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.

Steel Screw Freighter – Lake Michigan, off Cana Island, Wisconsin

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: M. J. Bartelme (formerly John J. McWilliams; later Central West)
• Official registry number: 77170
• Year & Place Built: 1895 at West Bay City, Michigan by F. W. Wheeler (Hull #105) (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
• Type & Construction: Steel-hulled steam screw freighter, 352 ft × 44.8 ft × 22.8 ft, gross tonnage ~3,400 tons, no masts (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
• Final Location: Southeast point of Cana Island, Door County, Wisconsin, Lake Michigan (Position ~N 45° 05.196′ W 87° 02.810′) (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
• Loss Date: 4 October 1928 during thick fog conditions
• Cargo: Running light (no cargo at time) (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
• Casualties: None of six aboard lost

Vessel Type & Equipment

M. J. Bartelme was a substantial steel freighter operating primarily in bulk trades—coal, ore, and grain. She featured twin-screw propulsion, no sailing rig, and was equipped for Great Lakes coastal service between ports including Cleveland, Escanaba, Milwaukee, and Ashtabula (wisconsinshipwrecks.org).

Description of Wreck

On the night of 4 October 1928, M. J. Bartelme ran aground on a rocky reef off Cana Island in dense fog. Pounding by waves soon split the hull amidships. Attempts by tugboats (Favorite, Leathem D. Smith, and Arctic) to refloat her were unsuccessful, and continuing bad weather forced abandonment. Over the winter and spring, scrappers dismantled much of the hull; the salvage operation continued into 1938. What remains today are underwater fragments and machinery scattered over rock bottoms in approximately 15 ft of water, including valves, pumps, cables, and rigging (wisconsinshipwrecks.org).

Operational History & Incident Narrative

Originally launched in 1895 as John J. McWilliams, she was renamed Central West in 1915, and finally M. J. Bartelme under Valley Camp Coal Company ownership shortly thereafter. The vessel normally carried coal from Ashtabula to Milwaukee and ore back to Cleveland or Escanaba. On the final voyage, she was returning light from Milwaukee to Escanaba when the fog struck. Refloating attempts failed and the vessel was declared a total loss by salvage crews within days (wisconsinshipwrecks.org).

Final Disposition

Following the wreck, significant salvage efforts extended into the next decade. Hull plating was penetrated by boulders during pounding, and the vessel was gradually dismantled in situ. By June 1930, her boilers and engines had been recovered and transported to the Leathem Smith Shipyard. Only underwater remnants remain today on the rock bottom off Cana Island (wisconsinshipwrecks.org).

Wreck Condition & Dive Notes

The scattered remnants lie in shallow water (~15 ft) on a rock substrate. Most visible items—machinery and iron fittings—remain, but the hull has been heavily salvaged. The site is considered degraded but still contains identifiable artifacts, making it of interest to maritime archaeologists and historians (wisconsinshipwrecks.org).

Notices to Mariners / Warnings

• No formal Notices to Mariners appear to have been issued contemporaneously for this wreck.
• The site is locally known and occasionally mentioned in regional heritage literature, but not designated as a Hazard Zone.

Research Gaps & Suggestions

• Crew & Master Logs: Ship’s logbooks or Valley Camp Coal Company records may list captain and crew identities.
• Salvage Documentation: Wisconsin historical society or maritime museum archives may hold salvage contracts or salvage permit records.
• Newspaper Coverage: Door County Advocate coverage post-wreck (Oct 1928–1930) likely offers firsthand reporting and salvage progress details.
• Archaeological Survey Data: Dive records or submersible surveys from Wisconsin Sea Grant or Wisconsin Maritime Museum could yield precise site mapping.

Resources & References

• Wisconsin Shipwrecks – M. J. Bartelme (1895): Vessel description, loss summary, salvage narrative, current site status, coordinates (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
• Between the Bays / Cana Island Lighthouse StoryMap: Regional historical context referencing the 1928 grounding incident (Door County Pulse)
• Wisconsin Maritime Museum PastPerfect Collection: Documented salvage timeline and photographic evidence of hull cleaving (wisconsinmaritime.pastperfectonline.com)

Keywords & Categories

Steel freighter, fog grounding, Cana Island wreck, 1928 shipwreck, Valley Camp Coal Co., Lake Michigan heritage, deep-water salvage remains.

Summary

The M. J. Bartelme was a 352-ft steel freighter lost on 4 October 1928 off Cana Island, WI, after grounding in dense fog. No lives were lost. Heavy wave action split her hull, salvage efforts failed to refloat her, and over the next decade most of the vessel was dismantled for scrap. Remnants remain in shallow water, with some engine components and fittings visible to divers. Documentation comes from ship registries, the Door County Advocate, Wisconsin historical sites, and maritime museum archives. Let me know if you’d like a dive survey map, crew list, or more archival detail.

m-j-bartelme-us-77170 1928-10-04 13:50:00