Emeline – Lake Michigan Schooner Shipwreck (1896)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Emeline
• Type: Schooner
• Year Built: 1862
• Builder: M. Williams
• Dimensions: Length: 111.4 ft (33.95 m); Beam: 21.7 ft (6.61 m); Depth of hold: 6.9 ft (2.10 m)
• Registered Tonnage: Gross Tonnage: 127.90 tons; Net Tonnage: 121 tons
• Location: Near Algoma, Wisconsin
• Official Number: 7492
• Original Owners: E. Kanters, Ferry & Sons, G. Patterson, J.H. Gale
• Number of Masts: Originally two masts, later changed to three

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

Emeline was a wooden-hulled Great Lakes schooner originally rigged with two masts (later changed to three), typical of cargo vessels used extensively across the lakes for general freight transport during the mid-to-late 19th century.

Description

Originally built in 1862, the schooner was modified multiple times to extend her service life:

• Initial Dimensions (pre-1864): Unknown
• Post-Lengthening (1864):
  • Length: 111.4 feet (33.95 metres)
  • Beam: 21.7 feet (6.61 metres)
  • Depth: 6.9 feet (2.10 metres)
  • Gross Tonnage: 127.90 tons
  • Net Tonnage: 121 tons

By 1871, she had been rerigged as a three-masted schooner, a common upgrade for additional sail power and cargo efficiency.

History

The Emeline had a complex and storied operational history:

• 1866: Owned by Ferry & Sons of Grand Haven, MI
• Dec 1867: Went aground 20 miles off Chicago, IL, in Lake Michigan
• May 1869: Collided with the propeller Passaic in Chicago harbour and sustained damage
• 1871: Owned by G. Patterson, Chicago, IL; now rigged with three masts
• 1872 & 1880: Underwent repairs, likely to hull and rigging
• 1876: Owned by J.H. Gale and associates, Chicago, IL
• Aug 8, 1896: Capsized and was driven ashore near Algoma, Wisconsin, during a storm — declared wrecked
• 1897: Partially broken up in spring
• 1903: Remaining wreckage dynamited, likely for navigational safety

Significant Incidents

• 1867: Grounding incident near Chicago
• 1869: Collision with the propeller Passaic
• 1896: Capsized during a storm near Algoma, WI

Final Disposition

Although not lost in a single catastrophic event, the Emeline was effectively wrecked in 1896, when it capsized and grounded near Algoma, WI. The deteriorating hulk remained visible and was subsequently dismantled and destroyed by dynamite in 1903, a common practice for removing wreck hazards from navigation lanes.

Current Condition & Accessibility

There is no known archaeological survey or preserved wreckage on record. The site near Algoma, WI, is presumed buried or scattered.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”emeline-us-7492″ title=”References & Links”]

The Emeline was a typical example of a durable 19th-century schooner that evolved with changing trade conditions. Despite suffering multiple groundings and collisions, she served for over 30 years until nature and age brought her career to a close. Her dynamiting in 1903 marks a practical, unsentimental end to a long-lived Great Lakes workhorse.