Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: H.F. BUES
- Type: Propeller tug (wooden)
- Year Built: 1873
- Builder: Wolf & Davidson, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Dimensions: Approx. 47 ft × 13 ft × 8 ft (approx. 14.3 m × 4.0 m × 2.4 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 25 g / 16 n tons
- Location: Middle Ground, Pelee Passage, Lake Erie (approximately 8 miles offshore)
- Official Number: 95346
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The H.F. BUES was a wooden propeller tug designed for dredging operations, primarily working in shallow waters.
Description
The H.F. BUES was constructed in 1873 and served as a support vessel for dredging operations in the Great Lakes. It was built with a wooden hull and powered by a steam engine.
History
Throughout its service, the H.F. BUES played a crucial role in canal and dredging operations, particularly in the strategically important Pelee Passage.
Significant Incidents
On 27 July 1910, while towing a dredge, the H.F. BUES encountered a sudden cyclone and foundered on the Middle Ground shoals. Remarkably, all four crew members survived the incident.
Final Disposition
The tug sank in deep water, and no documented wreckage location or dive surveys have been recorded. There are currently no active Notices to Mariners or charted hazard markers at the site.
Current Condition & Accessibility
The wreck of the H.F. BUES remains unlocated, and its condition is unknown. Accessibility for divers is not applicable as the wreck has not been found.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”h-f-bues-us-95346″ title=”References & Links”]
The loss of the H.F. BUES highlights the dangers posed by sudden storms to small wooden tugs during early 20th-century operations in the Great Lakes.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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