The schooner ETTA BELLE, carrying a cargo of coal, sank in deep water approximately 8 miles off Sodus, New York, on Wednesday night. The crew managed to come ashore in a small boat. Half of the vessel was insured for $2,000, according to the Buffalo Commercial Advertiser.
The Toronto Globe reported that the schooner ETTA BELLE, en route from Little Sodus to Toronto, sank in deep water, 8 miles off Sodus.
The schooner ETTA BELLE, with a tonnage of 94.31, was registered under the US number 8730 and had its home port in Cape Vincent, as listed in the Merchant Vessel List of 1871.
A pre-Civil War era schooner named the Etta Belle, which was built in Canada 152 years ago, has been discovered in deep water off the southern shore of Lake Ontario near Sodus Point, New York. Shipwreck enthusiasts Jim Kennard and Dan Scoville located the schooner using side-scan sonar equipment.
The oak-hulled schooner Etta Belle met a sudden demise during calm weather on September 3, 1873. It was on its way from Little Sodus to Toronto, loaded with a full cargo of coal. The crew escaped in a small yawl and rowed over 8 miles to reach the shore.
The Etta Belle embarked on its journey from Little Sodus to Toronto in relatively calm weather. However, shortly after setting sail, the ship began taking on water. The captain discovered a substantial leak in the port bow area below the waterline. Despite the crew’s efforts to pump out the water, the influx was too great, and the schooner sank. The captain ordered the crew to abandon the sinking ship and they rowed to safety, reaching Sodus Point after several hours.
According to the captain of the Etta Belle, the cause of the leak may have been a loose board in the side of the schooner, possibly resulting from loading the cargo. The situation likely worsened as the ship encountered swells during its departure.
The Etta Belle was originally built using the hull of the schooner Champion, which had wrecked in Port Hope, Canada, in 1870. The ship was reconstructed in 1871 and renamed Etta Belle. It measured 93 feet in length, with a beam of 19 feet and two masts. The bow had a semi-circular shape to allow for increased cargo space at the expense of speed. The homeport of the renamed schooner became Cape Vincent, New York.
The discovery of the Etta Belle took place in late fall 2003 when Jim Kennard and Dan Scoville conducted a bottom survey in Lake Ontario. The schooner was found in approximately 200 feet of water, making it inaccessible to recreational SCUBA divers. In the 2004 diving season, the wreck was extensively documented through video recordings, measurements, and cargo inspection. Research efforts confirmed the identity of the shipwreck based on enrollment papers for the Etta Belle.
Sources
- Buffalo Commercial Advertiser September 6, 1873 3-5
- Toronto Globe September 11, 1873
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
- Shipwreck World Website
- Merchant Vessel List, U.S., 1871
- National Board of Lake Underwriters Lake vessel Register, 1873
- Merchant Vessel List of U.S., 1871
- Shipwreck Stories Website
- C. Patrick Labadie Great Lakes Ships
- Steamboat Era in the Muskokas by Richard Tatley
