Legacy Notes & Full Historical Record

This section preserves the original unedited Shotline content for this wreck so that no historical detail is lost as we transition to the new logbook format.

(built 1906 – lost 27 October 1917)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Ella W.
• Official Registry Number: 208090
• Year Built: 1906, constructed at Two Rivers, Wisconsin
• Vessel Type: Wooden screw-driven gas-powered fish tug, equipped to fish gear operations
• Home Port: Grand Haven, Michigan
• Last Voyage & Loss Date: Foundered on 27 October 1917, during a severe fall storm
• Location of Loss: Approximately 8 miles SSW of Manistique, Michigan, on Lake Michigan (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)

Vessel Type

Ella W. was a small powered fishing vessel, purpose-built for trapping and gear fishing on Lake Michigan. At loss she carried fishing gear.

Description & History

• Built in 1906 at Two Rivers, Wisconsin
• Powered by a gasoline engine driving a screw propeller
• Dimensions: ~30 ft × 10 ft × 4 ft; Gross tonnage about 13 tons, net around 10 tons (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
• Operated out of Grand Haven, Michigan, under local fishing interests

Final Voyage & Incident

• On 27 October 1917, Ella W. encountered a violent fall gale while working her gear about 8 miles SSW of Manistique, MI
• The vessel foundered amid the storm, capsized or sank rapidly; three of her four-person crew were lost; only one survivor rescued (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, Wikipedia)

Disposition & Casualties

• Cause of Loss: Severe storm causing capsize or sinking while handling fishing gear
• Casualties: 3 of 4 aboard perished
• Rescue & Investigation: Survivor likely recovered by passing vessel or shore crew; no detailed rescue or inquiry records publicly available

Located By & Wreck Condition

• No modern rediscovery or documented survey
• Wreck presumed offshore in deep water near Manistique; likely lost to Lake Michigan’s depth and weather

Notices & Advisories

• No formal Notices to Mariners issued; loss recorded in regional fishing and vessel databases, including the Great Lakes Shipwreck Files (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)

Sources & Archival References

• Great Lakes Shipwreck Files – WordPress entry for “Ella W.”: confirms build, registry, dimensions, loss date, location, cause, and casualty count (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)

Summary Table

Attribute	Details
Vessel Name	Ella W.
Official No.	208090
Built	1906, Two Rivers, Wisconsin
Type	Powered gas screw fish tug
Dimensions	~30 × 10 × 4 ft, ~13 GRT / 10 NRT
Home Port	Grand Haven, Michigan
Date of Loss	27 October 1917
Loss Location	~8 mi SSW Manistique, Lake Michigan
Cause of Loss	Gale storm; foundered while handling gear
Crew Casualties	3 of 4 lost
Modern Rediscovery	None known

Research Gaps & Archival Suggestions

While the incident is recorded, additional details are lacking regarding:

• Crew names and survivor identity
• Ownership data, insurance or claim records
• Eyewitness or shore-based reports
• Local newspaper coverage from Grand Haven or Manistique (late October–November 1917)

Recommended research avenues include:

• HCGL (Bowling Green) accident and casualty registers covering 1917
• Regional newspapers: Manistique News, Grand Haven Tribune, Escanaba Daily Press
• Local Coast Guard or U.S. Lifesaving Service logs
• Fishing licenses, registration files, or harbor master records in Grand Haven

Conclusion

The fishing tug Ella W., built in 1906, was lost on 27 October 1917, about 8 miles SSW of Manistique during a fall gale. Of her four-person crew, only one survived. The vessel foundered while hauling gear, with shifting conditions and storm seas causing capsize. No dive or archaeological rediscovery has been recorded.

If you’d like assistance investigating crew identities, survivor testimony, or regional newspaper documentation, I can help guide targeted archival research.

ella-w-us-208090 1917-10-27 13:05:00