Identification & Site Information

• Name: AGNES
• Former Names: None
• Official Number: 203484
• Type at Loss: Gas Screw, wooden passenger vessel
• Date Built and Launched: 1906
• Builder: Frankfort, Michigan
• Measurements:Length: 26 ft (7.92 m) Beam: 9 ft (2.74 m) Depth: 3 ft (0.91 m)
• Gross Tonnage: 7 tons
• Net Tonnage: 6 tons
• Date Lost: October 7, 1912
• Place of Loss: Arcadia, Michigan, Lake Michigan

Vessel Type

Small wooden Gas Screw passenger vessel.

Description

The AGNES was a small, wooden passenger vessel powered by a Gas Screw engine, a relatively new technology in the early 20th century as internal combustion engines began to replace steam propulsion in smaller craft. Built in 1906 in Frankfort, Michigan, she measured just 26 feet in length with a 9-foot beam and a shallow Draft of 3 feet. With a Gross Tonnage of only 7 tons, she was a light vessel designed for short trips, ferrying passengers or small cargo loads along the Lake Michigan coast. Her homeport was Grand Haven, Michigan, a bustling port town known for its maritime activity.

History

The AGNES operated along the eastern shores of Lake Michigan, serving the small coastal communities that relied on such vessels for transportation and communication. In an era when roads were often unreliable and slow, boats like the AGNES played an essential role in connecting towns like Grand Haven, Frankfort, and Arcadia. Her Gas Screw engine represented a technological shift, offering more reliable and efficient propulsion compared to traditional steam engines, especially for smaller vessels.

On October 7, 1912, the AGNES Foundered off the coast of Arcadia, Michigan. Despite the vessel’s loss, all seven people aboard survived the incident, suggesting that the foundering occurred close to shore or in manageable conditions. Unfortunately, specific details regarding the cause of the foundering, such as weather conditions, mechanical failure, or Hull damage, are not documented. Given the size of the vessel and the time of year, it is possible that sudden weather changes or rough lake conditions contributed to the incident.

Final Disposition

Foundered off Arcadia, Michigan; Total Loss of vessel with no casualties.

Located By & Date Found

Nil (No records available confirming the discovery or documentation of the wreck site).

NOTMARs & Advisories

Nil (No current navigational obstructions or maritime advisories related to this wreck near Arcadia, Michigan).

Resources & Links

• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• Great Lakes Ships Database – Bowling Green State University
• David Swayze Great Lakes Shipwreck File
• Save Ontario Shipwrecks

---

Suggested Keywords, Categories, and Glossary Terms

• Keywords: AGNES gas screw, Arcadia Michigan shipwreck, small passenger vessel Lake Michigan, early 20th-century gas screw vessels, Frankfort Michigan boatbuilding
• Categories: Shipwrecks of Lake Michigan, Small Passenger Vessel Disasters, Wooden Gas Screw Boats, Maritime Incidents Near Arcadia
• Glossary Terms
  • Gas Screw: A type of vessel powered by a gasoline engine driving a screw (propeller), common in smaller boats in the early 20th century.
  • Foundered: A term indicating that a vessel sank due to taking on water, often because of adverse weather, Hull failure, or mechanical issues.
  • Passenger Vessel: A boat primarily designed to transport people rather than cargo.

Conclusion

The AGNES reflects a transitional period in maritime history, where gas-powered engines began replacing steam in smaller vessels on the Great Lakes. Though her loss off Arcadia, Michigan, in 1912 remains somewhat of a mystery, her story is part of the broader narrative of early 20th-century Great Lakes transportation. The survival of all aboard speaks to the resilience of the crew and the close-knit maritime communities along Michigan’s shoreline.