Napoleon (1833)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Napoleon
• Type: Wooden schooner
• Year Built: 1833
• Builder: Sacket’s Harbor, New York
• Dimensions: Estimated 65–98 ft (20–30 m) in length
• Registered Tonnage: Not recorded (est. 150–200 tons)
• Depth at Wreck Site: 55 m / 180 ft
• Location: Lake Ontario, near Galloo Island, New York
• Coordinates: Approx. vicinity of Galloo Island; not definitively charted
• Official Number: Not applicable (pre-registry)
• Original Owners: Thomas S. Hall & Co., Sacket’s Harbor
• Number of Masts: Not specified

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

The Napoleon was a 19th-century wooden schooner, a versatile design well-suited to Great Lakes cargo trade. Its fore-and-aft rig allowed efficient handling under varying wind conditions, while its hold and deck space supported heavy bulk cargo. On its final voyage, the vessel carried massive construction stones for pier works at Oswego, demonstrating the schooner’s role in supporting infrastructure projects.

Description

The Napoleon sank fully laden and uninsured near Galloo Island. The wreck has not been located by modern divers or surveys. Its wooden structure is presumed collapsed or buried under sediment, though artifacts or ballast stones may remain.

History

• 1833: Built at Sacket’s Harbor, New York, for Thomas S. Hall & Co.
• 1833–1835: Operated between Detroit, Ohio ports, and Oswego, transporting lumber, coal, and stone.
• August 1835: En route to Oswego with pier stone cargo, commanded by Capt. R. Hollister, the schooner was caught in a severe storm near Stony and Galloo Islands.
• The heavy deck stones shifted in violent seas, capsizing stability. Crew attempted to jettison cargo but could not recover balance.
• The vessel sank rapidly in ~55 m (180 ft) of water. Crew escaped by boat and were rescued by the steamboat Oswego.

Significant Incidents

No modern Notices to Mariners reference the wreck. The Galloo Island region remains a navigation hazard zone due to shoals and weather conditions.

Final Disposition

Not located. No archaeological surveys or sonar confirmations exist.

Current Condition & Accessibility

• Condition: Presumed heavily degraded, scattered, or buried.
• Depth: 55 m (180 ft) places the wreck beyond recreational diving, accessible only to advanced technical divers if located.
• Accessibility: Not charted; presumed offshore Galloo Island in open Lake Ontario waters.

Resources & Links

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The schooner Napoleon reflects the hazards of early Great Lakes trade. Lost in 1835 while hauling massive stone for Oswego pier construction, it is a rare case of a vessel’s stability being overwhelmed by shifted deck cargo. Though unlocated, it remains a historically significant casualty, emblematic of both the infrastructural growth of Lake Ontario’s ports and the dangers faced by wooden schooners in storm conditions.