C.L. Fellows (1858)

Explore the wreck of the C.L. Fellows, a wooden schooner lost in a storm in Lake Michigan in 1893.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: C.L. FELLOWS
  • Type: Schooner
  • Year Built: 1858
  • Builder: Not specified
  • Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
  • Registered Tonnage: Not specified
  • Location: Michigan waters, Lake Michigan
  • Coordinates: Not recorded
  • Official Number: (not recorded)
  • Original Owners: Not specified
  • Number of Masts: Not specified

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

The C.L. FELLOWS was a wooden schooner, a common Great Lakes cargo carrier of the mid-to-late 19th century. These vessels were typically employed in the lumber, grain, and coal trades, with broad holds and shallow drafts suited to regional harbours.

Description

The C.L. FELLOWS was launched in 1858 and worked throughout the Great Lakes, though few details survive about her ownership or trading routes. In October 1893, the schooner was anchored when a storm developed. The heavy weather pounded the vessel against the bottom, causing serious hull damage. She foundered in relatively shallow water and eventually drifted from her anchored position, where she was later reported sunk. There is no evidence of cargo loss, and no lives were reported lost in contemporary accounts.

History

The C.L. FELLOWS was launched in 1858 and worked throughout the Great Lakes, though few details survive about her ownership or trading routes. In October 1893, the schooner was anchored when a storm developed. The heavy weather pounded the vessel against the bottom, causing serious hull damage. She foundered in relatively shallow water and eventually drifted from her anchored position, where she was later reported sunk. There is no evidence of cargo loss, and no lives were reported lost in contemporary accounts.

Significant Incidents

  • Lost in a storm while at anchor on October 14, 1893.

Final Disposition

Total loss after being pounded by waves while anchored; wreck abandoned.

Current Condition & Accessibility

Condition unknown; presumed scattered in shallow waters in Lake Michigan.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”c-l-fellows-1858″ title=”References & Links”]

The C.L. FELLOWS remains a significant part of Great Lakes maritime history, representing the challenges faced by 19th-century shipping in the region.

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: C.L. FELLOWS
  • Year Built: 1858
  • Official Number: (not recorded)
  • Built at: Not specified
  • Vessel Type: Schooner
  • Hull Material: Wood
  • Number of Decks: 1
  • Tonnage: Not specified
  • Final Location: Michigan waters, Lake Michigan
  • Date Lost: October 14, 1893
  • How Lost: Storm while at anchor

Vessel Type Description
The C.L. FELLOWS was a wooden schooner, a common Great Lakes cargo carrier of the mid-to-late 19th century. These vessels were typically employed in the lumber, grain, and coal trades, with broad holds and shallow drafts suited to regional harbours.

History
The C.L. FELLOWS was launched in 1858 and worked throughout the Great Lakes, though few details survive about her ownership or trading routes. In October 1893, the schooner was anchored when a storm developed. The heavy weather pounded the vessel against the bottom, causing serious hull damage. She foundered in relatively shallow water and eventually drifted from her anchored position, where she was later reported sunk. There is no evidence of cargo loss, and no lives were reported lost in contemporary accounts.

Final Disposition
Total loss after being pounded by waves while anchored; wreck abandoned.

NOTMARs & Advisories
No current Notices to Mariners (NOTMARs) are listed for this site.

Located By & Date
No modern survey or confirmed location of the wreck has been documented.

Current Condition & Accessibility
Condition unknown; presumed scattered in shallow waters in Lake Michigan.

Resources & Links

Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms
Schooner, Great Lakes Shipwreck, Lake Michigan, Storm Loss, 19th Century Shipping, Shallow Water Wreck

If you’d like, I can expand on regional diving conditions or recommended archival sources to research it further.

c-l-fellows-1858 1893-10-14 02:48:00