Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Charles Stewart Parnell
- Type: Wooden screw steamer / wooden steam barge, bulk freighter
- Year Built: 1888
- Builder: Detroit Dry Dock Co., Detroit, MI
- Dimensions: Length 256.4 ft (78.1 m); Beam 38.5 ft (11.7 m); Depth 19.8 ft (6.0 m)
- Registered Tonnage: Gross 1,739 gt; Net 1,292 nt
- Location: Off Squaw Island, Lake Michigan
- Coordinates: Unknown (approximate position relative to Squaw Island to be refined via ongoing survey)
- Official Number: 126463 (or 126483 per alternate registry)
- Original Owners: M. J. Cummings et al., Oswego, NY
- Number of Masts: Unknown
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The Charles Stewart Parnell was a wooden-hulled, diagonal-strapped steamer with a steel boilerhouse, powered by a triple-expansion steam engine and twin Scotch boilers, driving a single screw propeller.
Description
Built in 1888, she functioned as a bulk freight vessel, primarily transporting coal.
History
Launched in April 1888 for M. J. Cummings & Co. out of Oswego, NY, the vessel served as a coal-carrying freighter across the Great Lakes. She underwent repairs in 1898 and suffered obstruction damage near Grosse Pointe, MI, in 1889.
Her final voyage commenced from Lake Huron—having weathered the Mataafa Storm—heading southwest through the Straits of Mackinac towards Chicago. While in the channel north of Squaw Island, the crew noticed smoke during Thanksgiving dinner. A fire had erupted in the coal near the steering gear and quickly became uncontrollable. After firefighting efforts failed, the crew abandoned ship into lifeboats and were promptly rescued by the passing steamer Harlem. Attempts to tow the burning Parnell failed due to intense heat; she soon sank.
Significant Incidents
- Obstruction damage near Grosse Pointe, MI, in 1889.
- Onboard coal fire leading to abandonment and sinking on November 29, 1905.
Final Disposition
Cause of loss: onboard coal fire within the cargo hold. The vessel was a total loss, sinking rapidly after abandonment.
Current Condition & Accessibility
The wreck site is currently under investigation, with ongoing exploration including photogrammetric mapping and underwater documentation.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”charles-stewart-parnell-us-126463″ title=”References & Links”]
All crew survived; no memorials currently recorded. Crew manifests and names remain to be researched via newspaper archives and maritime logs for potential memorial placement or acknowledgment.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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