The schooner PERSIAN sank after a collision with the schooner E.B. ALLEN on Lake Huron on September 16, 1868. Both vessels were bound down at the time of the disaster, with the PERSIAN ahead and winged on (sailing with the wind from near astern). The ALLEN, trying to pass the PERSIAN, struck her on the quarter, causing the PERSIAN to head for shore. Despite efforts to locate the PERSIAN and its crew, no trace was found, and all hopes of their safety were abandoned.
The PERSIAN was owned by Captain Long and Mr. Michael Murphy of Oswego. It was a 545-ton schooner built in 1855 by James Navagh in Oswego. The vessel was valued at $11,000 and had received extensive repairs in 1865. The entire crew of the PERSIAN hailed from Oswego.
The wreck of the PERSIAN was located in deep water in the area of the collision in 1991, lying a short distance above Presque Isle, Lake Huron, with the masthead not far below the surface of the lake. It posed a danger to passing steamers, and there were concerns about possible collisions with the wreck.
