Other Names
- Laura Belle
History
LAURA BELL, also known as Laura Belle, was a schooner that was built in 1870 by Bailey Bros. in Toledo, Ohio. It had an official number of 15723 and was owned by Captain James Davidson of Buffalo, New York. The vessel measured 133.1 feet in length, 26 feet in beam, and had a depth of 12.7 feet. It had a gross tonnage of 269 tons and a capacity of 22,000 bushels.
On September 7, 1883, Laura Bell was lost in a storm off Shot Point, east of Marquette, in Lake Superior. The schooner stranded and became a total loss, breaking its back after resting for several days astride a large boulder. It was carrying a cargo of coal and had a crew on board. One life was lost in the incident. After spending three days in the rigging, the crew members were eventually rescued by a tug from Marquette.
Prior to its loss, Laura Bell had also suffered heavy damage in a grounding incident in Waiska Bay, Lake Superior, in 1879. The vessel was rebuilt in 1882-1883 before meeting its final fate in 1883.
