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 at loss: John Rice (no previous names recorded)
• Official Number: 12783 (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
• Build Info: Wooden schooner, originally built in 1860 by Rice & McDole at Newport, Michigan. Registered 107 × 23 × 8 ft (154 gross / 147 net tons) (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
• Date of Loss: 3 July 1893
• Approximate Location: ~40 miles off Thunder Bay Island, Lake Huron (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
• Loss Type: Storm‑related foundering, capsized
• Cargo: Trap‑net stakes (fishing equipment) (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
• Crew: None lost

Vessel Type

A two‑masted wooden schooner, typical of mid‑19th‑century Great Lakes sailers engaged in light freight and fisheries‑related trades such as hauling trap‑net stakes for commercial fishing (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files).

Description

Constructed as a narrow‑beam sailing vessel fitted for freight and gear transport. At around 107 ft in length and 23 ft beam, rigged schooner‑style, she was suitable for carrying spars, equipment, and light cargoes into fisheries or small ports of Lake Huron’s northern waters.

History

• Built in 1860 at Newport, MI, by local builders Rice & McDole, the schooner served regional trades along Lake Huron.
• Owned and operated out of Chicago for much of her career, according to registry and loss entry (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files).
• On 3 July 1893, while carrying trap‑net stakes, the vessel was approximately 40 miles off Thunder Bay Island, when she sprang a leak during fine weather. This led to sudden waterlogging and capsize, resulting in total loss (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files).

Final Disposition

• No lives were lost; the entire crew survived despite the capsize. No formal rescue details are recorded.
• The schooner capsized and foundered, sinking completely without public salvage record or later rediscovery. The wreck site has not been surveyed or documented by modern underwater exploration.

Notmars & Advisories

• No Notices to Mariners or hazard bulletins are documented in the primary listings.
• The record originates from Swayze’s archive (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files) and cross‑validated registry data (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files).

Historical Significance

• The loss of John Rice illustrates the unpredictability of small cargo vessels operating on the Huron frontier of the 1890s. Even in calm conditions, severe structural failures caused rapid sinking.
• Her cargo—trap‑net stakes—emphasizes the interdependence of maritime transport and the commercial fishery economy in the northern Great Lakes.
• The survival of the crew despite cold waters speaks to both seamanship and hardship in canal‑era shipping industries.

Research Gaps & Further Investigation

To enrich historical understanding or aid possible identification of the wreck:

• Investigate local weather data and logbooks near Thunder Bay Island for incident confirmation or storm events around 3 July 1893.
• Search Chicago newspapers and ship registry logs (May–August 1893) for departure records under the name John Rice.
• Review U.S. Life‑Saving Service or Coast Guard records for possible reports of capsized crew or debris washing ashore.

Resources & References

• Great Lakes Shipwreck Files: Entry for JOHN RICE, capsized with trap-net stakes, 3 July 1893, Lake Huron (no lives lost) (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, nmssanctuaries.blob.core.windows.net)
• Registry data confirming build year 1860, dimensions, and official number 12783 (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
• Description of trap-net gear type prevalent in Great Lakes fisheries in late‑19th century (nmssanctuaries.blob.core.windows.net)

Keywords & Categories

Wooden schooner, storm capsized, trap-net cargo, Lake Huron, 1893 shipwreck, no fatalities, Chicago‑based schooner, fishing equipment transport

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