The schooner VENUS had a tonnage of 221 tons and was built in 1872 with a home port in Caseville. It was owned by Stone and was classified as A 2. On October 4, 1887, the vessel, carrying a cargo of stone, foundered in Lake Huron, resulting in a total loss. The property loss for the hull was $7,000, and the loss for the cargo was $4,000.
After the incident, there were uncertainties about the identity of the sunken vessel. Marine insurance people suspected it was the schooner VENUS, but it was only a guess at that time. Later, it was confirmed that the schooner seen to founder off Thunder Bay was indeed the VENUS, and all hands on board were lost, including Captain James Thompson, Peter Nelson (mate), John Nelson (brother of the mate), Anton Blerk (crew member), and an unknown cook. The vessel had a cargo of grindstones from Grindstone Island bound for Milwaukee, and it was insured for a small amount of $1,100.
