Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: GOLDEN RULE
- Type: Not explicitly stated; likely a small sailing or steam vessel
- Year Built: 1884
- Builder: Not recorded
- Dimensions: Not specified
- Registered Tonnage: Not recorded
- Location: Lake Superior
- Coordinates: Not available
- Official Number: Not recorded in the usual Great Lakes ship registries
- Original Owners: Under command of Captain Plant
- Number of Masts: Not specified
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The exact type—whether steam-powered or sail-equipped—remains unclear. The name and era suggest a small trading or passenger vessel typical of late 19th-century Lake Superior traffic.
Description
Scant documentation exists beyond the entry: the GOLDEN RULE capsized during a storm on Lake Superior on 24 September 1884 (inferred), with Captain Plant aboard. Two lives were lost. No builder, registry, or ship dimensions are currently recorded. This loss aligns with numerous storm-related maritime tragedies on Lake Superior in the 1880s, known for unpredictable, violent weather during autumn months.
History
Without formal registry data, the vessel’s backstory remains elusive. Its final voyage from the port of Superior indicates commercial or regional passenger operations—perhaps transporting freight or people within the central Lake Superior corridor. Severe storms are a common hazard in Lake Superior during late September, and many ships without robust storm preparedness capsized in such conditions.
Significant Incidents
- Capsized in a storm on 24 September 1884.
- Two casualties reported.
Final Disposition
The GOLDEN RULE is presumed to rest underwater in an uncharted location of Lake Superior. No official coordinates, surveys, or archaeological records seem to exist.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No records for discovery, exploration, or deep-water archaeological study. The wreck remains “lost” in the sense of unlocated.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”golden-rule-1884″ title=”References & Links”]
The GOLDEN RULE, lost on 24 September 1884 with Captain Plant aboard and two lives lost, remains one of Lake Superior’s many unlocated storm casualties. Without builder data, dimensions, or coordinates, the vessel stands as a fragmentary yet human story of the region’s volatile navigation history.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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