigan, as this area is known for being hazardous, especially in stormy conditions. The Dan. Tindall’s grounding there serves as a reminder of the danger reefs present to vessels.

Resources & Links

• Great Lakes Ships Database
• David Swayze Shipwreck File
• Shipwrecks of the Great Lakes
• Maritime History of the Great Lakes

Conclusion

The Dan. Tindall, a wooden Schooner built in 1858, was lost in a storm on Lake Michigan on September 18, 1871while en route from Oconto, Wisconsin, to Chicago. Driven ashore on the north side of North Bay, Wisconsin, she became a Total Loss, though fortunately, there were no fatalities. This vessel had previously run aground earlier in 1871 on the Waugoschance Reef, which contributed to her overall destruction. The Dan. Tindall’s wreck, like many others in the Great Lakes, serves as a testament to the perils of navigation in those turbulent waters.

Keywords & Categories

Keywords: Schooner wreck, North Bay shipwreck, Great Lakes storms, Lake Michigan Schooner loss, 19th-century shipwrecks, lumber transport

Categories: Shipwrecks of Lake Michigan, Great Lakes Schooner history, 19th-century maritime disasters, Storm-related shipwrecks

Glossary Terms: Schooner, Storm-driven grounding, Lumber transport, Wreckage, Waugoschance Reef