Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: FORTUNE
- Type: Schooner
- Year Built: 1876
- Builder:
- Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
- Registered Tonnage: Not recorded (typical schooner of the era likely 100–300 tons)
- Location: Shore of Lake Erie (near Buffalo, NY area)
- Number of Masts: 2–3 (standard for schooners of that trade, but not explicitly recorded)
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Vessel Type Description
FORTUNE was a typical wooden schooner engaged in the lakes lumber and forest products trade. “Elm bolts” were a common cargo on the lakes, as these cut-to-length timber billets were shipped to cooperages for barrel staves or furniture making. Schooners like FORTUNE were the backbone of regional bulk trade, particularly before the spread of steel bulk carriers.
Description
History
FORTUNE was launched in 1876 and served for eight years in the cross-lake timber trade. On October 23, 1884, while bound for Buffalo, she encountered a severe storm on Lake Erie. Driven ashore and grounded, she quickly broke up into three pieces under wave action. Her owners abandoned the wreck to insurers as a constructive total loss, with no reported fatalities.
History
Final Disposition
Wrecked, broken up, and abandoned on Lake Erie on October 23, 1884.
Significant Incidents
- Wrecked during a storm on October 23, 1884.
- Abandoned as a total loss by her insurers.
Final Disposition
Wrecked, broken up, and abandoned on Lake Erie on October 23, 1884.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No known wreckage remains, given its total breakup and abandonment in 1884.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”fortune-1876″ title=”References & Links”]
FORTUNE’s loss illustrates the vulnerability of the wooden schooner fleet to sudden storms on Lake Erie, especially when heavily laden with timber cargo. Such wrecks are part of the broader history of timber commerce on the Great Lakes in the late 19th century.
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: FORTUNE
- Year Built: 1876
- Vessel Type: Schooner
- Hull Material: Wood
- Number of Decks: 1
- Dimensions
- Length, Beam, Depth: Not fully recorded
- Tonnage: Not recorded (typical schooner of the era likely 100–300 tons)
- Number of Masts: 2–3 (standard for schooners of that trade, but not explicitly recordedd
- Final Disposition
- Final Location: Shore of Lake Erie (near Buffalo, NY area)
- Date Lost: October 23, 1884
- How Lost: Driven aground and wrecked during a storm
- Final Cargo: Elm bolts (cut timber for cooperage and manufacturing)
- Notes: Broken in three pieces and abandoned as a total loss by her insurers
Vessel Type Description
FORTUNE was a typical wooden schooner engaged in the lakes lumber and forest products trade. “Elm bolts” were a common cargo on the lakes, as these cut-to-length timber billets were shipped to cooperages for barrel staves or furniture making. Schooners like FORTUNE were the backbone of regional bulk trade, particularly before the spread of steel bulk carriers.
History
FORTUNE was launched in 1876 and served for eight years in the cross-lake timber trade. On October 23, 1884, while bound for Buffalo, she encountered a severe storm on Lake Erie. Driven ashore and grounded, she quickly broke up into three pieces under wave action. Her owners abandoned the wreck to insurers as a constructive total loss, with no reported fatalities.
Final Disposition
Wrecked, broken up, and abandoned on Lake Erie on October 23, 1884.
NOTMARs & Advisories
None noted.
Located By & Date
Not documented as found; presumed destroyed.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No known wreckage remains, given its total breakup and abandonment in 1884.
Resources & Links
• David Swayze Shipwreck File
• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• Bowling Green State University Vessels Database
Conclusion
FORTUNE’s loss illustrates the vulnerability of the wooden schooner fleet to sudden storms on Lake Erie, especially when heavily laden with timber cargo. Such wrecks are part of the broader history of timber commerce on the Great Lakes in the late 19th century.
Keywords: Lake Erie, schooner, timber cargo, elm bolts, 19th-century shipwreck, wooden sailing vessel
fortune-1876 1884-10-23 14:44:00