Albert Miller

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Albert Miller
• Type: Wooden Steam Barge (Propeller Steamer)
• Year Built:
• Builder:
• Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
• Registered Tonnage:
• Location: Off Point au Sable, Lake Michigan (north of Muskegon, near Little Sable Point)
• Coordinates: 43°15′N, 86°14′W

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

The Albert Miller was a wooden steam barge, a hybrid between tug and lake freighter, designed to carry heavy bulk cargoes such as lumber, coal, or grain, often towing one or more schooner barges. Steam barges were workhorse vessels, prevalent on all Great Lakes from the 1860s through 1890s, typically between 130 and 160 feet in length, with a single low-pressure engine and basic living quarters.

Built for durability but not fireproof, these vessels were especially vulnerable to engine room fires, coal bunker ignition, or stove flare-ups in the crew quarters.

Description

On August 30, while underway on Lake Michigan near Point au Sable, the Albert Miller caught fire and was completely destroyed.

• The origin of the fire is unrecorded, but may have begun in the boiler room or cargo deck
• The vessel burned to the waterline, indicating full superstructure loss
• Despite the severity, the crew was rescued, possibly by nearby vessels or having abandoned ship before total loss
• There is no record of cargo, explosions, or collateral damage to towed vessels

The incident reflects the constant risk of fire aboard wooden steamers, especially during peak shipping season when crews ran vessels hard, often with minimal downtime or maintenance.

History

• Status: Total constructive loss due to fire
• Crew: All saved
• Wreck Condition: Unknown; may have sunk post-burn or drifted to shallow water
• Remains: No confirmed wreck site; likely deteriorated or scattered
• Ownership and Registry: Information pending cross-reference with shipping registers

Significant Incidents

• No wreck has been positively identified as the Albert Miller off Point au Sable
• Region features shifting sands and moderate-depth shoals – potential for buried remains
• No entries in NOAA or NOAA Thunder Bay wreck records listing this loss
• Possible sonar target in future surveys north of Muskegon, along eastern Michigan shore routes

Final Disposition

The Albert Miller joins the long list of burned-out steam barges lost along the Lake Michigan shoreline, a testament to the brutal conditions and risks endured by working vessels of the 1880s. With no fatalities and little coverage, her story has faded—but locating her remains could help interpret both fire spread dynamics and hull construction of the era.

Current Condition & Accessibility

She is now listed in the Shotline Archive under:

“UNCONFIRMED FIRE WRECKS – LAKE MICHIGAN / POINT AU SABLE”

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”albert-miller” title=”References & Links”]

The Albert Miller remains a significant historical loss, illustrating the dangers faced by maritime vessels in the Great Lakes during the late 19th century.