AMERICA

The America was an excursion vessel built in 1898 at Wyandotte, Michigan. It had a steel hull, wood superstructure, four bulkheads, and one stack. The Detroit Dry Dock Co. was responsible for its construction. The original owners were E.C. Dunbar and M.B. McMillan, based in Michigan City, Indiana, and Detroit, Michigan.

The America was powered by a screw propulsion system, driven by a triple expansion engine with three cylinders. The engine was built by the Dry Dock Engine Works in Detroit and had dimensions of 15, 24, and 38 inches. It generated 700 horsepower at 160 rpm. The vessel had two Scotch boilers, measuring 10 feet by 10.2 feet, with a pressure of 125 pounds per square inch. There was a single propeller.

With a length of 164.6 feet, a beam of 31 feet, and a depth of 11 feet, the America had a gross tonnage of 486.37 and a net tonnage of 283.40.

On June 7, 1928, the America met its final fate when it struck rocks and sank in Washington Harbor near Isle Royale in Lake Superior. The incident occurred while the vessel was under the command of an inexperienced first mate on its first run of the 1928 season. In an attempt to ground the ship intentionally, it was run hard aground just offshore. There were 48 people on board at the time, but no lives were lost.

Efforts to salvage the wreck were made but proved unsuccessful due to technical or financial reasons. In the 1950s, the wreck became popular among sports divers due to its proximity to Port Washington and its varying depth, ranging from the bow nearly at the surface to the stern at 80 feet. The wreck shows evidence of ice damage up to a depth of 30 feet. Many of the America’s deck gear, including the windlass, remains intact. The engine room is remarkably preserved, with its piping, engine, and other equipment still visible. The boilers did not explode during the sinking and are also intact. Divers can explore crew quarters and numerous cabins on the wreck.