W.R. HANNA 26669

WILLIAM R. HANNA

• Scow
• 8 ffw 3m
• 85ft Length
• Kelleys Island, Lake Erie
• 41 37.091  82 40.849

Chronological history

David Swayze Shipwreck File Info

The W.R. HANNA, also known as WILLIAM R. HANNA, was a scow-schooner made of wood. Its official number was 26669, and it was built in 1857 by W. Hanna in Sandusky, Ohio. The vessel had dimensions of 86 feet in length, 22 feet in breadth, and 6 feet in depth, with a gross tonnage of 103.

On November 14, 1886 (possibly October 14), the W.R. HANNA met its tragic fate on the north bay of Kelley’s Island in Lake Erie. It fell victim to a severe storm, one of the powerful storms that plagued the 1880s. Buffeted by wind gusts of up to 60 mph, the ship was driven ashore and wrecked, resulting in a total loss. Fortunately, there were no reported casualties.

At the time of the incident, the vessel was owned by L.J. Seek, an ice dealer from Toledo, and was under the command of Captain Frank Provonsharack. It was carrying a cargo of limestone blocks. The ship battled the storm for hours, but eventually succumbed to its force. It broached, or rolled over, approximately five miles above Sand Beach, with the crew clinging to the main rigging. Despite being just 500 feet offshore near the Sand Beach breakwater, their cries for help went unheard in the darkness of the night.

As daylight broke, the propeller H. LOUELLA WORTHINGTON braved the dying storm and rescued the crew. During this time, the W.R. HANNA was owned by its skipper, Captain Bedford. Although initially believed to be a total loss, the vessel was soon purchased by Captain Dix and subsequently recovered.

This was not the first time the W.R. HANNA faced a perilous situation. In mid-November 1870, while bound from Saugatuck to Chicago, the ship capsized in a squall off Milwaukee. However, the crew was saved by the schooner TWO CHARLIES, while the vessel itself was towed into Milwaukee harbor on its beam ends by the U.S. Revenue Cutter ANDREW JOHNSON. While lying in the harbor, the ship was further damaged when it was struck by the bark CLYDE. Although newspapers initially reported it as a total loss, the W.R. HANNA was eventually recovered. At that time, it was owned by A.H. Peer from Port Huron, with Captain Dix serving as the skipper.