City of Madison US 4350

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: City of Madison
• Type: Wooden, single-deck screw steamer with auxiliary mast
• Year Built: 1857
• Builder: Van Slyke & Notter, Buffalo, New York
• Dimensions: Length 134 ft (40.9 m); Beam 26 ft (7.98 m); Depth of hold 12 ft (3.68 m)
• Registered Tonnage: 394 tons (old style), later remeasured to 487.23 gross tons
• Depth at Wreck Site: 4.5 m / 15 ft
• Location: ~56 km (35 mi) off Kenosha, Wisconsin
• Official Number: 4350
• Number of Masts: 1

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

A mid-19th-century passenger and freight steamship—representative of early screw steamers employed on competitive Great Lakes routes.

Description

Constructed with a wooden hull and powered by a single screw and high-pressure steam engine. Featured a single deck and modest superstructure, typical of commercial steam craft built during its era.

History

• 1857: Enrolled Buffalo (8 May); ownership changes noted through 1860s across New York, Michigan, and Chicago
• 1865–66: Tonnage remeasured; vessel dimensions and designation updated
• 1867–73: Experienced several incidents: grounded in Chicago (1867), collision and sinking in Straits of Mackinac (1868), record-breaking salvage from 125 ft depth (1870), rebuild into steam barge, and additional collisions and groundings in the Welland Canal and around Mackinac (1868–73)
• 1877 (17 Aug): Caught fire ~35 mi off Kenosha while en route light from Chicago to Ludington; crew abandoned in yawl; vessel burned to waterline and sank.

Significant Incidents

• Grounded in Chicago (1867)
• Collision and sinking in Straits of Mackinac (1868)
• Record-breaking salvage from 125 ft depth (1870)
• Rebuilt into steam barge
• Additional collisions and groundings in the Welland Canal and around Mackinac (1868–73)

Final Disposition

The City of Madison was completely destroyed by fire, burned down nearly to the waterline, and sank shortly after while unmanned. The fire was ruled to have been caused by the drunkenness of the second engineer.

Current Condition & Accessibility

The wreck lies in shallow water (~15 ft), offshore and was never formally salvaged; hull remains have been intermittently visible as sands shift.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”city-of-madison-us-4350″ title=”References & Links”]

The City of Madison exemplified early Great Lakes merchant steamers. After a tumultuous service life—complete with several groundings, a deep-water salvage, collisions, and a rebuild—her career ended in a fatal fire in 1877. Today, she remains partially visible and accessible in shallow waters, offering snorkelers and historians a tangible link to 19th-century steam navigation and its inherent risks.