Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Charles Rietz
- Type: propeller schooner / freight steamer
- Year Built: 1872
- Builder:
- Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
- Registered Tonnage:
- Location: Chicago, Illinois
- Original Owners: Rietz Lumber Co., Chicago
- Number of Masts: likely three-masted
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The Charles Rietz was a propeller-driven freight steamer built to haul lumber in and out of Chicago. Following its 1874-75 rebuild, she was well-equipped for late-season timber transport on Lake Michigan, with structural reinforcements typical of ships enduring seasonal gales.
Description
The Charles Rietz was a wooden-hulled propeller vessel designed primarily for the lumber trade. It was built to navigate the challenging conditions of the Great Lakes, particularly during the late shipping season.
History
Operated by the Rietz Lumber Co., the vessel served Chicago’s timber trade in the late 19th century. She was active late into the season of 1895, making her final voyage amidst a stormy gale that battered the area’s harbor piers.
Significant Incidents
- December 11, 1895: The Charles Rietz was driven ashore during a storm while attempting to navigate near the end of a north pier.
- Wrecked atop the earlier wreck of the Onondaga, the vessel sank to her decks and was subsequently damaged by wave action.
Final Disposition
While storm-bound at the pier’s end, Charles Rietz broke free and was driven ashore, coming to rest atop the earlier wreck of the schooner Onondaga. The vessel sank to her decks and was eventually smashed by wave action, with wreckage and cargo—lumber—strewn ashore in a slurry. Only a portion of her timbers and the lumber cargo were salvaged.
Current Condition & Accessibility
The wreck was immediately known when it occurred in December 1895; no formal underwater discovery was needed. The remains were visible on-site overnight and subsequently broken apart by storms. Over time, the wreck was disassembled by wave action and human salvage, leaving no significant remaining hazard.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”charles-rietz-1872″ title=”References & Links”]
The Charles Rietz met its end in a storm surge off a Chicago-area pier on December 11, 1895. Though she sank atop the earlier Onondaga wreck, no lives were lost. Her remains—timbers and lumber cargo—spread ashore, marking the final chapter of a late-season lumber vessel overwhelmed by winter gales.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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