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.

SPAULDING, M.B. (1849, Propeller)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: SPAULDING, M.B.
• Official Number: 16327
• Year Built: 1849
• Built at: Buffalo, New York
• Vessel Type: Propeller (later converted to schooner-barge)
• Hull Material: Wood
• Builder: Jones & Bidwell (Bagnall)
• Master Carpenter: Frederick N. Jones
• Original Owner: James C. Evans, et al., Buffalo, New YorkDimensions
  • Length: 152 ft 4 in (46.4 m)
  • Beam: 25 ft 2 in (7.67 m)
  • Depth: 11 ft 6.5 in (3.5 m)
  • Tonnage (old style): 419.59 tons
• Propulsion: Screw (original build)
• Engine Type: High-pressure
• Number of Masts: Initially 1 (later rebuilt as a schooner-barge without propulsion)
• Final Disposition
  • Final Location: Near Port Burwell, Ontario, Lake Erie
  • Date Lost: September 1879
  • How Lost: Foundered in gale while in tow of the tug Mayflower
  • Depth: Reported at approximately 12 feet (3.6 m)
• Notes: Foundered with three other barges in a gale, became a total loss, broke up

Vessel Type Description
Originally built as a wooden screw propeller, the SPAULDING, M.B. operated primarily in grain and general cargo trade on the upper Great Lakes. She resembled vessels like the HENRY A. KENT, with a design suited for the expanding mid-19th century lake commerce. After multiple serious incidents, she was converted into a schooner-barge by 1863, consistent with a regional trend of repurposing aging steamers into barges to prolong their commercial usefulness.

History
The SPAULDING, M.B. had a tumultuous and eventful service life spanning three decades. Enrolled at Buffalo on April 25, 1849, she quickly entered the Chicago and Buffalo grain trade. Incidents were frequent: she sank off Erie, Pennsylvania, as early as August 1850, capsized in the Maumee River in 1852, and burned at dock in Buffalo in 1856. She was rebuilt several times, including a major rebuild in 1863 at Marine City, Michigan, as a schooner-barge measuring 140.2 x 26.4 x 13.4 ft (42.7 x 8 x 4 m) and 386.87 gross tons.

Notable events include a collision with the bark LOTTIE WOLF near Harrisville, Michigan in 1869, which sank her yet again. After being raised and repaired, she continued in trade until September 1879, when a gale overwhelmed her and three other barges under tow near Port Burwell, Ontario. She foundered in about 12 feet (3.6 m) of water, breaking up and becoming a total loss.

Final Disposition
Lost September 1879 near Port Burwell, Lake Erie, in a gale while under tow. Documents surrendered in December 1881 at Port Huron, Michigan.

NOTMARs & Advisories
None noted.

Located By & Date
No official discovery reported; wreck remains unlocated.

Current Condition & Accessibility
Presumed broken up and scattered; no contemporary or modern survey has confirmed its remains.

Resources & Links

• David Swayze Shipwreck File
• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• Bowling Green State University Vessels Database

Conclusion
The SPAULDING, M.B. is a representative example of the adaptability and challenges of Great Lakes shipping in the mid-to-late 19th century, surviving multiple sinkings, fires, and collisions over its career. Her final loss underscores the persistent hazards of Lake Erie navigation, particularly for schooner-barges under tow during severe weather.

Keywords: Lake Erie, schooner-barge, propeller, steamship, Great Lakes shipping, 19th-century maritime

m-b-spaulding-us-16327 1879-09-05 14:48:00