IDENTIFICATION & SITE INFORMATION:
VESSEL TYPE DESCRIPTION:
The DAN BAKER was a wooden scow-schooner, a type of vessel that combined the flat-bottomed, shallow-draft design of a scow with the rigging and sails of a schooner. Built in 1869 by Dan Hayes in Fairport, Ohio, the vessel was designed primarily for transporting cargo along the Great Lakes. The DAN BAKER had an official number of 35252 and a tonnage of approximately 61 tons. Scow-schooners were common during this period, valued for their versatility in carrying bulk cargoes, such as stone, across the shallow and often treacherous waters of the Great Lakes.
HISTORY:
The DAN BAKER had a brief but eventful history. Owned by Blanchard and operated out of Cleveland, Ohio, the vessel was engaged in the transport of stone at the time of its final voyage. Captain Goldsmith is believed to have been the master of the ship during this period.
In April 1874, just months before its loss, the DAN BAKER encountered significant trouble when it ran aground at Middle Sister Island in Lake Erie. News reports from Detroit at the time indicated that efforts were made by the steamship JAY COOKE to free the stranded vessel. However, the rescue attempt was thwarted when the line used to pull the DAN BAKER off the shoal broke, forcing the operation to be abandoned. It was hoped that improved weather conditions would allow wreckers to salvage the ship.
On June 12, 1874, the DAN BAKER faced its final challenge. While navigating through a storm off Cedar Point, Ohio, the vessel began to take on water after springing a leak. Despite the crew’s efforts, the scow-schooner succumbed to the gale and eventually sank. Fortunately, there were no reported casualties, but the ship and its cargo of stone were declared a total loss by the end of the year.
The grounding at Middle Sister Island earlier that year had already resulted in significant damage, with the Casualty List for 1874 recording a loss of $500. The sinking of the DAN BAKER marked the end of the vessel’s short-lived service on the Great Lakes.
FINAL DISPOSITION:
The DAN BAKER was declared a total loss following its sinking on June 12, 1874. The vessel was not salvaged, and no further details are available regarding the specific location or depth at which it sank.
NOTMARs & ADVISORIES:
No current Notices to Mariners (NOTMARs) specifically related to the wreck of the DAN BAKER have been issued. The wreck, having been lost in 1874, no longer poses a navigational hazard.
LOCATED BY & DATE:
There is no record of the DAN BAKER‘s wreck being located or identified in modern times.
RESOURCES & LINKS:
CONCLUSION:
The DAN BAKER represents the many small, hardworking vessels that navigated the Great Lakes during the 19th century, often facing significant dangers from the region’s unpredictable weather and shallow waters. Although the scow-schooner’s operational history was brief, it underscores the risks and challenges of maritime transportation during this era. The loss of the DAN BAKER is a reminder of the perils faced by Great Lakes sailors and the fragile nature of early wooden vessels.
Keywords:
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