Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Eliza Logan
• Type: Wooden two-masted schooner
• Year Built: 1855
• Builder: B.B. Jones
• Dimensions: 131 ft × 28 ft × 11 ft; ~265 tons
• Registered Tonnage: 265 tons
• Location: Approximately 12 miles off Erie, Pennsylvania
• Official Number: 7312
• Original Owners: Captain Lawson (co-owner)
• Number of Masts: Two

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

Vessel Type: Wooden two-masted schooner

Description

The Eliza Logan was a wooden two-masted schooner built in 1855, primarily used for transporting grain across the Great Lakes. She measured 131 feet in length and was capable of carrying approximately 265 tons of cargo.

History

Launched in 1855, the Eliza Logan served over 15 years in the grain trade between western Lake Erie and Buffalo. As a typical mid-19th-century cargo schooner, she was built for hauling heavy bulk freight across inland waters.

Significant Incidents

• On October 19, 1871, while bound from Toledo to Buffalo laden with wheat, the Eliza Logan encountered a heavy storm, leading to her foundering and capsizing.
• Six crew members clung to the rigging and were rescued after more than 24 hours by the passing schooner Emma.
• Two crew members, including Captain Lawson, tragically drowned during the ordeal.

Final Disposition

The Eliza Logan was declared a total loss after foundering. She floated inverted on the surface before sinking, carrying her cargo of wheat to the seabed. No salvage efforts were recorded.

Current Condition & Accessibility

The capsized hull was sighted during the storm event and rescue, but no modern underwater surveys have mapped her wreck. The site remains exposed to severe fall storms, and caution is recommended for mariners.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”eliza-logan-us-7312″ title=”References & Links”]

The Eliza Logan sank during a fierce gale on October 19, 1871, off the coast of Erie while transporting wheat. Two lives were lost when the schooner capsized, though others survived an extraordinary 24-hour rescue. The wreck has yet to be located but remains a powerful story of endurance and tragedy in Great Lakes maritime history.