Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Emma Blake
- Type: Scow-Schooner
- Year Built: 1868
- Builder: Blake, Conneaut, Ohio
- Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
- Registered Tonnage: 28 tons (reduced to 26 13/95 after 1871 rebuild)
- Location: Near the Toledo Railroad Pier, Cleveland Harbor, Lake Erie
- Official Number: US 36059
- Original Owners: W. Blake, later John Pierce
- Number of Masts: 2
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The Emma Blake was a two-masted wooden scow-schooner, a design particularly adapted to shallow-draft operations and suited for heavy bulk cargo. These vessels were often employed for localized transport on the Great Lakes, and their flat bottoms made them economical for small ports and industrial shoreline deliveries.
Description
Built in 1868 by shipbuilder Blake in Conneaut, Ohio, and originally owned by W. Blake, the Emma Blake served regional trade out of Lake Erie ports, contributing to local commerce with bulk freight hauling. She was modest in size and well-suited for operation along the shallow coastal waters of northern Ohio.
History
On October 17, 1870, the Emma Blake was caught in a violent Lake Erie storm off Cleveland. Driven against the Toledo railroad pier, she was stove in and sank rapidly. The suddenness of the wreck prevented crew escape, resulting in at least six fatalities—a total crew loss. This incident was one of several shipwrecks reported in the same storm.
Significant Incidents
- The Emma Blake was declared a total loss following her 1870 wreck.
- In 1871, she was raised, rebuilt, and re-enrolled under John Pierce, Cleveland.
- Her rebuilt tonnage was reduced slightly to 26 13/95 tons.
- Despite the rebuild, she was abandoned on September 30, 1883. Documentation was formally surrendered in Cleveland, Ohio.
Final Disposition
No modern survey or identification of wreckage has been made. The original wreck is presumed to be located in shallow waters near the Toledo pier, Cleveland Harbor, but remains unconfirmed and undocumented.
Current Condition & Accessibility
- Condition: Presumed disintegrated or buried near harbor infrastructure.
- Accessibility: No active dive site or protection designation.
- Status: Of historical interest only.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”emma-blake-emma-black-us-36059″ title=”References & Links”]
The Emma Blake‘s history is emblematic of the hundreds of small schooners that braved the Great Lakes during the 19th century. Her wreck, subsequent rebuild, and final abandonment illustrate the cyclical risk and recovery experienced by owners and crews of small working craft. The total crew loss in 1870 stands as a tragic moment in Cleveland’s maritime past, and the Emma Blake remains part of the lesser-known but essential narrative of Great Lakes commerce.
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.
Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name(s): Emma Blake, also recorded as Emma Black
- Type: Scow-Schooner
- Year Built: 1868
- Builder: Blake, Conneaut, Ohio
- Hull Material: Wood
- Decks: 1
- Tonnage (gross): 28 tons (reduced to 26 13/95 after 1871 rebuild)
- Final Location: Near the Toledo Railroad Pier, Cleveland Harbor, Lake Erie
- Date of Wreck: October 17, 1870
Vessel Type Description
The Emma Blake was a two-masted wooden scow-schooner, a design particularly adapted to shallow-draft operations and suited for heavy bulk cargo. These vessels were often employed for localized transport on the Great Lakes, and their flat bottoms made them economical for small ports and industrial shoreline deliveries.
Technical Specifications
- Length/Beam/Depth: Not recorded
- Gross Tonnage:
- Original: 28 tons
- Post-rebuild (1871): 26 13/95 tons
- Power: Sail
History
Built in 1868 by shipbuilder Blake in Conneaut, Ohio, and originally owned by W. Blake, the Emma Blake served regional trade out of Lake Erie ports, contributing to local commerce with bulk freight hauling. She was modest in size and well-suited for operation along the shallow coastal waters of northern Ohio.
The 1870 Storm and Total Loss
On October 17, 1870, the Emma Blake was caught in a violent Lake Erie storm off Cleveland. Driven against the Toledo railroad pier, she was stove in and sank rapidly. The suddenness of the wreck prevented crew escape, resulting in at least six fatalities—a total crew loss. This incident was one of several shipwrecks reported in the same storm.
Final Disposition
- The Emma Blake was declared a total loss following her 1870 wreck.
- In 1871, she was raised, rebuilt, and re-enrolled under John Pierce, Cleveland.
- Her rebuilt tonnage was reduced slightly to 26 13/95 tons.
- Despite the rebuild, she was abandoned on September 30, 1883. Documentation was formally surrendered in Cleveland, Ohio.
Located By & Date Found
- No modern survey or identification of wreckage has been made.
- The original wreck is presumed to be located in shallow waters near the Toledo pier, Cleveland Harbor, but remains unconfirmed and undocumented.
Notmars & Advisories
- None noted. No current marine warnings apply to the site.
Current Condition & Accessibility
- Condition: Presumed disintegrated or buried near harbor infrastructure.
- Accessibility: No active dive site or protection designation.
- Status: Of historical interest only.
Conclusion
The Emma Blake‘s history is emblematic of the hundreds of small schooners that braved the Great Lakes during the 19th century. Her wreck, subsequent rebuild, and final abandonment illustrate the cyclical risk and recovery experienced by owners and crews of small working craft. The total crew loss in 1870 stands as a tragic moment in Cleveland’s maritime past, and the Emma Blake remains part of the lesser-known but essential narrative of Great Lakes commerce.
Resources & Links
- Great Lakes Ships Database – BGSU
- David Swayze Shipwreck File
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
- Shipwreck Log – Alchemy Inc
Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms
- Keywords: Emma Blake, Emma Black, Cleveland Harbor shipwreck, scow-schooner, 19th-century vessel loss, Lake Erie storm, shipwreck abandonment
- Categories: Schooners, Storm wrecks, Lake Erie wrecks, Small craft losses
- Glossary: scow, gross tonnage, abandonment, stove in