Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Don
- Type: Wooden propeller-driven fish tug
- Year Built: 1901
- Builder: Erie, Pennsylvania
- Dimensions: 44 × 12 × 5 ft; tonnage ~11 gross tons
- Registered Tonnage: 11 gross tons
- Location: Near Cleveland, Lake Erie
- Official Number: 157619
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The Don was a small wooden propeller-driven fish tug, purpose-built for fishing operations on Lake Erie. With a modest tonnage and dimensions, she was typical of early-20th-century patrol and net-hauling tugs used by small-scale commercial fishermen out of Cleveland.
Description
No modern archaeological documentation (side-scan surveys, diving reports, or underwater footage) has been located. The wreck site has not been specifically identified or cataloged in Great Lakes maritime archaeological records. The shallow structure and limited tonnage suggest any remains may have deteriorated, been salvaged, or lie buried in Lake Erie sediments.
History
Constructed in 1901 in Erie, Pennsylvania, she entered service shortly thereafter as a fish tug operating from Cleveland.
- Final Incident: On 27 September 1918, Don collided with the steamer Buckeye near Cleveland and sank quickly. All four persons aboard escaped without injury. (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
- No known previous incidents or notable operational history has been documented beyond this collision entry.
Significant Incidents
- Collision with the steamer Buckeye on 27 September 1918, resulting in sinking.
- No crew casualties; all four aboard escaped without injury.
Final Disposition
Following the collision with Buckeye, the Don sank and was recorded as a total loss. Given her small scale and utility, no salvage was likely pursued, and no further documentation regarding hull recovery or liability has emerged.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Not located by modern explorers or dive teams; no public record of wrecksite survey or discovery has been published.
Notices & Navigational Advisories: None noted. No historical Notices to Mariners or hazard bulletins referencing the wreck have been found.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”don-us-157619″ title=”References & Links”]
The Don was a modest-sized fishing tug built in 1901 in Erie, Pennsylvania. She met her end on 27 September 1918 in a collision with the steamer Buckeye near Cleveland on Lake Erie. No crew members were lost, and no cargo was aboard beyond fishing gear. The vessel sank and was lost with little fanfare; today, the wreck remains undocumented and the vessel’s operational history remains largely blank outside the collision listing in the Great Lakes Shipwreck Files. Please let me know if you’d like assistance in exploring newspaper records or draft searches in 1918 shipping registers.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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