Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Julius D. Morton
- Type: Wooden bulk-freight barge
- Year Built: 1848
- Builder: A.C. Keating
- Dimensions: 167 ft × 26 ft × 11 ft; 472 tons
- Registered Tonnage: 472 tons
- Location: Approximately 6 mi southeast of Bar Point, Lake Erie
- Official Number: 45091
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Originally a passenger steamer, the J.D. Morton was repurposed in 1863 as a wooden bulk barge. Measuring 167 feet, she was designed for heavy lumber loads and commonly sailed in tow. Her construction—even as a barge—reflected mid-century innovation in vessel conversions.
Description
On 13 August 1873, while under tow of the propeller Sun alongside five other barges, J.D. Morton was laden with 250,000 board feet of lumber bound from Saginaw to Erie, Pennsylvania. During a storm near Bar Point, she broke loose, caught fire (suspected arson), and burned to the waterline. The captain, his wife, their daughter, and one sailor escaped in the yawl. Two sailors remained aboard and drowned.
History
The vessel burned to the waterline while afloat. She was considered a total loss at first but was later salvaged, rebuilt, and repurposed as a barge. Official registry indicates she returned as a working vessel after reconstruction.
Significant Incidents
- On 13 August 1873, the J.D. Morton caught fire during a storm, leading to the loss of two crew members.
- The fire was suspected to be arson.
Final Disposition
The vessel burned to the waterline while afloat. She was considered a total loss at first but was later salvaged, rebuilt, and repurposed as a barge. Official registry indicates she returned as a working vessel after reconstruction.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Nil return. No modern dive or sonar survey has identified remains. After being raised and rebuilt, her minimal wreck footprint was removed from the seafloor.
Resources & Links
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Julius D. Morton (1848–1873) began life as a passenger steamer, was later converted into a bulk lumber barge, and met disaster on 13 August 1873 when she broke loose, caught fire, and burned after being torn from her tow near Bar Point. Tragically, two of six men aboard drowned, while the captain and family escaped in a yawl. Raised and returned to service, she left no wreck behind.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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