Cumberland (1847)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Cumberland
• Type: Brig
• Year Built: 1847
• Builder: Samuel W. and Alvin A. Turner
• Dimensions: 100.5 ft (30.6 m); Beam: 23.5 ft (7.2 m); Depth of hold: 9.16 ft (2.8 m)
• Registered Tonnage: Not specified; presumed ~200 tons
• Location: Milwaukee River near Jones’ Shipyard
• Coordinates: Latitude 43°01.199′N, Longitude 87°53.397′W
• Original Owners: J.L. Adams of Chicago
• Number of Masts: Two-masted square-rigged

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

• Type: Brig
• Rig: Two-masted square-rigged brig
• Propulsion: Sail
• Hull Material: Wood

Description

• Length: 100.5 ft / 30.6 m
• Beam: 23.5 ft / 7.2 m
• Depth of Hold: 9.16 ft / 2.8 m
• Cargo at Loss: Lumber from Oconto bound for Chicago
• Gross Tonnage: Not specified in enrollment; presumed ~200 tons

History

• 1847: Constructed in Cleveland, OH by the Turner brothers.
• 1856 (Dec): Wrecked and abandoned in Lake Huron near Goderich while carrying wheat. Later recovered.
• 1857–1859: Operated under J.L. Adams of Chicago.
• Enrollment Surrendered: July 22, 1859, at Chicago, indicating loss.

Significant Incidents

• Date: October 20, 1859
• Location: Straight Cut, Milwaukee harbor
• Cause: Struck by schooner Curlew during storm while anchored for shelter
• Incident Summary:
  • Cumberland entered the Straight Cut for shelter during a violent northwest gale.
  • Most vessels relocated into the river; Cumberland remained exposed.
  • Around 11:00 PM, the schooner Curlew collided with Cumberland, stove in her stern.
  • She filled rapidly, then pounded to pieces on the pier during the night.
  • The vessel, already described as “old,” was deemed a total loss with her cargo.
• Source: Milwaukee Sentinel, October 21, 1859, Page 3

Final Disposition

• Remains lie within the Milwaukee River near the site of Jones’ old shipyard. No confirmed archaeological survey has documented visible structural remains.

Current Condition & Accessibility

• None known; site is historical, within riverine area likely disturbed or buried.

Resources & Links

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The Cumberland‘s destruction was the product of both storm exposure and unfortunate mooring strategy during one of Lake Michigan’s intense fall gales. Her loss off Milwaukee, despite no casualties, represents the risks faced even in harbor when storms combined with poor anchoring choices and port congestion. Though not formally recorded in diver-accessible databases, the Cumberland is potentially a target for historical riverbed survey near Milwaukee’s former shipyards.