Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: LAKE ERIE
- Type: Wooden Package Freighter
- Year Built: 1873
- Builder: Melancthon Simpson, St. Catharines, Ontario
- Dimensions: 136 ft (41.5 m); Beam: 23.4 ft (7.1 m); Depth of hold: 7.4 ft (2.3 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 729 gross tons, 464 net tons
- Location: Near Poverty Island, at the mouth of Green Bay, Lake Michigan
- Official Number: (Not Listed)
- Original Owners: Lake & River Steam Ship Co., Hamilton, Ontario
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Wooden Package FreighterDescription
The LAKE ERIE was a wooden-hulled package freighter, one of three sister ships, along with LAKE ONTARIO and LAKE MICHIGAN, built in St. Catharines, Ontario, in 1873 for the Lake & River Steam Ship Co. of Hamilton, Ontario. The vessel was powered by a single screw propeller, driven by an 80-horsepower steam engine built by Thomas Wilson & Co. of Dundas, Ontario. She was designed to transport general cargo and passengers, operating between Montreal, Chicago, Toronto, and St. Catharines.
In 1880, she was lengthened, increasing her cargo capacity, but this also affected her stability, which may have played a role in her loss.
History
On November 24, 1881, while navigating Lake Michigan near Poverty Island, LAKE ERIE was caught in a heavy blizzard with thick fog.
Amid the poor visibility, she collided with the propeller steamer NORTHERN QUEEN. The impact was severe, causing LAKE ERIE to take on water quickly and sink.
Significant Incidents
- No known loss of life was reported in contemporary sources.
- The wreck was later salvaged, but she never returned to service.
- She was removed from shipping records, suggesting she was either scrapped or abandoned after recovery.
Final Disposition
Sank after a collision with NORTHERN QUEEN in a blizzard near Poverty Island, Lake Michigan, on November 24, 1881.
- Reportedly salvaged but never reentered service
- No confirmed loss of life
Current Condition & Accessibility
Nil—there are no confirmed reports of LAKE ERIE‘s wreck being located, though some records suggest she was raised after the accident.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”lake-erie-1873″ title=”References & Links”]
The LAKE ERIE was a typical wooden package freighter of the late 19th century, serving for nearly a decade before meeting her fate in a fog-bound collision with NORTHERN QUEEN.
Despite being salvaged, she was never returned to active service, leaving her final fate unclear.
Whether her remains still exist in Lake Michigan near Poverty Island remains an open question for maritime historians and wreck divers.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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