Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Jupiter
- Type: Wooden barge
- Year Built: Mid-19th century (specific year not recorded)
- Builder:
- Dimensions:
- Registered Tonnage:
- Location: Near Whitefish Point, Lake Superior
- Original Owners: Capt. E.B. Ward
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The Jupiter was a wooden barge, originally built in the mid-1800s for bulk cargo transportation. Such barges were constructed with stout oak frames, heavy planking, and minimal deck structures, designed to be towed in convoys by steam tugs across the Great Lakes.
Description
Typical of Ward’s barge fleet, Jupiter was built for carrying large quantities of iron ore from Lake Superior ports to lower lake steel mills. It would have featured a broad beam and shallow draft, with cargo holds reinforced to handle dense ore cargoes. As a towed barge, it did not carry its own propulsion system.
History
The Jupiter operated in the Lake Superior ore trade under the ownership of Capt. E.B. Ward, who controlled a large fleet of steamers and barges. In November 1872, Jupiter was paired with her sister vessel Saturn under tow by the steam tug John A. Dix. A severe late-season gale struck, forcing the tug to cut loose both barges to try to save itself.
Driven ashore by hurricane-force winds, Jupiter broke up on the shoals near Whitefish Point. All six crew members aboard were lost, reflecting the harsh conditions faced by barge crews, who often had no way to escape in a blow. The wreckage was scattered along the shoreline, with only portions of the hull ever documented.
Significant Incidents
- November 1872: Jupiter was lost during a severe gale, resulting in the loss of all six crew members.
Final Disposition
The Jupiter was a total loss, destroyed by pounding surf and ice after grounding. Wreckage remains were left embedded in the lakebed and are considered irrecoverable.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No formal discovery by modern divers or archaeologists has been reported. The wreckage is assumed to be fragmented and buried near Whitefish Point.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”jupiter” title=”References & Links”]
The loss of the Jupiter illustrates the vulnerability of unpowered barges to Great Lakes autumn storms. Her destruction near Whitefish Point, alongside the loss of six crew, highlights the perils faced by ore barges towed along Lake Superior in the 19th century. Jupiter‘s story is part of the broader narrative of industrial expansion — and tragic loss — in the early iron ore trades of the Great Lakes.
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.
Shipwreck Report: JUPITER
JUPITER (Mid-19th Century Build)
Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Vessel Name: Jupiter
- Type: Wooden barge
- Year built: Mid-19th century (specific year not recorded)
- Owner: Capt. E.B. Ward
- Cargo: Iron ore
- Date lost: November 1872
- Location: Near Whitefish Point, Lake Superior
- Crew: 6 lives lost
Vessel Type
The Jupiter was a wooden barge, originally built in the mid-1800s for bulk cargo transportation. Such barges were constructed with stout oak frames, heavy planking, and minimal deck structures, designed to be towed in convoys by steam tugs across the Great Lakes.
Description
Typical of Ward’s barge fleet, Jupiter was built for carrying large quantities of iron ore from Lake Superior ports to lower lake steel mills. It would have featured a broad beam and shallow draft, with cargo holds reinforced to handle dense ore cargoes. As a towed barge, it did not carry its own propulsion system.
History
The Jupiter operated in the Lake Superior ore trade under the ownership of Capt. E.B. Ward, who controlled a large fleet of steamers and barges. In November 1872, Jupiter was paired with her sister vessel Saturn under tow by the steam tug John A. Dix. A severe late-season gale struck, forcing the tug to cut loose both barges to try to save itself.
Driven ashore by hurricane-force winds, Jupiter broke up on the shoals near Whitefish Point. All six crew members aboard were lost, reflecting the harsh conditions faced by barge crews, who often had no way to escape in a blow. The wreckage was scattered along the shoreline, with only portions of the hull ever documented.
Final Disposition
The Jupiter was a total loss, destroyed by pounding surf and ice after grounding. Wreckage remains were left embedded in the lakebed and are considered irrecoverable.
Located By & Date Found
No formal discovery by modern divers or archaeologists has been reported. The wreckage is assumed to be fragmented and buried near Whitefish Point.
Notmars & Advisories
None noted.
Resources & Links
- Great Lakes Shipwreck Research Foundation
- David Swayze Shipwreck File
Conclusion
The loss of the Jupiter illustrates the vulnerability of unpowered barges to Great Lakes autumn storms. Her destruction near Whitefish Point, alongside the loss of six crew, highlights the perils faced by ore barges towed along Lake Superior in the 19th century. Jupiter‘s story is part of the broader narrative of industrial expansion — and tragic loss — in the early iron ore trades of the Great Lakes.
Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms
- Wooden barge
- Iron ore
- Lake Superior
- Whitefish Point
- November storm
- 19th-century shipwreck
- E.B. Ward
- Great Lakes shipping
- Maritime disaster