Eliza R. Turner US 8191

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Eliza R. Turner
• Type: Wooden three-masted schooner (originally built as a barge)
• Year Built: 1867
• Builder: A. Turner, Trenton, Michigan
• Dimensions: Length: 156 ft (47.5 m); Beam: 30 ft (9.1 m); Depth of hold: 12 ft (3.7 m)
• Registered Tonnage: 409 GT
• Location: 9 miles west of the tip of Long Point, Lake Erie
• Official Number: 8191
• Original Owners: Cooley, Van Tussell, and Captain Gil Hearns (deceased), based in Cleveland, Ohio
• Number of Masts: Three

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

The Eliza R. Turner was a wooden three-masted schooner, originally built as a barge in 1867 and converted in 1868.

Description

The Eliza R. Turner served as a Great Lakes bulk cargo carrier, primarily transporting grain, coal, and other bulk commodities between ports such as Detroit, Buffalo, and Cleveland. She underwent major repairs in 1877, just months before her final voyage.

History

On October 10, 1877, the Eliza R. Turner was bound from Detroit to Buffalo, carrying 27,000 bushels of wheat when she encountered a gale near Long Point, Lake Erie. The vessel was delayed in Detroit due to a grain shoveler’s work slowdown, causing her to pass Long Point at night instead of during daylight hours. Some newspaper reports suggested that the delay contributed to her wreck, as the navigator was unable to see the shoreline, leading her to go aground in the storm.

Significant Incidents

• The captain and cook drowned, while the remaining crew survived.
• The wreck was destroyed by waves and declared a total loss.

Final Disposition

• Declared a total loss after grounding and breaking up.
• No records of salvage efforts.
• No confirmed modern discovery of wreckage.
• No confirmed wreck site identified.
• Any remains may be scattered along the Lake Erie shoreline near Long Point.

Current Condition & Accessibility

Long Point, Lake Erie, is a historically hazardous area, with numerous shipwrecks due to shifting sandbars and unpredictable storms. Schooners were commonly lost in sudden gales, as their large sails made them difficult to control in extreme weather.

Resources & Links

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The Eliza R. Turner was a workhorse schooner of the Great Lakes, operating in the grain trade between Detroit and Buffalo. Her loss in 1877 off Long Point highlights the dangers of late-season sailing on Lake Erie, where storms and navigational challenges led to numerous wrecks. Though her wreckage has never been confirmed, she remains one of many vessels claimed by the treacherous waters of Long Point.