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.

(schooner, built 1873 – lost December 4, 1891, Lake Michigan)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: H. M. Scove
• Build: 1873, Hanson & Scove shipyard, Manitowoc, Wisconsin
• Type: 305‑ton, three‑masted wooden schooner (lumber cargo trade) (Wisconsin Shipwrecks)
• Official Number: (Not explicitly stated in summary sources) (Wisconsin Shipwrecks)
• Loss Date: December 4, 1891
• Loss Location: Stranded on shoal between Plum and Detroit Islands, just south of Washington Island, Door County peninsula, western Lake Michigan (Wisconsin Shipwrecks)

Vessel Type & Cargo

A three‑masted schooner employed in lumber hauling. On her final voyage she was en route from Pine Lake to Milwaukee carrying a load of wood when disaster struck. (Wisconsin Shipwrecks)

History & Final Voyage

Departing Pine Lake for Milwaukee, H. M. Scove encountered a sudden southerly gale on December 4, 1891. The storm drove her significantly off course, and she stranded on the reef between Plum and Detroit Islands in rugged Door County waters. (Wisconsin Shipwrecks)

While in tow behind the tug Stranger, she broke away from the tug Alanson Sumner, further exposing her to storm and grounding hazards. (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)

Crew & Casualties

• Crew: Six aboard at time of incident
• Rescue: Entire crew survived—rescued by the schooner H. M. Scove in tow of Stranger, which recovered the crew and even one sailor’s dog that had clung to the wreck for over 20 hours. (Military Wiki, Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)

Final Disposition

• Outcome: H. M. Scove went to pieces and burned after salvage lantern caught fire on the wreck—total loss. (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, Wisconsin Shipwrecks)
• Master: Capt. Bunting
• Owners: Elioen W. Hudson & H. L. Brown of Detroit (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)

Located By & Date Found

The wreck remains buried or broken near the reef shoal between Plum and Detroit Islands. While the location is known, it is not formally recorded in Wisconsin Historical Society’s wreck registry and no detailed archaeological survey appears to exist. (Wisconsin Shipwrecks

Notices to Mariners & Advisories

No official Notices to Mariners or hazard bulletins are recorded in public summaries. Given the vessel’s grounding on near-shore shoals and its total loss, no formal notice beyond local salvage attempts appears to have been issued.

Resources & References

• Wisconsin Shipwrecks — H. M. Scove entry: reconstructs final voyage, crew rescue, ownership, and loss condition. (Wisconsin Shipwrecks)
• Great Lakes Shipwreck Files (S‑list entry): provides narrative and detail about breaking tow, rescue by Stranger, master and owner information. (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)

Summary

H. M. Scove, a 305‑ton three‑masted schooner built in 1873, foundered in a storm on December 4, 1891, while carrying lumber from Pine Lake to Milwaukee. Caught in a severe southerly gale, she broke tow and stranded on shoals between Plum and Detroit Islands. Her entire crew of six survived, rescued after clinging to the wreck—and even the ship’s dog was saved. The wreck ultimately burned and was abandoned. Her final resting location is known in general, though no formal dive or site surveys have been recorded.

If desired, I can help locate historical maps for the reef site, propose field surveys for fastener fragments or timbers, or pursue archival insurance and maritime board records for technical documentation.

h-m-scove-1873 1891-12-04 18:14:00