Comrade US 34132

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Comrade
• Type: Wooden schooner-barge (non-propelled)
• Year Built: 1883
• Builder: R. Mills & Co., Buffalo, New York
• Dimensions: Length: 199 ft (60.7 m); Beam: 34 ft (10.4 m); Depth of hold: 14 ft (4.3 m)
• Registered Tonnage: 910 GRT / 880 NRT
• Location: Lake Superior, between Keweenaw Peninsula and Isle Royale
• Coordinates: Not yet discovered
• Official Number: 126016
• Original Owners: Likely operated under charter for Cleveland ore interests
• Number of Masts: Not specified

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

The Comrade was a wooden-hulled schooner-barge designed to be towed by larger steam vessels. Measuring nearly 200 ft in length and carrying over 900 tons, it was capable of transporting bulk commodities essential to the Great Lakes economy, particularly iron ore. While designed with framing that could support conversion to steam power, it remained dependent on towing throughout its service life.

Description

The Comrade was a wooden-hulled schooner-barge designed to be towed by larger steam vessels. Measuring nearly 200 ft in length and carrying over 900 tons, it was capable of transporting bulk commodities essential to the Great Lakes economy, particularly iron ore. While designed with framing that could support conversion to steam power, it remained dependent on towing throughout its service life.

History

Launched in 1883 at Buffalo, New York, Comrade entered service in the bulk trades that connected Lake Superior mining ports with industrial centers on Lakes Erie and Michigan. Typically hauled by powerful steam-barges such as the Columbia, it made routine voyages carrying iron ore, coal, and timber cargoes. Like many schooner-barges of its time, it represented the transitional era of sail-assisted bulk carriers adapted to the steamer tow system.

Significant Incidents

On 13 September 1890, Comrade departed Ashland, Wisconsin, loaded with 1,650 tons of iron ore bound for Cleveland, Ohio. Under tow of the steamer Columbia, it encountered a severe Lake Superior gale between Keweenaw Peninsula and Isle Royale. Heavy seas snapped the towline, leaving the barge adrift. Attempts by the crew to anchor or deploy a yawl drag failed. Overwhelmed by the storm, Comrade capsized and foundered, sinking with all 8 aboard, including Capt. Peterson.

Final Disposition

Declared a total loss, Comrade was never recovered. Its wreckage has not been located despite searches and likely rests in deep water off Isle Royale. Given the violent nature of the sinking, the hull is presumed fragmented.

Current Condition & Accessibility

Access: Not accessible (site not located)
Entry Point: N/A
Conditions: N/A
Depth Range: Presumed deep-water (>300 ft / >91 m)
Emergency Contacts: U.S. Coast Guard, District 9 (Great Lakes)
Permits: Required if located (U.S. and Michigan/Isle Royale jurisdiction)
Dive Support: Technical/archaeological expedition only

Resources & Links

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The waters of Lake Superior, majestic and formidable, have witnessed countless stories of adventure and tragedy. Among them, the tale of the schooner-barge Comrade stands as a poignant reminder of the unpredictable forces that can swiftly transform a voyage into a disaster. With the vessel’s harrowing loss in 1890, the Comrade became a symbol of the challenges faced by mariners navigating the tempestuous waters of the Great Lakes.