Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: L. May Guthrie
- Type: scow-schooner
- Year Built: 1874
- Builder:
- Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
- Registered Tonnage:
- Location: Fisherman Shoal, Lake Michigan
- Original Owners: Possibly owned by A. G.
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
- A wooden scow-schooner, adapted for transporting bark and lumber in shallow draft operations. Built as a type commonly used on lakes and rivers for industrial freight. (Wisconsin Shipwrecks)
Description
- Constructed of timber, scow-schooner rig, shallow draft. No exact dimensions or tonnage recorded in summary indexes—probably modest (under ~100 tons), typical for bark-pack scows of that era. (Wisconsin Shipwrecks, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences)
History
- Operational use: Regularly used in bark hauling routes, including runs toward Kenosha, WI. On September 26, 1894, while en route to Kenosha she encountered a southeast gale that drove her off course near Fisherman Shoal offshore. A last-minute attempt to tack failed; she grounded on the shoal and was stranded. (Wisconsin Shipwrecks)
- Crew & casualties: Five aboard; none lost. Crew were rescued after grounding and the vessel later broke up in the storm. (Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Wisconsin Shipwrecks)
- Owner: Not named explicitly in summaries (catalog lists “Owned by A. G.” possibly signal owner’s initials). (Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Wisconsin Shipwrecks)
Significant Incidents
- Grounded during a severe southeast gale on September 26, 1894, leading to total loss of the vessel.
- All five crew members were rescued, with no casualties reported.
Final Disposition
- Loss details: Grounded and damaged beyond repair in the gale; subsequently abandoned and broke up. Total loss. (Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences)
Current Condition & Accessibility
- No known modern wreck identification or dive surveys have been logged. The wreck site at Fisherman Shoal remains undocumented in commercial or academic databases (e.g. NOAA Thunder Bay, 3DShipwrecks). Condition and exact remains unknown.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”l-may-guthrie-1874″ title=”References & Links”]
- The L. May Guthrie serves as a reminder of the perils faced by vessels on the Great Lakes, particularly during severe weather conditions. Further research and exploration may uncover more about this lost scow-schooner.
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.
(built 1874; lost September 26, 1894)
Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: L. May Guthrie, scow‑schooner
- Year built: 1874 (registered as a varnished industrial workboat; later used for bark/lumber) (Wisconsin Shipwrecks)
- Loss date: September 26, 1894 (Wisconsin Shipwrecks)
- Lake: Lake Michigan (vicinity of Fisherman Shoal, Wisconsin) (Wisconsin Shipwrecks)
- Circumstances: Grounded during a severe southeast gale, then lost. Crew of five were rescued. She was carrying bark. (Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences)
Vessel Type
- A wooden scow‑schooner, adapted for transporting bark and lumber in shallow draft operations. Built as a type commonly used on lakes and rivers for industrial freight. (Wisconsin Shipwrecks)
Description
- Constructed of timber, scow‑schooner rig, shallow draft. No exact dimensions or tonnage recorded in summary indexes—probably modest (under ~100 tons), typical for bark‑pack scows of that era. (Wisconsin Shipwrecks, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences)
History
- Operational use: Regularly used in bark hauling routes, including runs toward Kenosha, WI. On September 26, 1894, while en route to Kenosha she encountered a southeast gale that drove her off course near Fisherman Shoal offshore. A last-minute attempt to tack failed; she grounded on the shoal and was stranded. (Wisconsin Shipwrecks)
- Crew & casualties: Five aboard; none lost. Crew were rescued after grounding and the vessel later broke up in the storm. (Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Wisconsin Shipwrecks)
- Owner: Not named explicitly in summaries (catalog lists “Owned by A. G.” possibly signal owner’s initials). (Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Wisconsin Shipwrecks)
Final Disposition
- Loss details: Grounded and damaged beyond repair in the gale; subsequently abandoned and broke up. Total loss. (Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences)
Located By & Survey Information
- No known modern wreck identification or dive surveys have been logged. The wreck site at Fisherman Shoal remains undocumented in commercial or academic databases (e.g. NOAA Thunder Bay, 3DShipwrecks). Condition and exact remains unknown.
Notmars & Advisories
- No later Notices to Mariners or hazard bulletins referencing the site; the wreck was not marked as a navigation hazard.
Resources & Links
- The Great Lakes Shipwreck Files (G‑section) summary acknowledging grounding in a storm and rescue of crew — confirming bark cargo and date of loss (Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
- WisconsinShipwrecks.org entry for L. May Guthrie giving narrative of the grounding at Fisherman Shoal and crew survival (Wisconsin Shipwrecks)
- Wrecksite.eu entry (ID 321609) corroborating vessel’s date, location and storm context (wrecksite.eu)
Research Gaps & Recommendations
- Exact vessel metrics: Dimensions, official number, tonnage and buildyard remain unrecorded in accessible summaries. Archival registry records (e.g., Wisconsin maritime registry, HCGL ship enrollment files) would be needed to clarify.
- Crew/Owner identification: The master’s name, crew list, and the full owner name recorded as “A. G.” are missing. Search in eyewitness local newspaper reports (e.g. Kenosha, Milwaukee press September 1894) may yield first‑hand accounts.
- Physical site survey: Fisherman Shoal lies just offshore of Kenosha; a targeted side-scan sonar or ROV dive may locate submerged hull remains on the shoal.
- Insurance or salvage records: Investigation in marine casualty logs or insurance filings circa late 1894 may supply additional documentation.
Summary Table
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | L. May Guthrie |
| Built | 1874 (scow-schooner, wooden) |
| Vessel Type | Scow-schooner |
| Cargo at loss | Bark |
| Loss Date | September 26, 1894 |
| Loss Location | Fisherman Shoal, Lake Michigan |
| Cause | Strong southeast gale; grounded and wrecked |
| Crew | 5 aboard; all rescued |
| Casualties | None |
| Fate | Abandoned; broke up |
| Wreck Located | Not identified |
| Data Gaps | Dimensions, owner name, crew manifest |