Espindola US 8792

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Espindola
• Type: Wooden-hulled, single-deck schooner
• Year Built: 1869
• Builder: P. Lawson
• Dimensions: Approx. 60 ft × 19 ft × 6 ft (18.3 m × 5.8 m × 1.8 m); gross tonnage ~54 ft
• Registered Tonnage: ~54 ft
• Location: About 1 mile north of the Chicago waterfront
• Official Number: 8792
• Original Owners: Henry Peddendruck of Milwaukee
• Number of Masts: 1

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

A small, single-masted schooner typical of the mid-19th century, often used in the timber trade for hauling rail ties and other lumber products across the Great Lakes.

Description

The Espindola had a shallow-draft wooden hull, a single deck, and one mast. She was rigged for sail, with ample capacity for lumber. On her last voyage, she was overloaded with ice in addition to cargo, which compromised her stability.

History

Built in Manitowoc in 1869, she was later owned by Henry Peddendruck of Milwaukee and skippered by him on her final voyage. Espindola sailed from Grand Haven, Michigan, bound for South Chicago with a cargo of railroad ties.

On 10 April 1882, after battling a gale the entire crossing, she struck bottom off 18th Street, Chicago. The ice-laden deck contributed to her capsizing. The tug George B. McClellan came to her aid, rescuing three men and a boy aboard. Shortly thereafter, the schooner drifted southward and broke apart.

Significant Incidents

• 10 April 1882: Espindola capsized after striking bottom off 18th Street, Chicago, during a gale.
• The vessel was overloaded with ice and cargo, contributing to her instability.
• The tug George B. McClellan rescued three men and a boy from the capsized vessel.

Final Disposition

After capsizing and drifting, the vessel disintegrated in open water. No part of the hull remained intact, and the wreckage was entirely lost to the lake.

Current Condition & Accessibility

There have been no archaeological surveys or modern rediscoveries of Espindola’s remains. Given the dynamic shoreline and heavy break-up, any remnants are unlikely to be intact or accessible for diving.

Resources & Links

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The Espindola case highlights the compounded dangers of ice accumulation and springtime storms on small lake schooners. Launched in 1869, her career ended when overloaded with cargo and ice, capsizing near Chicago. Her crew survived—a testament to effective rescue operations—but the vessel was shattered, leaving no known remains for maritime archaeology.