Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: H. A. Emery
- Type: Wooden two-masted schooner
- Year Built: 1887
- Builder: J. Kelly, West Bay City, Michigan
- Dimensions: 73 × 19 × 6 ft; 67 gt / 64 nt
- Registered Tonnage: 67 gt / 64 nt
- Location: Harbor Beach, Lake Huron, Michigan
- Official Number: 95913
- Number of Masts: 2
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The H. A. Emery was a wooden two-masted schooner, a common vessel type used for transporting cargo, particularly lumber, during the late 19th century.
Description
Built in 1887 by J. Kelly in West Bay City, Michigan, the H. A. Emery measured 73 feet in length, 19 feet in beam, and had a hold depth of 6 feet. It was registered at 67 gross tons and 64 net tons.
History
The H. A. Emery served primarily in the lumber trade, navigating the waters of the Great Lakes. Its construction as a schooner allowed it to effectively transport goods, particularly in the timber-rich regions of Michigan.
Significant Incidents
- Date of Incident: August 6, 1899
- Location: Harbor Beach, Lake Huron, Michigan
- Cargo: Lumber
- Circumstances: Attempted to enter the harbor during a storm but missed the entrance and foundered, grounding on the harbor bottom.
- Outcome: Declared a total loss, with both the vessel and cargo unrecoverable.
- Casualties: None reported — all hands survived the incident.
Final Disposition
After grounding, the H. A. Emery was scuttled to prevent further damage from pounding on the bottom. Salvage efforts commenced the next day but were unsuccessful. The vessel was stripped of usable components and abandoned by August 18, 1899, officially declared a total loss.
Current Condition & Accessibility
The likely site of the wreck is at the entrance to Harbor Beach harbor, probably in shallow water or on the harbor bottom. The wreck condition is presumed to be heavily degraded, with most salvageable material removed during immediate strip operations. No modern archaeological surveys or diving explorations are known to exist for this wreck.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”h-a-emery-us-95913″ title=”References & Links”]
The H. A. Emery serves as a reminder of the hazards faced by late 19th-century lumber schooners navigating narrow harbor entrances during storms. Its deliberate scuttling illustrates maritime practices to manage stranded vessels and provides a case study of shipwreck formation and abandonment protocols at the turn of the 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: H. A. Emery
- Official No.: 95913
- Type: Wooden two-masted schooner
- Built: 1887 by J. Kelly, West Bay City, Michigan
- Dimensions: 73 × 19 × 6 ft; 67 gt / 64 nt (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files entries) (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
Final Voyage & Loss
- Date of Incident: August 6, 1899
- Location: Harbor Beach, Lake Huron, Michigan
- Cargo: Lumber
- Circumstances: Attempted to enter the harbor during a storm but missed the entrance and foundered, grounding on the harbor bottom.
- Outcome: Declared a total loss, with both the vessel and cargo unrecoverable.
- Casualties: None reported — all hands survived the incident. (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
Final Disposition
- After grounding, H. A. Emery was scuttled to prevent further damage from pounding on the bottom.
- Salvage efforts commenced the next day but were unsuccessful. She was stripped of usable components and abandoned by August 18, 1899 — officially a total loss. (Wikipedia)
Wreck Condition & Archaeology
- Likely Site: Entrance to Harbor Beach harbor — probably in shallow water or on harbor bottom.
- Wreck Condition: Remains are likely heavily degraded logs and structural elements, with most salvageable material removed during immediate strip operations.
- Documentation Status: No modern archaeological surveys or diving explorations are known to exist for this wreck.
Significance
- Highlights the hazards of late 19th-century lumber schooners entering narrow harbor entrances during storms—a common risk on Lake Huron.
- The deliberate scuttling to prevent break-up illustrates maritime practices to manage stranded vessels.
- Provides a tangible case study of shipwreck formation and abandonment protocols at the turn of the century.
Key References
- Great Lakes Shipwreck Files – Describes grounding and scuttling at Harbor Beach, August 6, 1899 (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, Internet Archive, Facebook, Wikipedia)
- Wikipedia – List of shipwrecks in 1899 – Confirms timeline, location, loss details, and abandonment by August 18 (Wikipedia)
Recommended Next Steps
- Archival Research
- Examine local newspapers from early–mid August 1899: Harbor Beach Sentinel, Twining Tone, for incident and salvage reports.
- Official Documentation
- Locate U.S. Lifesaving Service and harbor master logs regarding grounding, scuttling, and salvage attempts.
- Access registry cancellation documents to confirm stripping and abandonment timeline.
- Wreck Survey Planning
- Conduct a shore-to-harbor survey, using side-scan sonar and magnetometer to detect wreckage on the harbor bottom.
- Plan diver reconnaissance once anomalies are identified.