IDENTIFICATION & SITE INFORMATION

•Vessel Name: Charles Horn

•Official Number: US92102

•Location: Unknown, presumed lost on the Great Lakes

•Depth: Unknown

•Date Discovered: Remains undiscovered

•Discovered By: Not applicable

VESSEL TYPE DESCRIPTION

The Charles Horn was a wooden-hulled, three-masted Schooner built in 1867 by William Bates in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Measuring approximately:

•Length: 125 feet (38.1 meters)

•Beam: 26 feet (7.9 meters)

•Depth: 9 feet (2.7 meters)

•Gross Tonnage: 243 tons

The Charles Horn was designed to transport bulk cargoes, including grain, coal, and lumber, across the Great Lakes. Its construction and design were typical of schooners of the time, emphasizing practicality and durability to withstand the harsh conditions of the inland seas.

HISTORY

The Charles Horn played a vital role in the booming maritime commerce of the 19th century, navigating the Great Lakes to carry essential goods between ports.

Operational Highlights:

•Regular routes included voyages across Lake Michigan and Lake Superior, where storms and shifting weather patterns often challenged vessels.

•The Schooner experienced minor incidents such as groundings and collisions, common for the era, but it always returned to service after repairs.

•The Charles Horn’s sturdy construction and skilled crews contributed to its reliability throughout its operational life.

FINAL DISPOSITION

The Charles Horn disappeared during a voyage in the late 19th century, likely while navigating Lake Superior during a severe storm.

Key Points:

•The vessel’s final voyage remains poorly documented, with no clear records of distress signals or eyewitness accounts.

•Despite search efforts, no wreckage or survivors were ever located.

Maritime Significance:

The Charles Horn is one of the many vessels lost to the unpredictable weather of the Great Lakes, a region infamous for sudden, severe storms that claimed numerous ships during the height of maritime commerce.

CURRENT CONDITION & ACCESSIBILITY

•Condition:

Presumed to lie on the bothttps://shotlinediving.com/wp-content/uploads/52895851813_b64678c0f7_c.jpg of Lake Superior or another Great Lake, where the cold freshwater environment may have preserved portions of the wreck.

•Accessibility:

The wreck has not been located, and no known exploration efforts have yielded results, leaving its exact site and state a mystery.

RESOURCES & LINKS

•Maritime History of the Great Lakes: Comprehensive archives of Great Lakes shipwrecks and history.

•Great Lakes Shipwrecks Database: Catalog of lost and found shipwrecks across the Great Lakes.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE

The Charles Horn highlights the critical role schooners played in the 19th-century Great Lakes economy, ferrying vital materials across the region. Its loss underscores the perilous nature of navigating these vast inland seas, where even experienced crews and robust ships faced significant risks.

The vessel’s story serves as a poignant reminder of the dangers endured by Great Lakes mariners, and its enduring mystery continues to inspire historians and divers.

KEYWORDS

Charles Horn, Great Lakes Schooner, Lake Superior shipwreck, Manitowoc shipbuilding, 19th-century maritime commerce, lost ships, William Bates shipbuilder, Great Lakes shipwreck mystery.

ANALYSIS

The Charles Horn’s disappearance is emblematic of the challenges faced by 19th-century schooners, which operated in a time before modern navigation aids and weather forecasting. Its potential resting place in Lake Superior adds to the intrigue surrounding shipwrecks in the region, known for well-preserved wrecks due to the lake’s unique conditions.

Efforts to locate the Charles Horn could provide valuable insights into Great Lakes maritime history and preserve the memory of the countless sailors who braved these inland seas.