Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: ASIA
- Type: Two-masted wooden schooner
- Year Built: 1848
- Builder: Unknown, Black River, Ohio
- Dimensions: Length 108 ft (32.9 m); Beam 23 ft (7.0 m); Depth of hold 9 ft (2.7 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 204 tons
- Location: Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Michigan
- Official Number: None assigned
- Original Owners: Probable owner: Mussey & Reed
- Number of Masts: 2
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The ASIA was a mid-sized wooden schooner, designed primarily for cargo transport on the Great Lakes. It was part of the expanding grain trade, regularly carrying corn, wheat, and other agricultural products from Chicago to Buffalo. Schooners like the ASIA were a vital part of 19th-century commerce, enabling farmers in the Midwest to sell their crops to eastern markets.
Description
The ASIA was in service for seven years, operating between Chicago, Cleveland, Buffalo, and other ports on the Great Lakes before being lost in a collision in 1855.
History
Key Events in the Vessel’s History:
- 1848: Built at Black River, Ohio, for cargo transport.
- 1848-1855: Operated as a grain hauler between Chicago and Buffalo.
- September 21, 1855: Sank in a collision off Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Michigan.
Significant Incidents
The ASIA was lost on September 21, 1855, after colliding with the propeller steamer FOREST CITY off Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Michigan.
- The vessel was downbound from Chicago to Buffalo, loaded with corn.
- While sailing at night or in poor visibility, it collided with the upbound steam-powered propeller FOREST CITY.
- The schooner sank in deep water within 10 minutes, giving the crew just enough time to launch a lifeboat.
- No lives were lost, as the crew was later rescued by the schooner HAMLET.
- The wreck was not salvaged, as deep-water recovery technology was not advanced at the time.
Final Disposition
The wreck of the ASIA has never been officially located or documented near Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Michigan. Because it sank in deep water, the remains may still exist on the lake bottom, awaiting discovery.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Nil return. No modern navigational hazards related to this wreck are reported near Grand Traverse Bay, Michigan.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”asia-1848″ title=”References & Links”]
The ASIA is one of many schooners lost in early Great Lakes commerce, highlighting the risks of wooden sailing vessels sharing busy shipping lanes with steam-powered propellers. Though its entire crew survived, the sinking demonstrates the dangers of nighttime navigation, limited visibility, and collisions between fast-moving steamers and slower schooners. With no confirmed wreck site, the ASIA remains one of Lake Michigan’s lost vessels, possibly still resting undiscovered in deep water.
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.
Identification & Site Information
- Name: ASIA
- Other Names: None reported
- Official Number: None assigned
- Date Built and Launched: 1848
- Builder: Unknown, Black River, Ohio (near present-day Lorain, OH)
- Homeport: Cleveland, Ohio (probable owner: Mussey & Reed)
- Vessel Type: Two-masted wooden schooner
- Hull Materials: Wood
- Number of Decks: 1
- Power: Sail-powered
- Measurements:
- Length: 108 ft (32.9 m)
- Beam: 23 ft (7.0 m)
- Depth: 9 ft (2.7 m)
- Tonnage (Old Measurement): 204 tons
- Master at Time of Loss: Captain Reed
Vessel Type
The ASIA was a mid-sized wooden schooner, designed primarily for cargo transport on the Great Lakes. It was part of the expanding grain trade, regularly carrying corn, wheat, and other agricultural products from Chicago to Buffalo. Schooners like the ASIA were a vital part of 19th-century commerce, enabling farmers in the Midwest to sell their crops to eastern markets.
History
The ASIA was in service for seven years, operating between Chicago, Cleveland, Buffalo, and other ports on the Great Lakes before being lost in a collision in 1855.
Key Events in the Vessel’s History:
- 1848: Built at Black River, Ohio, for cargo transport.
- 1848-1855: Operated as a grain hauler between Chicago and Buffalo.
- September 21, 1855: Sank in a collision off Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Michigan.
Final Disposition
The ASIA was lost on September 21, 1855, after colliding with the propeller steamer FOREST CITY off Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Michigan.
The Disaster
- The vessel was downbound from Chicago to Buffalo, loaded with corn.
- While sailing at night or in poor visibility, it collided with the upbound steam-powered propeller FOREST CITY.
- The schooner sank in deep water within 10 minutes, giving the crew just enough time to launch a lifeboat.
- No lives were lost, as the crew was later rescued by the schooner HAMLET.
- The wreck was not salvaged, as deep-water recovery technology was not advanced at the time.
Located By & Date Found
Nil return. The wreck of the ASIA has never been officially located or documented near Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Michigan.
Because it sank in deep water, the remains may still exist on the lake bottom, awaiting discovery.
Notmars & Advisories
Nil return. No modern navigational hazards related to this wreck are reported near Grand Traverse Bay, Michigan.
Resources & Links
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
- Great Lakes Ships Database
- David Swayze Great Lakes Shipwreck File
Conclusion
The ASIA is one of many schooners lost in early Great Lakes commerce, highlighting the risks of wooden sailing vessels sharing busy shipping lanes with steam-powered propellers.
Though its entire crew survived, the sinking demonstrates the dangers of nighttime navigation, limited visibility, and collisions between fast-moving steamers and slower schooners.
With no confirmed wreck site, the ASIA remains one of Lake Michigan’s lost vessels, possibly still resting undiscovered in deep water.
asia-1848 1855-09-21 07:56:00