No photo on file
Needs location
Emily B. Maxwell
Schooner (3-masted) · Lost 1909
Lost
31 Aug 1909
Cause
Weather
Lives lost
Not recorded
Depth
Not recorded
Reportedly lies near Cleveland harbor, Lake Erie.
Created 11 Aug 2026 Revised 25 Oct 2026 Last source added 8 Aug 2026 9 facts · 1 sources
Tombstone
Best value from the sources on record.
Type
Schooner (3-masted)
Hull
Wood
Builder
Hanson & Scove*, Manitowoc, WI as a schooner US#135536
Official no.
C112362
Dimensions
149 × 31 ft
Lost
31 Aug 1909
Cause
Weather
More from the record (2)
Loss narrative
Wrecked in a severe gale while en route to Cleveland to load sand for Port Hope, Ontario, ~early Oct 1909.
Status note
research_status auto-set to needs_location 2026-10-24 (was NULL; legacy shotline_wrecks import). Rule: canonical location present -> confirmed, else needs_location.
Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Emily B. Maxwell
- Type: Schooner (3-masted)
- Year Built: 1881
- Builder: Hanson & Scove
- Dimensions: 148.5 ft (45.26 m); Beam: 30.75 ft (9.38 m); Depth of hold: 10.58 ft (3.23 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 360.7
- Location: Off Cleveland breakwater
- Official Number: 135536 (U.S.); later Canadian C112362
- Number of Masts: 3
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Vessel Identification & Profile
- Name: Emily B. Maxwell
- Official Number: 135536 (U.S.); later Canadian C112362
- Year Built: 1881
- Vessel Type: Schooner (3-masted)
- Hull Material: Wood
- Decks: 1
Description
Construction & Dimensions
- Built At: Manitowoc, Wisconsin
- Builder: Hanson & Scove
- Length: 148.5 ft / 45.26 m
- Beam: 30.75 ft / 9.38 m
- Depth: 10.58 ft / 3.23 m
- Gross Tonnage: 360.7
- Net Tonnage: 342.67
History
Ownership History
- Initial Enrollment: November 8, 1881, Chicago, Illinois
- Later Canadian Enrollment: By 1904 (C112362), indicating transfer to Canadian registry
Operational History & Incidents
- 1884, Sept 12: Aground on Fitzwilliam Island, Georgian Bay, corn laden
- 1887, Sept 7: Dismasted near Duck Islands, Lake Huron
- 1894, Nov 9: Disabled and drifting near the Manistique River
- 1896, Sept 2: Involved in a collision off Waugoshance while carrying stone for Chicago; sank COL. ELLSWORTH; crew saved
- 1898, Oct 26: Lost sails and deckload on Lake Michigan
Significant Incidents
Final Voyage & Loss
- Date of Loss: August 31, 1909
- Final Location: Off Cleveland breakwater, Lake Erie
- Cause: Driven into the breakwater during a storm; vessel was torn apart and completely lost
- Casualties: Not specified; presumed none
Final Disposition
Historical Context & Significance
The Emily B. Maxwell exemplified late 19th-century Great Lakes schooner construction, operating in both U.S. and Canadian waters. Her long career and varied incidents illustrate the hazards of grain, stone, and general cargo trade across the inland seas. She met her end violently during a storm at a major commercial harbor.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Keywords and Categories
- Region: Lake Erie
- Vessel Type: Schooner
- Cause of Loss: Storm-driven collision with breakwater
- Material: Wood
- Period: 1881–1909
- Registry: U.S., later Canadian
- Hazards: Collision, storms, grounding
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”emily-b-maxwell-c-112362-us-135536″ title=”References & Links”]
Archival Sources & Research Leads
- Enrollment records, Chicago (1881)
- Canadian Registry (C112362)
- C. Patrick Labadie Collection
- Board of Lake Underwriters Marine Directory
- Regional newspapers (Cleveland, Aug–Sept 1909)
- U.S. & Canadian wreck reporting systems
🔒
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
Join Shotline to read more →Great Lakes Ships
greatlakeships.org vessel records: registry, build, ownership, loss.
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David Swayze Shipwreck File
Swayze Great Lakes shipwreck file and its source citations.
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BGSU Historical Collections of the Great Lakes
Great Lakes Vessels Index: registry, rig, name changes, owners, disposition.
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Marmus · Marine Museum of the Great Lakes
Ship lists held by the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes, Kingston: the Mills List (Canadian Coastal and Inland Steam Vessels, 1809–1930) and the Wallace List.
Nothing linked from Marmus
No record from this source is linked to this wreck yet.
Newspapers
Contemporary and later newspaper accounts.
Newspaper
Schooners Maxwell and Straubenzie — both wrecked on the same Cleveland sand-loading voyage, Oct 1909
What this source says
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Webpages
Club write-ups, dive-site pages and online compilations.
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Stewardship
Agencies and groups that look after wrecks: protection status, moorings and buoys, surveys and site files.
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Archives (Paperless)
Archival documents, registers, books and private collections.
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Photo gallery
Period photos, illustrations, site and survey imagery. Photos, files and video come from this wreck’s Paperless folder.
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Files
Original documents behind the sources. Same Paperless folder as photos and video.
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Video and 3D
Dive footage, ROV runs and 3D models, each with diver or surveyor credit.
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