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: Hazel R. Knight
• Built: 1919
• Type: Wooden-hulled propeller steam vessel
• Owner: Herbert E. Coe, New York, NY
• Loss Date & Location: November 17, 1927, on Lake Huron
• Incident: Collision with sidewheeler F. W. Sargent; sank and declared a total loss, with no fatalities. (“collision – none” category) (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, branchdistrictlibrary.org)

Vessel Type & Construction

• Propeller-driven wooden steamship—one of many small to mid-sized vessels used for freight or passenger service on Lake Huron during the early 20th century.
• Exact dimensions, tonnage, and engine details are currently undocumented but likely align with similar vessels built around 1919.

Operational History

• Active in Lake Huron trade from her commissioning (1919) until loss (1927).
• Operated by New York-based Herbert E. Coe—specific trade routes are unrecorded but likely involved regional freight service.

Final Collision & Sinking

• On November 17, 1927, Hazel R. Knight collided with the sidewheel steamer F. W. Sargent. The impact caused Hazel R. Knight to sink rapidly on Lake Huron.
• All crew survived; no casualties were reported. The incident resulted in the vessel being declared a total loss. (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)

Wreck Site & Condition

• Final resting place: Likely near the collision site on Lake Huron. Precise coordinates are not recorded.
• Expected wreck condition:
  • Sunk intact or nearly intact, given no fire or explosion was involved.
  • Remains likely include hull structure, machinery, and cargo.
  • Depth and environmental conditions remain unknown—could be submerged in either shallow coastal waters or deeper mid-lake basin.

Notices & Navigational Impact

• There is no record of Notices to Mariners regarding the sinking; the wreck was likely deemed a navigational hazard but not formally marked.

Sources & Archival Basis

• Great Lakes Shipwreck Files (“K” section) entry notes collision with F. W. Sargent, owned by Herbert E. Coe, sank with no fatalities. (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)

Research Gaps & Future Steps

Area	Recommended Action
Specifications & Design	Review 1919 enrollment records or builder registries for hull size, tonnage, and engine details.
Collision Details	Locate November 1927 Great Lakes newspapers (e.g. Bay City Times, Port Huron Daily Times) for eyewitness accounts, weather, collision conditions.
Operational Records	Investigate Herbert E. Coe’s shipping archives or registries for ownership documentation or logs.
Wreck Survey	Plan a side-scan sonar and/or ROV survey along possible collision routes in Lake Huron to map debris field and assess wreck condition.

Historical & Archaeological Significance

Hazel R. Knight represents an example of the smaller commercial steam vessels that supported Great Lakes trade before steel hulls predominated. Her well-documented sinking—with no loss of life—makes her an excellent candidate for archaeological survey, capable of providing insight into early 20th-century wooden steamship construction, mid-lake collision dynamics, and regional transport networks. Documenting her remains would add to the corpus of Lake Huron maritime heritage.

hazel-r-knight-1919 1927-11-17 12:56:00