Identification & Site Information

• Name: Uarda
• Former Names: None
• Official Number: 25243
• Date Built & Launched: 1881
• Builder: D. Bell, Buffalo, New York
• Specifications: 93 ft x 12 ft x 8 ft (28.3 m x 3.7 m x 2.4 m), 93 gross tons
• Vessel Type: Iron-hulled propeller-driven passenger and freight Steamer (originally built as a yacht)
• Date Lost: June 4, 1912
• Place of Loss: Ripley, Michigan (near Hancock), Lake Superior
• Cause of Loss: Fire (possible arson)
• Loss of Life: None
• Cargo: Unknown (likely empty as it was undergoing repairs)
• Owner: Scott & Werner, Hancock, Michigan
• Master at Loss: Captain Werner

Vessel Type

The Uarda was an iron-hulled Propeller Steamer, originally built as a yacht but later converted for passenger and freight service on Lake Superior. Small steamers like this were used for short-haul transportation, likely servicing coastal towns and mining operations in the Keweenaw Peninsula region.

Description & History

Built in 1881 by D. Bell in Buffalo, New York, the Uarda was initially a yacht but was later repurposed into a commercial Steamer. By 1912, it was operating out of Hancock, Michigan, under Scott & Werner, with Captain Werner as its master.

On June 4, 1912, while undergoing repairs at Seager’s wood dock in Ripley, Michigan, the vessel caught fire late in the evening. The skipper believed the fire was intentionally set, suggesting possible arson. The flames completely gutted the vessel, reducing it to a burnt-out shell.

The remains were later towed to West Hancock, where the Hull was left in the water. The following spring, shifting ice forced the wreck underwater, where it remains to this day.

Final Disposition

The Uarda sank under ice pressure in early 1913 at West Hancock, Michigan in 20 feet (6 meters) of water.

Located By & Date Found

The wreck was discovered by divers in 1970 and remains in shallow water, accessible for diving.

NOTMARs & Advisories

The wreck lies in 20 feet of water at West Hancock, making it a known dive site.

No modern navigational hazards linked to this wreck exist.

Resources & Links

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

Conclusion

The Uarda was a small yet versatile Steamer, originally built as a yacht before being converted for passenger and freight transport. Its destruction by fire in 1912—potentially due to arson—ended its career. The Hull, later sunk by ice in West Hancock, remains a notable shallow-water wreck in Lake Superior, offering a glimpse into the region’s maritime past.

Keywords & Categories

Keywords: Great Lakes steamers, iron-hulled ships, Lake Superior shipwrecks, Hancock maritime history, suspected arson

Categories: Shipwrecks of Lake Superior, 20th-century shipwrecks, iron-hulled steamers, fire-related losses

Glossary Terms: Propeller Steamer, Arson Suspicions, Shallow-Water Wreck, Keweenaw Peninsula Navigation