Identification & Site Information

• Name: Uganda
• Former Names: None
• Official Number: 25289
• Date Built & Launched: 1892
• Builder: F. Wheeler, West Bay City, Michigan (Hull #88)
• • Specifications: 291 ft x 41 ft x 20 ft (88.7 m x 12.5 m x 6.1 m), 2,053 gross tons, 1,709 net tons
• • Vessel Type: Wooden propeller bulk freighter
• • Date Lost: April 19, 1913
• • Place of Loss: 4 miles east of White Shoals, Western Straits of Mackinac, Lake Michigan
• • Cause of Loss: Hull cut by ice, leading to sinking
• • Loss of Life: None
• • Cargo: Corn
• • Owner: Unknown

Vessel Type

The Uganda was a wooden propeller-driven bulk freighter, built during the transition from wooden to steel-hulled Great Lakes freighters. Designed to carry heavy bulk cargo such as grain, coal, and iron ore, the ship was part of the growing fleet of large freighters that serviced the Milwaukee-to-Buffalo grain trade.

Description & History

Built in 1892 by F. Wheeler in West Bay City, Michigan, the Uganda was one of the larger wooden freighters of its time, measuring 291 feet in length. The vessel was likely considered outdated by 1913, as steel-hulled ships had become the new standard for bulk freight transport on the Great Lakes.

On April 19, 1913, the Uganda was bound from Milwaukee to Buffalo, carrying a full cargo of corn. As it entered the Western Straits of Mackinac, it encountered heavy pack ice. The ice cut through the wooden Hull, causing rapid flooding. Despite frantic efforts by the crew to save the ship, the vessel sank before it could be brought to shore.

Fortunately, all 22 crew members were rescued by the Steamer Donaldson, preventing any loss of life.

Final Disposition

The Uganda sank in deep water near White Shoals, making salvage efforts unlikely. Given its wooden construction, much of the wreck may have deteriorated over time, but some metal components (such as the engine and boilers) may still remain.

Located By & Date Found

No confirmed discovery of the wreck has been documented.

NOTMARs & Advisories

White Shoals is a well-known hazard in the Straits of Mackinac, where several ships have been lost due to ice, storms, and shallow waters.  Strong currents and shifting lakebed conditions may have affected the wreck’s location over time.

Resources & Links

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

Conclusion

The Uganda was a large wooden bulk freighter, lost in one of the many ice-related shipwrecks on the Great Lakes. Although its entire crew survived, the vessel itself was no match for the destructive force of Lake Michigan’s pack ice. The rapid decline of wooden freighters in favor of steel ships meant that the Uganda, even if recovered, would have been considered obsolete by the time of its sinking.

Keywords & Categories

Keywords: Great Lakes bulk freighters, wooden freighters, White Shoals shipwrecks, Lake Michigan ice wrecks, 19th-century grain transport

Categories: Shipwrecks of Lake Michigan, 19th-century shipwrecks, wooden bulk freighters, ice-related losses

Glossary Terms: Propeller Freighter, Bulk Cargo, Ice Damage, Straits of Mackinac Shipwrecks