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.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Williams, Caroline
• Official number: 5811
• Year built: 1868 (Buffalo, New York)
• Builder: Henry J. Williams
• Original owner: Williams, McNaughton & Wood, Buffalo, NY
• Home ports/operators:
  • 1868: John Canfield, Manistee, MI (part of “Canfield Tug Lines”)
  • Later co-owned by Canfield & Wheeler, and subsequently Canfield, Wheeler & Grewuch
• Vessel type: Wood-hulled, single-screw steam tug
• Dimensions & Tonnage:
  • Length: 20.79 m (68.2 ft)
  • Beam: 4.82 m (15.8 ft)
  • Depth: 2.53 m (8.3 ft)
  • Gross tonnage: Initially ~39.22 GT; re-surveyed to 61.07 gross / 48.7 net tons in 1879

Vessel Type

A Great Lakes harbour and coastal tug, steam-propelled via single screw – built for towing and support work around Michigan ports.

Description

• Wooden hull with one deck, powered by a steam engine driving a single screw propeller.
• Designed robustly for towing schooners and assisting steamers in shallow harbour areas.
• Equipped with wrecking apparatus, by 1878 considered among the best on shore.

History

• 1868 (July 10): Owned by John Canfield of Manistee, MI; joined Canfield Tug Lines alongside vessels like Hunter Savidge and Mud Hen.
• 1871 (June 21): Ownership shifted to Canfield & Wheeler.
• 1876 (March 13): Engine failure off Point Sable; rescued by Frank Canfield near Ludington, MI.
• 1876 (Dec 7): Ownership transferred to Canfield, Wheeler & Grewuch.
• 1877 (Nov): Collided with a bridge near Manistee, losing its smokestack.
• 1878: Installed notable wrecking apparatus—considered best-equipped tug in the region.
• 1879 (15 Sep): Re-assessed: 61.07 GT (gross) / 48.7 NT (net).
• 1884 (22 Apr): Caught fire and burned on Lake Michigan, approximately 10 miles WSW of Big Point Sable (near Ludington). Crew rescued by the damaged schooner Watertown, which she had been towing.

Final Disposition

The Williams, Caroline was destroyed by fire on 22 April 1884, sank thereafter, and was deemed a total loss. The crew survived thanks to rescue aboard her tow, Watertown.

Located By & Date Found

• No record exists of locating or surveying her remains; wreck site remains undocumented and unsurveyed.

Notmars & Advisories

• None noted. She does not appear in modern navigational hazard records.

Resources & Links

• Enrollment & inspection records: Buffalo and Michigan maritime registries
• Board of Lake Underwriters Marine Directory – tonnage reevaluations (1879), wrecking gear commentary (1878)
• Local newspaper archives (Manistee/Danish Point editions) describing the 1876 and 1877 incidents
• C. Patrick Labadie collection – provided chronology and chronological annotations

Shore Dive Information

Not applicable. There is no known dive site; lost vessel remains unlocated in deep waters off Ludington.

Conclusion

The Williams, Caroline was a capable and well-equipped steam tug that served Michigan’s harbor and coastal towing needs for over 15 years. Marked by several incidents—including engine failure and collision—her career ended when she burned and sank at sea in April 1884. The survival of her crew, thanks to rescue by Watertown, underscores shipping community solidarity. With its remains unlocated, the Williams, Caroline is of archival maritime interest, though not a viable target for diving exploration.

Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms

• Wooden steam tug, single screw
• Great Lakes – Lake Michigan, Manistee, Ludington region
• Incidents: engine failure, collision, fire loss
• Wrecked in storm/fire, survivor rescue
• Maritime heritage, harbor support vessels

Would you like me to look up contemporary newspaper coverage, technical specs of her wrecking apparatus, or related vessels in the Canfield tug line?

caroline-williams-us-5811 1884-04-22 22:49:00