Shotline Diving

Connecting You to the Depths of the Great Lakes

Geraldine US 10154

Explore the wreck of the Geraldine, a wooden schooner that sank in Lake Erie after a collision in 1869. No lives were lost, but the wreck remains largely undocumented.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: Geraldine
  • Type: Wooden schooner (three-masted) with propeller assist
  • Year Built: 1851
  • Builder: Little & Wilson, New York
  • Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
  • Registered Tonnage: 232 tons
  • Depth at Wreck Site: 15.24 m / 50 ft
  • Location: Approximately 5 miles below 'The Cut', Long Point, Lake Erie, Ontario
  • Official Number: 10154
  • Original Owners: Captain McEwen at time of loss
  • Number of Masts: Three

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

Geraldine was a three-masted wooden schooner later rigged as a bark, part of mid-19th-century Great Lakes commercial fleets. She carried bulk cargoes (e.g. coal) and operated some hybrid propulsion features, as indicated by her listing as a “propeller wood” vessel.

Description

The vessel reportedly sank within five minutes of collision, going down by the head in approximately 50 feet of water. She was swiftly turned under tow toward shore and allowed the crew to abandon ship into a yawl, assisted by the schooner E.M. Portch which remained on scene until sinking had completed.

History

  • Built in 1851 at Little & Wilson in New York.
  • Registered out of Buffalo, her master and owner at time of loss was Captain McEwen.
  • On 18 October 1869, while carrying coal in heavy weather bound for Detroit, she collided at night with the schooner E.M. Portch off Long Point. The Portch stood by during the crew’s departure. Geraldine sank in under five minutes and went down by the bow in ~50 feet of water.
  • Prior to this sinking, she was likely the same vessel that went ashore as a bark on South Manitou Island, Lake Michigan, with severe damage reported on 12 November 1863, though she was apparently salvaged and repaired afterward.

Significant Incidents

  • No casualties reported; crew evacuated prior to sinking.

Final Disposition

The vessel was declared a total loss following rapid sinking after collision. No salvage activity is recorded, and unlike some wrecks, Geraldine was not known to be recovered or refloated.

Current Condition & Accessibility

  • There is no known modern archaeological survey or dive documentation of the wreck site.
  • No site plan, side-scan data, or dive report has been published. The wreck remains largely undocumented in contemporary underwater archaeology literature.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”geraldine-us-10154″ title=”References & Links”]

Geraldine, built in 1851, was a 232-ton wooden propeller-assisted schooner (later bark) that sank rapidly following a nighttime collision with the schooner E.M. Portch on 18 October 1869 in Lake Erie, off Long Point, while carrying coal from Buffalo to Detroit. The vessel sank within minutes; no lives were lost; crew were rescued by Portch. Previously she had gone ashore severely in 1863 at South Manitou Island, but was apparently repaired. The wreck lies in approximately 50 feet of water, remains un-surveyed, and no modern archaeological documentation exists. Additional archival research is encouraged to fill in crew, ownership, and incident details.

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.

Wooden Propeller Schooner – Lake Erie off Long Point, Ontario

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

Vessel Type Description

Geraldine was a three‑masted wooden schooner later rigged as a bark, part of mid‑19th-century Great Lakes commercial fleets. She carried bulk cargoes (e.g. coal) and operated some hybrid propulsion features, as indicated by her listing as a “propeller wood” vessel (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files).

Description

The vessel reportedly sank within five minutes of collision, going down by the head in approximately 50 ft of water. She was swiftly turned under tow toward shore and allowed the crew to abandon ship into a yawl, assisted by the schooner E.M. Portch which remained on scene until sinking had completed (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files).

History & Operational Chronology

  • Built in 1851 at Little & Wilson in New York.
  • Registered out of Buffalo, her master and owner at time of loss was Captain McEwen (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files).
  • On 18 October 1869, while carrying coal in heavy weather bound for Detroit, she collided at night with the schooner E.M. Portch off Long Point. The Portch stood by during the crew’s departure. Geraldine sank in under five minutes and went down by the bow in ~50 feet of water (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files).
  • Prior to this sinking, she was likely the same vessel that went ashore as a bark on South Manitou Island, Lake Michigan, with severe damage reported on 12 November 1863, though she was apparently salvaged and repaired afterward (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files).

Final Disposition

The vessel was declared a total loss following rapid sinking after collision. No salvage activity is recorded, and unlike some wrecks, Geraldine was not known to be recovered or refloated.

Located By & Survey Status

  • There is no known modern archaeological survey or dive documentation of the wreck site.
  • No site plan, side-scan data, or dive report has been published. The wreck remains largely undocumented in contemporary underwater archaeology literature.

Notices to Mariners & Advisories

  • No Notices to Mariners or navigational hazard advisories have been found referring to Geraldine’s loss.

Research Gaps & Recommendations

  • Crew roster (Master McEwen is known; crew details unlisted).
  • Ownership timeline and registry changes between 1851 and 1869.
  • Historical newspapers covering collision reports in late October 1869 (Buffalo/Detroit).
  • Possible insurance claims or court inquests regarding the collision.
  • Local cemetery or memorial records for crew (if any) in Buffalo or Long Point area.

Resources & References

  • Great Lakes Shipwreck Files – WordPress: Provides registry, build year, tonnage, collision summary, loss date, location, and associated vessels (E.M. Portch) (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, Facebook).

Keywords & Glossary

Great Lakes, wooden schooner, bark rig, collision sinking, coal cargo, Lake Erie, Long Point, Capt. McEwen, storm navigation, mid‑19th century shipping.

Summary

Geraldine, built in 1851, was a 232‑ton wooden propeller‑assisted schooner (later bark) that sank rapidly following a nighttime collision with the schooner E.M. Portch on 18 October 1869 in Lake Erie, off Long Point, while carrying coal from Buffalo to Detroit. The vessel sank within minutes; no lives were lost; crew were rescued by Portch. Previously she had gone ashore severely in 1863 at South Manitou Island, but was apparently repaired. The wreck lies in approximately 50 ft of water, remains un-surveyed, and no modern archaeological documentation exists. Additional archival research is encouraged to fill in crew, ownership, and incident details

geraldine-us-10154 1869-10-18 12:30:00