Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Emma Banner
- Type: Schooner
- Year Built: 1889
- Builder: Gustafson
- Dimensions: 81 × 23 × 7 ft; 92 GRT / 88 NRT
- Registered Tonnage: 92 GRT / 88 NRT
- Location: 15 miles southeast of Point Sauble, Lake Michigan
- Official Number: 136065
- Original Owners: Christ Pederson, Milwaukee, WI
- Number of Masts: 2
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Emma Banner was a wooden schooner with one deck and two masts, built for coastal trade in the Great Lakes.
Description
The Emma Banner was constructed in 1889 at Onekama, Michigan, by Gustafson. It measured 81 feet in length, 23 feet in beam, and had a depth of 7 feet. The vessel was registered with a gross tonnage of 92 GRT and a net tonnage of 88 NRT.
History
At the time of its loss, the Emma Banner was owned by Christ Pederson of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It primarily functioned in the Great Lakes coastal trade, transporting bulk cargo such as bark.
Significant Incidents
- Final Voyage: On August 19, 1897, the Emma Banner was bound from Manistee, MI to Milwaukee, loaded with 109 cords of bark.
- Incident: The vessel capsized during a sudden squall on Lake Michigan.
- The crew managed to escape into the yawl and drifted at sea for 22 hours before being rescued by the steamer Fred Pabst.
- The damaged schooner was towed into Manistee Harbor by the tug Irma L. Wheeler but was ultimately abandoned due to its poor condition.
Final Disposition
The Emma Banner was officially located 15 miles southeast of Point Sauble, Lake Michigan, where it capsized and was later abandoned.
Current Condition & Accessibility
The wreck of the Emma Banner remains abandoned and is not known to have been salvaged or restored since its abandonment.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”emma-banner-us-136065″ title=”References & Links”]
Research opportunities include examining Captain Pederson’s log or insurance claims, as well as searching archives of local newspapers from August to September 1897 for first-person accounts and damage assessments.
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.
(two-masted schooner, 1889–1897)
- Official No.: 136065
- Built: 1889 at Onekama, Michigan by Gustafson
- Type: Wooden schooner with 1 deck, two masts
- Dimensions: 81 × 23 × 7 ft; 92 GRT / 88 NRT
Final Voyage & Capsize – August 19, 1897
- Voyage: Bound from Manistee, MI to Milwaukee; loaded with 109 cords of bark
- Incident: Capsized during a sudden squall on Lake Michigan
- The crew escaped into the yawl and drifted at sea for 22 hours, eventually reaching a position off Milwaukee, where they were rescued by the steamer Fred Pabst
- The damaged schooner was later towed into Manistee Harbor by the tug Irma L. Wheeler, but was abandoned due to her poor condition and never sailed again (linkstothepast.com, NOAA Institutional Repository, Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, Facebook, 2manitowoc.com)
Wreck Site
- Officially located 15 miles southeast of Point Sauble, Lake Michigan, where she capsized and was abandoned (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
Operational Context
- Owned at time of loss by Christ Pederson, Milwaukee, WI
- Functioned in Great Lakes coastal trade, carrying bark and similar bulk cargos
Source Verification
- Great Lakes Shipwreck Files – “BANNER, EMMA” entry with full capsizing narrative (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, Wikipedia)
- “History of the Great Lakes” maritime chronicle notes the August loss: “Schooner Emma Banner capsized in Lake Michigan.” (linkstothepast.com)
Summary Table
| Attribute | Description |
|---|---|
| Built | 1889, Onekama, MI |
| Tonnage | 92 GRT / 88 NRT |
| Final Voyage Dated | Aug 19, 1897 |
| Cargo | 109 cords bark |
| Event | Capsized in squall, crew drifted 22 hrs |
| Crew Rescue | Picked up by steamship Fred Pabst |
| Wreck Fate | Towed and abandoned at Manistee |
| Wreck Location | 15 mi SE of Point Sauble, Lake Michigan |
Additional Notes & Research Opportunities
- Capt. Pederson’s log or insurance claim file may provide further insights
- Searching Milwaukee Sentinel, Manistee News, or Chicago Tribune archives (Aug–Sep 1897) may reveal first-person crew accounts and damage assessments
- Tug Irma L. Wheeler logs might include tow reports or condition assessments of the vessel