Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Ellen Spry
- Type: Wooden two-masted cargo schooner
- Year Built: 1873
- Builder:
- Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
- Registered Tonnage: 1,100 tons
- Location: Deep water off the Manitou Islands, Lake Michigan
- Number of Masts: 2
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
A mid-sized wooden schooner purpose-built for bulk freight—most likely grain or coal trade. At time of loss she was laden with about 1,100 tons of coal and navigating Lake Michigan under adverse weather conditions.
Description
- Hull: Wooden, two-masted schooner
- Tonnage: Estimated 1,100 tons cargo capacity (coal)
- Cargo at Loss: Coal loaded aboard at departure port, intended for delivery before winter freezeback
Precise dimensions (length, beam, depth) and shipyard registry details have not been discovered in publicly accessible records.
History
Ellen Spry entered service in 1873. In November 1886 she was sailing with a substantial coal cargo toward Chicago when she sprang a leak off the Manitou Islands in Lake Michigan. Despite efforts, the vessel ultimately foundered and sank in deep water. No casualties were reported. Her crew was rescued by nearby vessels—most notably by the schooner H. M. Scove, which plucked survivors from the water shortly after she sank.
Significant Incidents
- Crew: Not named in surviving summaries
- Fatalities: None—crew rescued without loss of life
Final Disposition
- Cause: Likely hull breach or storm-stress leak leading to foundering in high seas
- Outcome: Vessel lost; cargo lost or dumped; crew rescued
- Environmental Conditions: Gale-force winds typical of Lake Michigan November storms likely accelerated sinking.
Current Condition & Accessibility
There are no known records of the Ellen Spry wreck having been located or investigated underwater. She sank in deep water off the Manitou Islands, and the site has not been mapped or surveyed by modern archaeological teams.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”ellen-spry-1873″ title=”References & Links”]
The schooner Ellen Spry, built in 1873, foundered on November 6, 1886, in a storm off the Manitou Islands while carrying about 1,100 tons of coal. She sprung a leak and sank in deep water; all crew were rescued by H. M. Scove. No wreck site is known, and technical specifics such as measurements, official number, or crew identities remain absent from accessible records. Focused archival research—particularly into enrollment logs, marine insurance records, and period newspapers—could fill in the gaps.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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