Lewie (1884)

Explore the wreck of the Lewie, a wooden schooner lost in a gale on Lake Superior in 1904, with no survivors and an uncharted resting place.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: Lewie
  • Type: Wooden schooner
  • Year Built: 1884
  • Builder: likely in Minnesota
  • Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
  • Registered Tonnage:
  • Location: Near Two Harbors, Minnesota, western Lake Superior

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

Vessel Type

The Lewie is classified as a wooden schooner, a type of sailing vessel commonly used for cargo transport on the Great Lakes.

Description

Description

As a wooden schooner built in 1884, Lewie represents the small to mid-sized cargo craft prevalent in the Great Lakes shipping industry during that era.

History

History

The Lewie encountered a severe gale on September 2, 1904, near Two Harbors, Minnesota. The storm overwhelmed the vessel, causing it to founder with no survivors, as only two people were onboard.

Significant Incidents

Significant Incidents

  • Foundered in a gale on September 2, 1904, near Two Harbors, Minnesota.
  • Only two individuals were aboard at the time of the sinking, and there were no survivors.

Final Disposition

Final Disposition

The exact location of the wreck remains uncharted in public records. Given Lake Superior’s depth and remoteness at Two Harbors, the loss site likely rests in deep, unexamined waters, with no diver surveys or sonar mapping reported to date.

Current Condition & Accessibility

Current Condition & Accessibility

Due to the lack of detailed records and surveys, the current condition of the Lewie remains unknown. It is presumed to be in deep waters, making it inaccessible for divers at this time.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”lewie-1884″ title=”References & Links”]

Conclusion

The Lewie was a wooden schooner lost to a gale in western Lake Superior on September 2, 1904, resulting in two lives lost. The vessel sank without detailed incident records beyond brief notes in shipwreck registries; its final resting position remains undocumented. Future archival research and a dedicated sonar survey hold promise for clarifying the full story and potentially locating the wreck.

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.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: Lewie
  • Type: Wooden schooner
  • Built: 1884 (likely in Minnesota)
  • Loss: September 2, 1904
  • Location: Near Two Harbors, Minnesota, western Lake Superior
  • Cause: Foundered in a gale (Wikipedia)

Final Voyage & Loss

  • On September 2, 1904, the Lewie encountered a severe gale off Two Harbors on Lake Superior.
  • The storm overwhelmed her, causing her to founder — that is, take on water and sink — with no survivors, as only two people were onboard (Wikipedia).
  • The loss is recorded succinctly in shipwreck listings: “Foundered in a gale on September 2, 1904 near Two Harbors, Minnesota.”

Wreck Location & Visibility

  • The exact location of the wreck remains uncharted in public records.
  • Given Lake Superior’s depth and remoteness at Two Harbors, the loss site likely rests in deep, unexamined waters, with no diver surveys or sonar mapping reported to date.

Historical Context & Vessel Profile

  • As a wooden schooner built in 1884, Lewie represents the small to mid-sized cargo craft common on the Great Lakes.
  • The extreme weather of early September on Lake Superior is historically notorious for causing sudden wrecks, particularly along the North Shore.

Archival Gaps & Research Recommendations

CategorySuggested Actions
Vessel registry detailsCheck Minnesota and US enrollment archives for Lewie build records and ownership
Crew/passengersInvestigate Two Harbors and Duluth newspapers (Sept 1904) for names and recovery notices
Wreck site surveyConduct a sonar reconnaissance off Two Harbors targeting typical grounding zones during gale paths
Weather dataExamine meteorological archives to profile storm conditions that day

Conclusion

The Lewie was a wooden schooner lost to a gale in western Lake Superior on September 2, 1904, resulting in two lives lost. The vessel sank without detailed incident records beyond the brief note in shipwreck registries; its final resting position remains undocumented. Future archival research and a dedicated sonar survey hold promise for clarifying the full story and potentially locating the wreck.

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