Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Effort
- Type: Wooden schooner-barge
- Year Built: 1889
- Builder:
- Dimensions:
- Registered Tonnage:
- Location: Lake Erie, near Pelee Passage
- Number of Masts: Two masts with minimal rigging
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The Effort was a typical wooden schooner-barge, built to carry bulk commodities such as coal, lumber, and iron ore. These vessels relied entirely on their tow vessels for propulsion and steering.
Description
Typical of Great Lakes schooner-barges, the Effort was likely built with:
- Oak framing and pine planking
- Two masts with minimal rigging
- Reinforced hull meant to withstand towing stress
These barges carried bulk commodities such as coal, lumber, and iron ore, and relied entirely on their tow vessels for propulsion and steering.
History
The Effort was being towed by the steam tug Ariadne in formation with the steamer George Stephenson and the steel barge Roebling. During a crossing maneuver, Ariadne passed between George Stephenson and Roebling. A tow cable from George Stephenson snapped taut and simultaneously struck Effort amidships, slicing her wooden hull in half—a brutal “sawing” under pressure.
Significant Incidents
- The vessel flooded and sank rapidly. Of the four crew aboard, one perished; two were rescued by a vessel from the Kendall Ship Reporting Company.
Final Disposition
Despite the violent collision, Effort was later raised in two pieces. She was reassembled and returned to service. However, by 1901, she had been abandoned at Thunder Bay and never sailed again.
Current Condition & Accessibility
The wreck of the Effort is confirmed, but details regarding its current condition and accessibility for divers are not specified.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”effort-1889″ title=”References & Links”]
The loss of the Effort highlights the perils of industrial-era tow logistics, especially in narrow or busy lake passages. Though raised and rebuilt, her ultimate abandonment in Thunder Bay suggests that the collision’s damage and the economic costs surpassed her value. It’s a telling example of wooden tow-barge fragility and the complexity of marathon towing operations of that era.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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