Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Correspondent
- Type: Schooner
- Year Built: 1856
- Builder: F.N. Jones
- Dimensions: Approx. 130-150 ft (40-45 m); Approx. 26-30 ft (8-9 m); Approx. 11-12 ft (3.5 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 294 tons (Old Style); 221 gross tons (Post-Rebuild, 1865)
- Location: Off Dunkirk, New York
- Official Number: 4370
- Original Owners: Lake Navigation Co., Needham W. Standert, John Greening, J. Green
- Number of Masts: Two or three masts
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
- Type: Schooner
- Construction: Wood
- Purpose: General freight carrier on the Great Lakes
Description
The Correspondent was a traditionally rigged schooner, commonly used on the Great Lakes for bulk and general cargo through the mid-to-late 19th century. It was likely a two- or three-masted schooner designed for open water but suited for coastal and inter-port navigation.
- Tonnage (Old Style): 294 tons
- Revised Tonnage (Post-Rebuild, 1865): 221 gross tons
Dimensions were not explicitly recorded but estimated proportions for vessels of this class and tonnage suggest:
- Length: Approx. 40-45 m (130-150 ft)
- Beam: Approx. 8-9 m (26-30 ft)
- Depth: Approx. 3.5 m (11-12 ft)
History
- 1856: Built in Buffalo, NY by shipbuilder F.N. Jones.
- 1857: Owned by Lake Navigation Co., Buffalo.
- 1858: Arrived at Quebec from England en route to Cleveland, Ohio — indicating possible international trade or cargo delivery.
- 1860: Ownership transferred to Needham W. Standert.
- 1861 & 1863: Underwent significant refastening (structural tightening of timbers and fasteners); owned by John Greening, Cleveland, OH, during the 1863 repair.
- 1865: Tonnage revised to 221 gross tons; likely indicating partial rebuild or remeasurement.
- 1871: Repaired again.
- 1876: Owned by J. Green, Cleveland.
- 1878: Wrecked off Dunkirk, NY, Lake Erie — no casualty or cargo loss noted in the surviving records.
Significant Incidents
- Wrecked: October 1878 off Dunkirk, New York, in Lake Erie.
Final Disposition
Wrecked during unknown circumstances off Dunkirk, New York, in October 1878. No detailed weather or collision reports are available; presumed foundered or driven ashore.
Current Condition & Accessibility
- Status: Wreck site not documented as discovered or archaeologically surveyed.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”correspondent-us-4370″ title=”References & Links”]
The Correspondent is representative of the hundreds of modest-tonnage schooners that enabled regional commerce during the 19th century. Its decades of service across both U.S. and Canadian ports reflect the vessel’s resilience. Though its wreck off Dunkirk is undocumented in the physical record, its paper trail highlights how such vessels often passed quietly from prominence without fanfare.
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.
Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Correspondent
- Official Number: 4370
- Year Built: 1856
- Built At: Buffalo, New York
- Final Disposition: Wrecked
- Final Location: Off Dunkirk, New York, Lake Erie
- Date Lost: October 1878
Vessel Type
- Type: Schooner
- Construction: Wood
- Purpose: General freight carrier on the Great Lakes
Description
The Correspondent was a traditionally rigged schooner, commonly used on the Great Lakes for bulk and general cargo through the mid-to-late 19th century. It was likely a two- or three-masted schooner designed for open water but suited for coastal and inter-port navigation.
- Tonnage (Old Style): 294 tons
- Revised Tonnage (Post-Rebuild, 1865): 221 gross tons
Dimensions were not explicitly recorded but estimated proportions for vessels of this class and tonnage suggest:
- Length: Approx. 40–45 m (130–150 ft)
- Beam: Approx. 8–9 m (26–30 ft)
- Depth: Approx. 3.5 m (11–12 ft)
History
- 1856: Built in Buffalo, NY by shipbuilder F.N. Jones.
- 1857: Owned by Lake Navigation Co., Buffalo.
- 1858: Arrived at Quebec from England en route to Cleveland, Ohio — indicating possible international trade or cargo delivery.
- 1860: Ownership transferred to Needham W. Standert.
- 1861 & 1863: Underwent significant refastening (structural tightening of timbers and fasteners); owned by John Greening, Cleveland, OH, during the 1863 repair.
- 1865: Tonnage revised to 221 gross tons; likely indicating partial rebuild or remeasurement.
- 1871: Repaired again.
- 1876: Owned by J. Green, Cleveland.
- 1878: Wrecked off Dunkirk, NY, Lake Erie — no casualty or cargo loss noted in the surviving records.
Final Disposition
Wrecked during unknown circumstances off Dunkirk, New York, in October 1878. No detailed weather or collision reports are available; presumed foundered or driven ashore.
Located By & Date Found
- Status: Wreck site not documented as discovered or archaeologically surveyed.
Notmars & Advisories
None noted.
Resources & Links
- Board of Lake Underwriters Marine Directory
- Donald V. Baut Collection
- John E. Poole notes, Bowling Green State University
- Newspaper clippings
- C. Patrick Labadie Collection
Conclusion
The Correspondent is representative of the hundreds of modest-tonnage schooners that enabled regional commerce during the 19th century. Its decades of service across both U.S. and Canadian ports reflect the vessel’s resilience. Though its wreck off Dunkirk is undocumented in the physical record, its paper trail highlights how such vessels often passed quietly from prominence without fanfare.
Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms
Schooner, Lake Erie, Buffalo, Dunkirk, Great Lakes freight, wooden sailing vessel, 19th century trade, undocumented wreck, Needham Standert, John Greening.
correspondent-us-4370 1878-10-14 02:54:00