Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Circassian
- Type: Wooden-hulled schooner, single-deck
- Year Built: 1856
- Builder: Charles Stevens, Irving, New York
- Dimensions: 135 ft length; 366 tons (old style)
- Registered Tonnage: 366 tons
- Location: White Shoal, near Beaver Island, Lake Michigan
- Original Owners: Walker & Clark, Buffalo
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
An average-sized mid-19th-century cargo schooner built for carrying bulk goods—such as grain—across the Great Lakes. At 135 ft, she was representative of the working merchant fleets of her era.
Description
The Circassian was a wooden-hulled schooner designed for cargo transport, particularly grain. Her construction reflected the typical design of the period, emphasizing functionality and durability for Great Lakes navigation.
History
- 1856: Enrolled in Buffalo, NY
- Up to 1860: Owned by Walker & Clark, Buffalo
- 22 November 1860: Ended her service when caught in a late-November gale. She was driven onto White Shoal, close to Beaver Island, where she grounded (“stranded and went to pieces”) due to intense wave action.
Significant Incidents
- Stranded in a storm on 22 November 1860, resulting in total loss.
- No casualties reported during the incident.
Final Disposition
- Declared a total wreck; her hull was battered into pieces by wave forces.
- No salvage was documented or attempted formally; the remains likely dispersed or submerged.
Current Condition & Accessibility
- No underwater archaeological survey has mapped her remains.
- Given the shoal’s location and dynamic environment, structural remnants have either been buried or broken apart and carried off.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”circassian-1856″ title=”References & Links”]
The Circassian’s demise highlights the deadly efficiency of late-season storms on the Great Lakes. She served a brief four years before being overwhelmed against White Shoal under a November gale. Though unremarkable at the time—no lives lost and no salvage logged—her story adds to the lore of Beaver Island’s treacherous shoals, reminding modern mariners of the persistent navigation dangers in that region.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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