History
ATLANTA was a schooner-barge built in 1890 by James Davidson in West Bay City, Michigan. It had a length of 172 feet, a beam of 34 feet, and a depth of 13 feet. The vessel had a gross tonnage of 599 and a net tonnage of 570.
On May 4, 1891, the ATLANTA was traveling on Lake Superior as part of a tow with the steamer S.S. WILHELM. The vessel broke free from the towline during a storm and subsequently broke apart about an hour later, approximately 20 miles off Deer Park, Michigan. The ATLANTA was carrying a cargo of coal at the time.
The crew of seven abandoned the vessel in a lifeboat, but only two men survived when the lifeboat capsized near the shore. Five crew members lost their lives in the incident. The ATLANTA sank in approximately 180 feet of water around 3 am.
The vessel was owned by C. E. Eastman and H. W. Steele of Saginaw, Michigan, and Charles E. Jennison of Bay City, Michigan. The master of the ATLANTA was Captain James L. Knowlton(d).
The recent discovery of the ATLANTA shipwreck in Lake Superior, announced by the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society, provides insight into the vessel’s fate after more than 130 years. The shipwreck, located approximately 650 feet below the lake’s surface, remains remarkably preserved, including the visible gold letters of the ship’s nameplate. This discovery sheds light on the perils faced by mariners on the Great Lakes and may bring some closure to the descendants of the crew members who perished in the tragedy.
