Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Emma A. Mayes
- Type: Wooden schooner-barge (twin-masted)
- Year Built: 1871
- Builder: Philander Lester
- Dimensions: 169.9 ft (51.8 m); Beam 30.5 ft; Depth of hold 9.9 ft
- Registered Tonnage: 429 gross tons
- Depth at Wreck Site: 164.59 m / 540 ft
- Location: Approximately 7 miles off Grand Island, Lake Superior
- Official Number: 8722
- Number of Masts: 2
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The Emma A. Mayes was a wooden schooner-barge, characterized by its twin masts and designed primarily for the transportation of lumber and other cargo across the Great Lakes.
Description
Constructed in 1871 in Marine City, Michigan, the Emma A. Mayes was built by Philander Lester. It measured 169.9 feet in length, 30.5 feet in beam, and had a depth of hold of 9.9 feet. The vessel had a gross tonnage of 429 tons and was capable of carrying approximately 80,000 board feet of lumber.
History
Launched in May 1871, the Emma A. Mayes was primarily used in the lumber trade, operating out of Detroit and Bay City. It functioned mainly as a sailing barge towed by steam tugs across the Great Lakes. Notable incidents during its operational history include surviving a gale in 1875 while in tow of the propeller Equinox, which sank, and being towed by the tug Music in 1884.
Significant Incidents
- 1875 (Sep 10): In tow of propeller Equinox during a gale; Equinox sank with loss of life, but Emma A. Mayes survived.
- 1884 (May 9): In tow by tug Music in Lake Superior.
Final Disposition
The Emma A. Mayes sank on May 10, 1884, while en route from Bay City to Port Arthur. The vessel was towed by the tug Music when it struck an ice floe due to an ice jam near Grand Island, resulting in a rapid sinking in approximately 90 fathoms (about 540 feet) of water. The cargo at the time of sinking included 850 tons of stove coal. Fortunately, the crew survived, and there are no records of loss of life.
Current Condition & Accessibility
The wreck of the Emma A. Mayes is located approximately 7 miles off Grand Island in Lake Superior, resting at a depth of around 540 feet. The site is deep and unpenetrable by divers, and the wreck is likely fully intact but inaccessible. There is no record of salvage, and it is presumed to be untouched and buried in deep freshwater.
Resources & Links
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The sinking of the Emma A. Mayes serves as a significant historical event, illustrating the risks associated with ice hazards for tow vessels and barges in Lake Superior during the spring run-offs. Its loss, along with a substantial coal cargo, highlights the early industrial logistical operations on the Great Lakes.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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