The Wreck of the JOS. M. ENRIGHT (1870, Scow Schooner)

Identification & Site Information

• Vessel Name: JOS. M. ENRIGHT
• Official Number: 45619
• Year Built: 1870
• Builder: Sullivan
• Built at: Toledo, OH
• Vessel Type: Scow Schooner
• Number of Decks: 1
• Original Owner: Joseph M. Enright, Toledo, OH

Hull & Dimensions

• Length: 81.8 ft (24.9 m)
• Beam: 20 ft (6.1 m)
• Depth: 6.4 ft (1.95 m)
• Gross Tonnage: 64
• Net Tonnage: 61

Final Disposition

• Final Location: St. Clair Flats, Lake St. Clair
• Date Lost: July 29, 1886
• Cause of Loss: Collision
• Final Cargo: Unknown
• Loss of Life: None reported

Vessel Type

The JOS. M. ENRIGHT was a scow Schooner, a type of shallow-Draft sailing vessel commonly used for transporting cargo along inland lakes and rivers. Scow schooners were popular in the Great Lakes due to their ability to navigate shallow harbors and carry bulk goods like lumber and coal.

Description

The JOS. M. ENRIGHT operated for over 16 years before its unfortunate sinking. Originally built in Toledo, OH, it was owned by various individuals and transported cargo across the Great Lakes, particularly Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair.

During its career, the Schooner was involved in multiple incidents, including:

• 1869, April: Driven ashore in a gale at Sandusky Bay.
• 1871, May: Damaged in a collision with the Schooner J.W. NICHOLS in Cleveland, OH.
• 1874, October: Struck a pier and sank in Black River, OH; later raised.
• 1885, July 29: Rammed and sunk by the steamer NEBRASKA in St. Clair Flats.

Final Disposition

The JOS. M. ENRIGHT was rammed and sunk by the steamer NEBRASKA on July 29, 1886, in the St. Clair Flats, Lake St. Clair. The circumstances of the collision remain unclear, but it is noted that no lives were lost in the incident.

The wreck was documented and officially surrendered in Detroit, MI, on November 11, 1886. There are no reports of salvage attempts, and the remains of the vessel may still be in the area of the St. Clair Flats, a shallow, marshy region known for past shipwrecks.

Resources & Links

For further research, you may find information at:

• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• Great Lakes Shipwreck Research