Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Black Warrior (Black Maria)
- Type: Wooden-hulled bark
- Year Built: 1854
- Builder: Cleveland, Ohio
- Dimensions:
- Registered Tonnage:
- Location:
- Number of Masts: Three-masted
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The vessel known as Black Warrior—sometimes recorded as Black Warrier or Black Maria—was a three-masted wooden bark built in 1854 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Description
The Black Warrior was a wooden-hulled bark, specifically a three-masted square-rigged sailing ship. It was primarily used for transporting various cargo, including railroad iron, wine, shingles, whiskey, apples, stoneware, and general merchandise. The vessel was propelled solely by sails and did not have an engine. Notably, there were no reported fatalities during its abandonment, as the crew managed to leave the vessel safely.
History
On November 6, 1854, while carrying wheat on a Lake Huron crossing from Chicago to Buffalo, Black Warrior lost her foremast in a strong gale. Subsequent details regarding her final voyage are unclear, with different sources indicating abandonment near Sheboygan, loss at Cheboygan, and wreck at Long Point. None of these accounts provide corroborated crew lists or precise coordinates.
Significant Incidents
- November 6, 1854: Lost foremast during a gale while crossing Lake Huron.
- 1855: Abandoned and declared a total loss, with conflicting reports on the location of the incident.
Final Disposition
After the mast failure, the vessel never reached her intended destination. Each location cited (Sheboygan, Cheboygan, Long Point) records her as abandoned and declared a total loss. There are no records of salvage, legal proceedings, or insurance settlements conclusively linked to this incident.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No confirmed wreck site has been documented; there are no rediscoveries, dive logs, or sonar detections. The depth remains unspecified due to the absence of a confirmed wreck location.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”bark-black-warrior-black-maria” title=”References & Links”]
The Black Warrior presents a tangled case of conflicting historical reports. While the vessel apparently succumbed to mast failure and was abandoned in 1855, no authoritative source confirms where she foundered—Sheboygan, Cheboygan, or Long Point. The absence of physical remains or verified archival documentation leaves this wreck opaque in Great Lakes maritime history. Only a cross-regional archival deep-dive may resolve the discrepancies.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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