Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: AUGUSTUS
- Type: Wooden Scow-Schooner
- Year Built: 1885
- Builder: Unknown, Spoonville, Michigan
- Dimensions: Length: 78 ft (23.8 m); Beam: 20 ft (6.1 m); Depth of hold: 6 ft (1.8 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 64 tons
- Location: Red River, Wisconsin
- Official Number: 29961
- Original Owners: Capt. Cota and Larson
- Number of Masts: Two
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The AUGUSTUS was a wooden scow-schooner, a flat-bottomed sailing vessel commonly used on the Great Lakes in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Scow-schooners were primarily designed for:
- Hauling bulky, lightweight cargo (such as hay, lumber, and other agricultural products)
- Operating in shallow waters (due to their flat-bottomed design)
- Serving small ports and rivers where larger vessels could not navigate
This vessel type was once a common sight on the Great Lakes, but by the early 20th century, most had been replaced by steam-powered freighters.
Description
The AUGUSTUS operated for 33 years, primarily transporting agricultural products and light freight across Lake Michigan and the surrounding rivers before being destroyed by fire at Red River, Wisconsin, in 1918.
History
Key Events in the Vessel’s History:
- 1885: Built in Spoonville, Michigan, for cargo transport on the Great Lakes.
- 1910: Reported as homeported in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
- November 24, 1918: Destroyed by fire at Red River, Wisconsin.
Significant Incidents
The AUGUSTUS was lost on November 24, 1918, after it caught fire while docked at Red River, Wisconsin, on Lake Michigan.
- The vessel was moored at the dock when a fire broke out on board.
- The flames quickly spread, consuming both the vessel and its cargo of 58 tons of hay.
- The AUGUSTUS was declared a total loss.
- No lives were lost in the incident.
Final Disposition
Despite surviving into the 20th century, the AUGUSTUS met a common fate for wooden schooners—fire, a hazard that often spelled the end for aging wooden vessels.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Nil return. There are no confirmed reports of the AUGUSTUS‘s wreck remains being discovered or documented near Red River, Wisconsin.
Since it burned to a total loss while docked, any remains were likely removed or lost over time.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”augustus-us-29961″ title=”References & Links”]
The AUGUSTUS was one of the last scow-schooners operating on the Great Lakes, a remnant of an earlier era when sail-powered freight vessels dominated inland shipping.
Its loss by fire in 1918 marked the end of an era, as steam-powered vessels and modern freighters replaced these aging wooden schooners.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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