- Freighter
- 180ffw
- 178ft Length
- Whitefish Bay, Lake Superior
- 46° 51′ 58.44″ N, 85° 5′ 12.6″ W
History #
The JOHN M. OSBORNE (also spelled OSBORN), with the official number 76307, was a wooden steam barge built in 1882 by Morley & Hill in Marine City, Michigan. It was primarily used for bulk freight and had a length of 178 feet, a beam of 32 feet, and a depth of 14 feet. The vessel was owned by W.C. Richardson of Ashtabula, Ohio.
On July 27, 1884, in thick fog, the JOHN M. OSBORNE was sunk by a collision with the Canadian steamer ALBERTA, approximately 6 miles west-northwest of Whitefish Point in Lake Superior. The OSBORNE had departed from Marquette, carrying a load of iron ore and towing two barges, en route to Ashtabula, Ohio. The ALBERTA remained in the gash caused by the collision until most of the OSBORNE’s crew had managed to board. Unfortunately, four crew members from the OSBORNE and one from the ALBERTA lost their lives in the collision. It was the third significant collision involving the ALBERTA that year.
The wreck of the JOHN M. OSBORNE was discovered in 1984 in approximately 170 feet of water, about 6 miles west-northwest of Whitefish Point. Despite being a technical dive, it is considered one of the best dives in the Whitefish area. The ship remains well-preserved and provides a glimpse into the design of wooden freighters from the 1880s. While the pilot house and cabins are no longer present, the intact bow with its anchors is a highlight of the dive. The engine, an unusual design for that era, is still intact, and the coal bunker can be explored, often still filled with coal. The stern cabins have collapsed, likely due to the path of the sinking boiler. Divers can usually find a mooring line attached to the wreck, leading to a deck winch.
