Site Description
- Schooner
- 126ft 40m Lengths
- 160ffw 51m Depths
- Nine Mile Point, Lake Huron
- N45°29.150′ W83°50.550′
History
The F.T. Barney was a two-masted wooden schooner built in 1856 by W. Cheney in Vermilion, Ohio. It had dimensions of 126 feet in length, 26 feet in width, and 11 feet in depth, with a tonnage of 255 tons. The vessel was registered under the official number 9535 and owned by Lewis Wells of Vermilion.
On October 23, 1868, the F.T. Barney was en route from Cleveland to Milwaukee, carrying a cargo that is not specified. Unfortunately, it collided with another schooner named T.J. Bronson near Rogers City, Michigan, below Nine Mile Point on Lake Huron. The collision caused the F.T. Barney to sink rapidly, within approximately two minutes. Fortunately, there were no reported fatalities among the crew members.
Newspapers from that time reported that the wreck of the F.T. Barney was struck by several passing vessels and was located “about midway between the South Passage and 40-mile Point.” Despite these collisions, the wreck of the F.T. Barney was discovered in 1987 in an almost perfect condition, resting upright in deep water. The wreck is located approximately 25 miles northwest of Presque Isle, Michigan. The intact masts and deck equipment of the schooner are still in place.
Prior to its sinking in 1868, the F.T. Barney had encountered other incidents. In late 1857, it ran aground near Goderich, Ontario, with a cargo of railroad iron and wood but was successfully towed to Detroit for repairs. In 1862, the vessel underwent major repairs after being stranded near Bayfield, Lake Huron, resulting in a property loss of $6,500.
The F.T. Barney’s wreck is considered one of the most complete and well-preserved wrecks of a schooner from its era. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. The wreck sits in deep water at a depth of approximately 160 feet, and its mooring buoy is located at GPS coordinates N45°29.150′ W83°50.550′.
Please note that the specific cargo being carried by the F.T. Barney during its final voyage is not mentioned in the available information.
