Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Laurina
- Type: Scow-Schooner
- Year Built: 1870
- Builder: Fredrickson, Chicago, Illinois
- Dimensions: 73 ft (22.3 m) × 18.5 ft (5.6 m) × 5.1 ft (1.55 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 55.40 gross tons
- Location: Alongside Knapp Street Breakwater, Milwaukee Bay
- Coordinates: N 43° 01.942′ | W 087° 53.618′
- Official Number: 15875
- Original Owners: Johnson & partners; Final Owner: Samuel Martin
- Number of Masts: 2-masted
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The Laurina is classified as a wooden scow-schooner, a type of vessel designed for shallow draft operations, particularly suited for transporting bulk cargo.
Description
Originally built in 1870, the Laurina was a 2-masted scow-schooner with dimensions of 73 ft (22.3 m) in length, 18.5 ft (5.6 m) in beam, and a hold depth of 5.1 ft (1.55 m). The vessel was primarily used in the lumber and sand trade on Lake Michigan, making it ideal for navigating small harbors.
History
The Laurina was originally owned by Johnson & partners and later by Samuel Martin. It underwent a significant rebuild in 1881 to enhance its cargo capacity. Throughout the 1890s, it operated in the Milwaukee–Racine trade, transporting hardwood lumber and sand.
Significant Incidents
- April 20-21, 1893: The Laurina sought shelter in Milwaukee Harbor during a storm but dragged anchor and struck the rocks at the breakwater. The crew escaped safely, and no lives were lost.
Final Disposition
After the incident, the Laurina was declared a total loss on August 1, 1893. Attempts to salvage the wreck were unsuccessful, and it was left abandoned, likely disintegrating or buried under harbor fill.
Current Condition & Accessibility
The wreck of the Laurina is believed to have been obliterated by harbor expansion and dredging activities in the late 19th to early 20th century. No verified remains have been located to date.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”laurina-us-15875″ title=”References & Links”]
The Laurina serves as a historical example of late 19th-century scow-schooners used in the Great Lakes lumber trade, reflecting the operational hazards faced by small vessels in exposed harbors.
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.
Scow-Schooner (Built 1870, Sank 1893)
Identification & Construction
- Vessel Name: Laurina
- Former Names: None documented
- Registry Number: 15875
- Built: 1870 (possibly 1872) by Fredrickson, Chicago, Illinois
- Hull Material: Wood
- Propulsion: Sail; 2-masted scow-schooner
- Original Dimensions: 71.1 ft × 17.7 ft × 4.0 ft; 37.59 gross tons
- Rebuilt 1881: 73 ft (22.3 m) × 18.5 ft (5.6 m) × 5.1 ft (1.55 m); 55.40 gross tons
- Home Port: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Primary Service: Lumber and sand trade on Lake Michigan
Ownership History
- Original Owner: Johnson & partners
- Final Owner: Samuel Martin
- Underwriter Rating (1874): B2; valuation $1,200
Service & Operational History
The Laurina served primarily as a lumber and sand scow throughout the western Great Lakes. Her shallow draft and boxy scow-schooner design made her ideal for transporting bulk cargo into small or shallow harbors along Wisconsin’s shoreline.
Key operational notes:
- 1874: Listed in the Board of Lake Underwriters survey for Milwaukee with a modest valuation.
- 1881: Rebuilt to enlarge cargo capacity, increasing both beam and hold depth.
- 1890s: Operating in the Milwaukee–Racine trade, hauling hardwood lumber and sand.
Final Voyage & Loss
- Date of Incident: April 20–21, 1893
- Voyage: Milwaukee → Racine, cargo of hardwood lumber
- Incident:
- Sought shelter at Milwaukee Harbor during a strong storm.
- Anchored near Knapp Street Breakwater, but anchor dragged in early morning gale.
- By ~3 a.m., she struck the rocks at the breakwater, firing distress signals.
- Crew escaped safely to shore; no lives lost.
- Aftermath:
- Deckload and much of the hold lumber salvaged to railcars.
- Multiple unsuccessful salvage attempts by Milwaukee Tug Boat Co. and U.S. Revenue Cutter Andy Johnson.
- Damage too severe; declared total loss.
Source: Milwaukee Sentinel, April 21, 26, and May 5, 1893
Wreck Disposition & Site Status
- Last Document of Enrollment: Surrendered Milwaukee, August 1, 1893 – “Total Loss.”
- Final Position: Alongside Knapp Street Breakwater, Milwaukee Bay
- Reported Coordinates: N 43° 01.942′ | W 087° 53.618′
- Depth: ~0–10 ft (initially awash at breakwater)
- Condition:
- Wreck abandoned and left to break up.
- No verified remains located to date; likely disintegrated or buried under harbor fill and dredge deposits.
Notices & Charts
- No formal Notice to Mariners beyond local reports; vessel likely quickly deemed a non-hazard due to position at the breakwater.
- Likely obliterated by harbor expansion and dredging in late 19th–early 20th century.
Research Recommendations
- Conduct side-scan sonar or magnetometer sweep near Knapp Street Harbor breakwater to determine if timbers remain under sediment.
- Consult Milwaukee harbor engineering maps (1890–1900) for potential burial or removal records.
- Examine Wisconsin Historical Society Maritime Collection for tug and salvage reports.
Historical Significance
The Laurina represents a typical late 19th‑century Lake Michigan scow‑schooner, used extensively in the lumber and aggregate trade. Her wreck and eventual disappearance reflect the hazards of small‑craft operation in exposed harbors before modern breakwaters and tug assistance were fully established.
While no dive site exists today, the case study contributes to understanding Milwaukee’s working harbor history and scow-schooner construction on the Great Lakes.
Keywords & Categories
- Region: Lake Michigan – Milwaukee Harbor
- Vessel Type: Wooden scow-schooner
- Cause of Loss: Storm / anchor dragging / grounding
- Cargo: Hardwood lumber
- Dive Status: No extant dive site; wreck likely obliterated
- Historical Value: Small-craft harbor history; 19th‑century scow construction