Legacy Notes & Full Historical Record

This section preserves the original unedited Shotline content for this wreck so that no historical detail is lost as we transition to the new logbook format.

SHIPWRECK REPORT – STEAMBARGE ALBERT MILLE

IDENTIFICATION & SITE INFORMATION

• Vessel Name: Albert Miller
• Type: Wooden Steam Barge (Propeller Steamer)
• Date of Loss: August 30 1882
• Location: Off Point au Sable, Lake Michigan (north of Muskegon, near Little Sable Point)
• Coordinates (approximate): 43°15′N, 86°14′W
• Depth: Unknown – presumed moderate nearshore depth
• Cause of Loss: Fire – total destruction
• Crew: All saved
• Wreck Status: Total loss; not recovered or relocated
• Salvage Efforts: Not recorded

VESSEL TYPE DESCRIPTION

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.

HISTORY & INCIDENT SUMMARY

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.

FINAL DISPOSITION

• 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

CURRENT STATUS & SITE NOTES

• 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

REFERENCES & LINKS

• Loss Record Summary:
  *”Aug. 30 – Steambarge *Albert Miller* burned off Point au Sable. Crew saved.”*
• David Swayze Shipwreck File – Summary listing
• Maritime History of the Great Lakes – Pending historical newspaper search (Grand Haven / Muskegon)
• U.S. Customs House Records (Chicago or Detroit) – Vessel registry cross-check pending
• Great Lakes Ships Database (BGSU) – Potential match in steam barge fleet index
• Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates (MSRA) – May have offshore targets in this area not yet matched to known wrecks

CONCLUSION

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.

She is now listed in the Shotline Archive under:

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

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