- Schooner
- 60ffw 20m
- 173ft Length
- Not Disclosed
The Courtlandt, a bark built in 1867 in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, met its tragic end on June 21, 1868. Constructed by A.G. Huntley (Hunter) for owner A.P. Lyman, the Courtlandt was primarily used for bulk freight transportation. The vessel had a wooden hull, a single deck, and three masts.
With dimensions of 195 feet in length (oa), 34 feet 6 inches in beam, and 13 feet 6 inches in depth, the Courtlandt had a gross tonnage of 676.13.
Unfortunately, the Courtlandt collided with the sidewheeler Morning Star off Lorain, Ohio, in Lake Erie. The collision resulted in the sinking of the Courtlandt. The vessel was bound from Escanaba, Michigan, to Cleveland, Ohio, carrying a cargo of iron ore or corn. Survivors were rescued by the steamer R.N. Rice, but several lives were lost in the tragic incident.
In November 1871, the Courtlandt underwent repairs in Detroit, Michigan.
Following the sinking of the Courtlandt, efforts were made to salvage the vessel and its valuable items. Captain W.B. Scott of Cleveland contracted to remove the outfit and any salvageable items from the wreck. The Chicago Tribune reported on July 2, 1868, that everything had been removed from the Morning Star, and the wreck was scheduled to be raised immediately.
The weather conditions during the salvage operation were favorable, allowing for the placement of numerous casks in the hold of the Morning Star to buoy her up. Approximately 40 casks were deposited in the wreck. The expectation was that within a few days, the desired result of raising the wreck would be achieved, and it would be towed to port.
Regarding the Courtlandt, Captain Scott returned to Cleveland after a second visit to the wreck, bringing with him around $2,000 worth of rigging, sails, and other salvageable property. However, due to the vessel’s position embedded in several feet of soft mud at the lake bottom, further salvage work had to be abandoned. The divers reported that the Courtlandt lay nearly on its side, with the mud covering its bulwarks, making it nearly impossible to raise the vessel to the surface.
