MADEIRA

2 min read

Title: The Lost and Found: The Story of Schooner-Barge Madeira’s Sinking, Rediscovery, and Salvage

The intriguing tale of the schooner-barge Madeira encapsulates a journey of maritime mishap, rediscovery, and determined salvage efforts. Constructed in 1900 for the purpose of hauling bulk cargoes across the Great Lakes, the Madeira met its tragic end during a tempestuous storm on Lake Superior in 1905. This article uncovers the events leading to the vessel’s demise, the subsequent locating of its remains, and the concerted endeavors to salvage its artifacts from the depths.

Emerging from the shipyards of the Chicago Ship Building Co. in 1900, the Madeira was a formidable steel-hulled schooner-barge measuring an impressive 436 feet in length, 50 feet in width, and 24.2 feet in depth. Owned by the Minnesota Steam Ship Co. and harnessed to steamships for towing, the Madeira specialized in transporting an array of goods including iron ore, lumber, and grain between ports like Duluth, Minnesota, Ashtabula, Ohio, and Chicago, Illinois. Its ingenious flat plate keel design and expansive shape were tailored to optimize cargo capacity, cementing its significance in the maritime trade.

November 28, 1905, witnessed the Madeira ensnared in the clutches of an unforgiving storm on Lake Superior. Incessant winds roaring at speeds of 70 to 80 miles per hour, coupled with blinding snow and tumultuous swells, formed a perilous milieu. Cognizant of the imminent jeopardy facing the towing vessel, the captain of the William Edenborn ordered the Madeira to be cast adrift. Despite speculations about anchoring attempts, subsequent investigations revealed both anchors intact at the bow. Hours after being released, the Madeira collided with the forbidding Gold Rock Point near Split Rock, Minnesota, succumbing to the storm’s unrelenting power. The disaster claimed one life, with surviving crew members barely escaping the vessel’s fate.

The year 1955 marked the maiden exploration of the Madeira’s submerged remains by divers from the Frigid Frogs dive club based in Duluth, Minnesota. The expedition, however, yielded meager treasure or artifacts. A decade later, a salvage enterprise secured rights to the ship from the Pittsburgh Steamship Division of U.S. Steel Corporation. The efforts bore fruit with the retrieval of the ship’s wheel and an anchor, both finding new homes after being sold. In 1974, more vigorous salvage endeavors transpired, culminating in the reclamation of the Madeira’s steel structure. The wreck, found in fragmented sections, now lay submerged in the lake’s depths.

Among the troves retrieved from the underwater crypt was the Madeira’s helm. Unearthed in 1960 by divers Ed Clark and Captain R Metz, the helm was nestled within the ship’s diminutive pilothouse, resting at a depth of 80 feet. Despite one helm’s deteriorated condition, the other helm retained its robust form, standing testament to the barge’s storied maritime past.

The Madeira’s ill-fated sinking and subsequent revelations reverberate as a poignant reminder of the perils that plagued ships navigating the Great Lakes, especially during tempestuous storms. The prevalence of schooner-barges, while economically pragmatic, exposed vessels to pronounced vulnerabilities. Even though the Madeira’s steel structure was repurposed, the artifacts retrieved by divers found sanctuary within maritime museums, preserving the maritime heritage and history of the Great Lakes region for generations to come.

The chronicles of the Madeira encapsulate both heartrending tragedy and triumphant perseverance. They underscore the resilience of sailors confronting inclement weather and the resolve of divers unearthing submerged vestiges of history. The Madeira’s poignant end in the tempest of 1905 serves as a vivid reminder of the perils posed by the Great Lakes, while the unearthing and recovery of its artifacts stand as a testament to the significance of safeguarding maritime legacy for posterity.

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