Identification & Site Information

• Vessel Name: TEMPEST
• Other Names: None
• Type at Loss: Scow-Schooner, Wood
• Builder: R. Hayes, Fairport, Ohio
• Year Built: 1854
• Specifications:  Length: 79 ft (24.08 m) Beam: 19 ft (5.79 m) Depth: 4 ft (1.22 m)
• Tonnage: 56 tonnage (Old Style)
• Date Lost: November 24, 1867
• Cause: Storm (Anchor Failure in Gale)
• Place of Loss: South Point, Milwaukee, Lake Michigan
• Cargo: Lumber
• Loss of Life: None mentioned

Vessel Type

The TEMPEST was a wooden scow-Schooner, a type of flat-bottomed, shallow-Draft vessel commonly used in the Great Lakes region during the mid-19th century. Scow-schooners were especially well-suited for transporting heavy cargo like lumber, as their broad hulls provided excellent stability and cargo capacity, even in shallow harbors and rivers.

Description

At 79 feet in length, with a 19-foot beam and a 4-foot Draft, the TEMPEST was relatively small compared to deep-water schooners of the era but was highly efficient for the coastal lumber trade. Built in 1854 by R. Hayes in Fairport, Ohio, her design focused on functionality over aesthetics, optimized for carrying bulk cargoes along Lake Michigan’s busy shoreline routes.

Her flat-bottomed Hull made her easy to beach for loading and unloading lumber in less developed ports, while her simple Schooner rig minimized the crew required for operation. Out of Chicago, she regularly carried lumber between northern Wisconsin and Illinois ports.

History

During the 1850s and 1860s, schooners like the TEMPEST were the workhorses of the Great Lakes lumber industry, transporting timber from the forests of Wisconsin and Michigan to the rapidly growing cities of Chicago and Milwaukee. The lumber trade was critical to the expansion of these urban centers, with vessels like the TEMPEST making frequent trips along the Lake Michigan shoreline.

Though relatively small, she would have carried substantial cargo for her size, making her an important asset for her owners. As an aging vessel by the late 1860s, she was likely showing signs of wear common to wooden ships exposed to harsh Great Lakes conditions.

Final Disposition

On November 24, 1867, the TEMPEST encountered a violent storm while en route to Chicago, loaded with lumber. Seeking shelter near South Point, Milwaukee, she anchored in hopes of riding out the gale. However, the anchor failed to hold against the strong winds and heavy seas.

Driven ashore by the storm’s force, she grounded hard on the rocky coast. Newspapers at the time described how the force of the waves twisted her structure, leaving her masts canted in two different directions, a clear sign that her back was broken—a catastrophic structural failure for wooden ships.

The TEMPEST quickly went to pieces in place, battered relentlessly by the storm’s waves. Despite the Total Loss of the vessel, no loss of life was reported, as her crew managed to escape safely to shore.

Resources & Links

• Wisconsin Maritime Museum
• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• Great Lakes Shipwreck Research
• Library and Archives Canada
• David Swayze Shipwreck File

Conclusion

The TEMPEST is emblematic of the countless small schooners and scows that once crowded the Great Lakes, serving as the backbone of the region’s booming lumber trade. Her fate illustrates the perils faced by 19th-century mariners, where even sheltered anchorages offered little protection against the fierce gales of Lake Michigan.

While her wreck has not been formally documented, the story of the TEMPEST endures as part of Milwaukee’s maritime heritage—a testament to both the resilience of her crew and the unforgiving nature of the Great Lakes.