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.

Overview & Dive History

• Discovery: October 10, 2010 via sidescan sonar—≈ 140 × 30 × 5 ft target subdivided into eight sections
• Initial Survey Dive: June 18, 2011 (VanZandt, Paskert, Magee)
• Follow-up Survey: August 8, 2011 (VanZandt, LaRosa, Magee, Rogers), including detailed measurements and video
  (clueshipwrecks.org)

Vessel Structure & Condition

• Type: Wooden dump barge with eight cargo bays (~15 × 21 ft each), tapered sides at ~45° and lined with metal plating
• Construction: Outer hull wooden, interior vertical posts with diagonal bracing; top ledges support ~½‑ft metal rods or pipes alternating bay sides
• Functionality: Likely a “bottom‑dump” mechanism operated by rotating side rods for dumping cargo—common in rubble‑fill barges used for breakwall and crib construction
• Cargo: Bay contents: clean stone; ledges and outer areas held broken concrete and bricks; suggests fill sourced from dock or crib building materials
• Size & Orientation: Bar length ~135‑140 ft, beam ~28‑30 ft, bay count eight; oriented NE–SW; rests in ~30–35 ft water depth
  (clueshipwrecks.org)

Biological & Diver Observations

• The wreck was heavily encrusted with freshwater sponges—a rarity in CLUE surveys.
• Aquatic life abundant; large carp, bass, and perch observed during August dive.
• Some polypropylene rope snagged near the southwestern end suggests prior diver activity.
  (clueshipwrecks.org)

Historical & Archaeological Context

CLUE and U. Rhode Island’s In the Field journal note that in 2010 season, one of the principal finds was a 140‑ft dump barge off Cleveland, later surveyed in 2011. This barge’s unusual bottom‑dump design and eight‑bay configuration make it unique among known Lake Erie wrecks.
(mua.apps.uri.edu)

Such barges were used to transport and deposit stone, rubble, or breakwall fill—consistent with Cleveland’s massive breakwall and intake crib infrastructure demands. Nearby infrastructure included quarry fill and construction of city water cribs.
(clueshipwrecks.org)

Summary & Identification Assessment

Feature	Observation & Implication
Length/Beam	~135–140 ft × ~28–30 ft — matches sonar and dive survey
Bay Structure	Eight internal sections with metal‑lined funnels and hinged bottom dump mechanisms
Cargo Type	Stone rubble; likely hauler of breakwall or crib fill
Construction Style	Wooden hull with metal fixtures—transitional construction dated late 19th to mid‑20th century
Function Inference	Purpose‐built dump barge for civil works, no propulsion machinery present
Rarity	No similar vessel type otherwise documented in Lake Erie records

Recommended Next Steps for Identification

• City/Public Works Archives
  • Search Cleveland municipal archives and Army Corps of Engineers construction logs (late 1800s–1940s) for records of dump barge operations, especially deployments for breakwall or crib projects.
• Local Press Coverage
  • Investigate period newspapers (Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cleveland Press) for references to barge failures, scuttlings, or losses during breakwater projects or intake installation.
• Registry & Corporate Records
  • Query potential owners/operators—such as Cleveland Quarries, local aggregate companies, or municipal contractors—for ownership trail or tender-band records.
• Bathymetric & Sidescan Correlation
  • Overlay sonar return profiles with archived CLUE data to analyze bay structure patterns, rod placements, and compare with known schematic designs in engineering blueprints.
• Physical Sampling
  • Obtain limited wood or hardware samples for dendrochronology or metallurgical dating to anchor period and fabrication style.

Conclusion

This barge is most likely a special-purpose Lake Erie dump barge, used for depositing breakwall stone or intake crib fill. Its unique eight-bay, funnel-lidded bottom-dump design and extensive span suggest industrial utility, not transport freight. No equivalent documented vessel exists in regional marine registries, so archival searches focusing on Cleveland wharf and crib construction records may pinpoint its identity.

cleveland-dump-barge 2010-10-10 20:02:00