Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: J.R. Sprankle
- Type: Oil screw (oil-powered vessel)
- Year Built: 1894
- Builder:
- Dimensions: Unknown
- Registered Tonnage:
- Location: Lake Erie
- Coordinates: Not recorded
- Original Owners: L.A. Wells Construction Company
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
A wooden or steel-hulled oil screw—i.e., a vessel powered by an internal combustion engine driving a propeller—commonly used in mid-20th-century Great Lakes service.
Description
Built in 1894, this small oil-powered vessel was likely employed in coastal cargo or fuel transport across Lake Erie. Precise dimensions, construction details, and appearance are not available in accessible records.
History
No further operational history is documented beyond ownership and loss. At the time of wreck, she was owned by L.A. Wells Construction Company and was lost during a severe gale. The incident details are briefly noted in the Great Lakes Shipwreck Files (“24 PM S”)(project.geo.msu.edu, wwmt.com, people.com, en.wikipedia.org).
Significant Incidents
- The J.R. Sprankle foundered in gale conditions and was abandoned as a total loss on November 21, 1956. No casualties were reported.
Final Disposition
The J.R. Sprankle foundered in gale conditions and was abandoned as a total loss on November 21, 1956. No casualties were reported.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Not located. There are no records of this vessel having been found, surveyed, or dived.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”j-r-sprankle-1894″ title=”References & Links”]
The J.R. Sprankle was a late-19th-century oil-powered screw vessel that succumbed to a November storm on Lake Erie in 1956. Little else is known about her construction or service history. Lost as a derelict during a gale, her wreck remains undocumented and undiscovered, typifying many small auxiliary vessels of the era that quietly disappeared into the murky depths of Great Lakes storms.
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: J. R. Sprankle
- Year Built: 1894
- Type: Oil screw (oil-powered vessel)
- Final Location: Lake Erie
- Date of Loss: November 21, 1956
- Depth of Wreck: Unknown (no surveyed data)
- Coordinates: Not recorded
- Discovered By: Not recorded
- Date of Discovery: Not recorded
Vessel Type
A wooden or steel-hulled oil screw—i.e., a vessel powered by an internal combustion engine driving a propeller—commonly used in mid-20th-century Great Lakes service.
Description
Built in 1894, this small oil-powered vessel was likely employed in coastal cargo or fuel transport across Lake Erie. Precise dimensions, construction details, and appearance are not available in accessible records.
History
No further operational history is documented beyond ownership and loss. At the time of wreck, she was owned by L. A. Wells Construction Company and was lost during a severe gale. The incident details are briefly noted in the Great Lakes Shipwreck Files (“24 PM S”)(project.geo.msu.edu, wwmt.com, people.com, en.wikipedia.org).
Final Disposition
The J. R. Sprankle foundered in gale conditions and was abandoned as a total loss on November 21, 1956. No casualties were reported.
Located By & Date Found
Not located. There are no records of this vessel having been found, surveyed, or dived.
Notmars & Advisories
None noted. The wreck is not charted or listed in modern Notices to Mariners.
Resources & Links
- Great Lakes Shipwreck Files – J. R. Sprankle oil screw entry
Conclusion
The J. R. Sprankle was a late-19th-century oil-powered screw vessel that succumbed to a November storm on Lake Erie in 1956. Little else is known about her construction or service history. Lost as a derelict during a gale, her wreck remains undocumented and undiscovered, typifying many small auxiliary vessels of the era that quietly disappeared into the murky depths of Great Lakes storms.
Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms
J. R. Sprankle, oil screw, Lake Erie, 1956 wreck, abandoned vessel, gale loss, L. A. Wells Construction Co., Great Lakes small vessel