Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Glad Tidings
- Type: Wooden schooner (yacht-converted cargo vessel)
- Year Built: 1883
- Builder: James Butler, Manitowoc, WI
- Dimensions: 59.6 ft (18.17 m) length; 20 ft (6.10 m) beam; 6.4 ft (1.95 m) depth
- Registered Tonnage: 45 gross tons (later 75–81 gross tons after rebuild)
- Location: Near Fighting Island, Detroit River
- Coordinates: Unknown
- Official Number: 85788
- Original Owners: Henry Bundy (original); John Mullerweiss & Co. (1888); B.B. Inman (1893)
- Number of Masts: 2
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The Glad Tidings was a wooden schooner originally designed as a yacht but converted for use in cargo trade. Built in Manitowoc, WI in 1883, she carried two masts and was lightly built, suited to both pleasure and commercial use. Throughout her service life she was lengthened and rebuilt for merchandise and lumber transport, reflecting the adaptability of Great Lakes schooners.
Description
The Glad Tidings was a wooden schooner originally designed as a yacht but converted for use in cargo trade. Built in Manitowoc, WI in 1883, she carried two masts and was lightly built, suited to both pleasure and commercial use. Throughout her service life she was lengthened and rebuilt for merchandise and lumber transport, reflecting the adaptability of Great Lakes schooners.
History
The vessel was the third of Captain Henry Bundy’s so-called “Gospel Ships,” built at a cost of $4,700. Initially intended for passenger and light cargo routes between Chicago, Georgian Bay, Detroit, and Cleveland, she entered service in 1883. By 1887 she was in operation along the Lake Superior south shore.
In November 1888, she was sold to John Mullerweiss & Co. of Alpena, MI, after which Bundy pursued steam vessel operations. Rebuilt at Alpena in 1889, her length was increased by 20 feet, raising her tonnage from 45 to about 75 gross tons. By 1890–1893 she was owned by B.B. Inman of Duluth, MN, where she alternated between lumber, stone, and excursion service. She was repaired after a beaching at Cleveland in 1893 and adapted for passenger excursions.
Significant Incidents
- On 29 July 1894, while engaged in the stone trade between Kelly’s Island, OH and Detroit, MI, Glad Tidings collided with the whaleback steamer Pathfinder near Fighting Island in the Detroit River. The schooner sank rapidly, taking all four crew with her. The collision was a total loss, marking the end of her 11-year career.
Final Disposition
No confirmed wreck location or salvage documented. Presumed broken up in the riverbed near Fighting Island.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Access: Not dive-accessible (wreck not located)
Entry Point: N/A
Conditions: Detroit River—strong currents, poor visibility
Depth Range: Variable; likely shallow (<50 ft)
Emergency Contacts: USCG Sector Detroit
Permits: Not applicable
Dive Support: Not applicable
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”glad-tidings-us-85788″ title=”References & Links”]
Four crew lost; names not documented in accessible records. Further research required in Detroit and Kelly’s Island newspapers from late July 1894. Possible leads in Alpena and Duluth records.
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
Other Names: None
Official Number: 85788
Registry: United States
Vessel Type: Wooden schooner (yacht-converted cargo vessel)
Builder: James Butler, Manitowoc, WI
Year Built: 1883
Dimensions: 59.6 ft (18.17 m) length; 20 ft (6.10 m) beam; 6.4 ft (1.95 m) depth
Tonnage: 45 gross tons (later 75–81 gross tons after rebuild)
Cargo on Final Voyage: Stone
Date of Loss: 29 July 1894
Location: Near Fighting Island, Detroit River
Coordinates: Unknown
Depth: Likely shallow (Detroit River)
Home Port: Chicago, IL (initial); later Alpena, MI; Duluth, MN
Owners: Henry Bundy (original); John Mullerweiss & Co. (1888); B.B. Inman (1893)
Crew: 4
Casualties: 4 (all hands lost)
Description
The Glad Tidings was a wooden schooner originally designed as a yacht but converted for use in cargo trade. Built in Manitowoc, WI in 1883, she carried two masts and was lightly built, suited to both pleasure and commercial use. Throughout her service life she was lengthened and rebuilt for merchandise and lumber transport, reflecting the adaptability of Great Lakes schooners.
History
The vessel was the third of Captain Henry Bundy’s so-called “Gospel Ships,” built at a cost of $4,700. Initially intended for passenger and light cargo routes between Chicago, Georgian Bay, Detroit, and Cleveland, she entered service in 1883. By 1887 she was in operation along the Lake Superior south shore.
In November 1888, she was sold to John Mullerweiss & Co. of Alpena, MI, after which Bundy pursued steam vessel operations. Rebuilt at Alpena in 1889, her length was increased by 20 feet, raising her tonnage from 45 to about 75 gross tons. By 1890–1893 she was owned by B.B. Inman of Duluth, MN, where she alternated between lumber, stone, and excursion service. She was repaired after a beaching at Cleveland in 1893 and adapted for passenger excursions.
Final Dispositions
On 29 July 1894, while engaged in the stone trade between Kelly’s Island, OH and Detroit, MI, Glad Tidings collided with the whaleback steamer Pathfinder near Fighting Island in the Detroit River. The schooner sank rapidly, taking all four crew with her. The collision was a total loss, marking the end of her 11-year career.
Located By & Date Found
No confirmed wreck location or salvage documented. Presumed broken up in the riverbed near Fighting Island.
Notmars & Advisories
None noted; wreckage likely dispersed or buried in river sediments.
Dive Information
Access: Not dive-accessible (wreck not located)
Entry Point: N/A
Conditions: Detroit River—strong currents, poor visibility
Depth Range: Variable; likely shallow (<50 ft)
Emergency Contacts: USCG Sector Detroit
Permits: Not applicable
Dive Support: Not applicable
Crew & Casualty Memorials
Four crew lost; names not documented in accessible records. Further research required in Detroit and Kelly’s Island newspapers from late July 1894. Possible leads in Alpena and Duluth records.
Documented Statements & Extracts
“Glad Tidings … sank in collision with the whaleback steamer Pathfinder near Fighting Island; all four crew lost.” — David Swayze, Great Lakes Shipwreck File
Registry, Enrollment & Insurance Trails
Official Number: 85788. Enrolled at Port Huron, MI (1889) after rebuild; later at Duluth, MN under B.B. Inman. No insurance record located.
Site Documentation & Imaging
No NOAA or archaeological survey documented. Likely remains buried or destroyed in Detroit River traffic zone.
Image Gallery
Resources & Links
- David Swayze Great Lakes Shipwreck File
- Great Lakes Vessels Database (BGSU/HCGL)
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
References
- David Swayze, Great Lakes Shipwreck File
- Bowling Green State University, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes
NOAA Shipwreck Record Card
Other Names: None
Official Number: 85788
Coordinates: Unknown
Depth: Presumed shallow (<50 ft)
Location Description: Near Fighting Island, Detroit River
Vessel Type: Schooner
Material: Wood
Dimensions: 59.6 x 20 x 6.4 ft (later lengthened)
Condition: Presumed destroyed or buried
Cause of Loss: Collision with Pathfinder
Discovery Date: Not discovered
Discovered By: Not applicable
Method: Not applicable
Legal Notes: Enrollment records at Port Huron and Duluth
Hazards: None noted
Permits Required: Not applicable
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