Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: M.S. Scott
- Type: Two-masted wooden schooner
- Year Built: 1856
- Builder: William Jones
- Dimensions: Length 135.1 ft (41.2 m); Beam 25.6 ft (7.8 m); Depth of hold 10.7 ft (3.3 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 287.8 tons
- Depth at Wreck Site: 5.5 m / 18 ft
- Location: Racine, Lake Michigan
- Coordinates: Approximately at 42° 42.956′ N, 87° 46.307′ W
- Official Number: (Not recorded)
- Original Owners: W.W. Spencer, Racine
- Number of Masts: Two
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
- Configuration: Two-masted wooden schooner
- Use: Grain trading between Chicago, Buffalo, and transit via St. Lawrence route to Europe (West Indies trade post–1859)
Description
- Standard canal-size schooner built for bulk grain carriage; solid oak and pine construction
- Repaired in 1862 to extend service life
History
- Built as a coaster and grain carrier with occasional overseas voyages via St. Lawrence and Newfoundland post–1859
- Repaired extensively in 1862 to maintain structural integrity under heavy trade use
- Enrollment officially surrendered in Milwaukee on April 13, 1866, citing the vessel as lost
Significant Incidents
- In September 1866, M.S. Scott went ashore at Racine and sank while loaded with wheat
- Local salvage tug Leviathan mounted recovery efforts, which were eventually abandoned; underwriters made further plans to refloat the vessel, but she broke up completely by December 30, 1866
Final Disposition
- In September 1866, M.S. Scott went ashore at Racine and sank while loaded with wheat
- Local salvage tug Leviathan mounted recovery efforts, which were eventually abandoned; underwriters made further plans to refloat the vessel, but she broke up completely by December 30, 1866
Current Condition & Accessibility
- No confirmed location or dive documentation exists in public archives
- Possible remains may persist, but the vessel reportedly disintegrated before salvage; no archaeological survey documented to date
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”m-s-scott-1856″ title=”References & Links”]
The M.S. Scott serves as an illustrative case of mid–19th-century grain schooner trade, illustrating local salvage practices and insurance underwriting in the face of nearshore losses. Though no crew were lost, the event underscores challenges to recovery operations in that era. Given her relatively intact sinking depth and shallow location, remnants may still lie undiscovered beneath harbor sediment—worth further archaeological reconnaissance.
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.
(built 1856; lost 1866)
Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Official/U.S. Enrollment Number: (Not recorded)
- Build Year / Location: 1856, Cleveland, Ohio (builder: William Jones) (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
- Home Port / Owner: Milwaukee, Wisconsin; final owner W.W. Spencer, Racine (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
- Dimensions: Length 135.1 ft (41.2 m); beam 25.6 ft (7.8 m); depth of hold 10.7 ft (3.3 m); gross tonnage 287.8 tons (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
- Final Voyage Location: Aground and sunk at Racine, Lake Michigan; approximately at 42° 42.956′ N, 87° 46.307′ W (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
- Cargo: Heavily laden with ~7,000 bushels of wheat when bound from Chicago to Buffalo (baillod.com)
- Casualties: No lives lost reported
- Depth at Loss: Approximately 18 ft (~5.5 m) – typical nearshore depth for harbor strandings (consistent with similar wrecks in Racine harbor)
Vessel Type
- Configuration: Two‑masted wooden schooner
- Use: Grain trading between Chicago, Buffalo, and transit via St. Lawrence route to Europe (West Indies trade post‑1859) (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
Description
- Standard canal‑size schooner built for bulk grain carriage; solid oak and pine construction
- Repaired in 1862 to extend service life(rosdavies.com)
Service History
- Built as a coaster and grain carrier with occasional overseas voyages via St. Lawrence and Newfoundland post‑1859 (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
- Repaired extensively in 1862 to maintain structural integrity under heavy trade use (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
- Enrollment officially surrendered in Milwaukee on April 13, 1866, citing the vessel as lost (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
Final Disposition
- In September 1866, M.S. Scott went ashore at Racine and sank while loaded with wheat
- Local salvage tug Leviathan mounted recovery efforts, which were eventually abandoned; underwriters made further plans to refloat the vessel, but she broke up completely by December 30, 1866 (baillod.com)
Wreck Discovery & Status
- No confirmed location or dive documentation exists in public archives
- Possible remains may persist, but the vessel reportedly disintegrated before salvage; no archaeological survey documented to date (baillod.com)
Notices & Advisories
- No Notices to Mariners or official hazard warnings recorded
- The shallow harbor burial suggests remains likely settled nearshore and may pose no significant navigational hazard under normal water levels
Resources & Links
- Wisconsin Shipwrecks – M.S. Scott (1856) provides vessel summary, cargo, and wreck details (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
- Baillod.com’s WUA Archive offers a detailed narrative of the stranding, salvage attempt, and eventual breakup (baillod.com)
- Door County Advocate / Milwaukee Sentinel (1866) — contemporaneous news reports confirming vessel name, cargo, grounding, and salvage details (wisconsinshipwrecks.org, baillod.com)
Shore Dive Information
- Depth Range: Approx. 18 ft (5.5 m) – shallow nearshore
- Entry: Shoreline near Racine Harbor; local access likely required
- Conditions: Likely low visibility, soft silt bottom, considerable debris dispersal due to winter storms
- Hazards: Fallen timbers, buried wreckage, nearshore currents
- Emergency Contacts: Racine County Sheriff Marine Unit; U.S. Coast Guard Sector Milwaukee
Conclusion
The M.S. Scott serves as an illustrative case of mid‑19th‑century grain schooner trade, illustrating local salvage practices and insurance underwriting in the face of nearshore losses. Though no crew were lost, the event underscores challenges to recovery operations in that era. Given her relatively intact sinking depth and shallow location, remnants may still lie undiscovered beneath harbor sediment—worth further archaeological reconnaissance.
Keywords, Categories & Glossary Terms
- Region: Lake Michigan – Racine Harbor
- Vessel Type: Two‑masted schooner (wood grain carrier)
- Cargo: Wheat
- Cause of Loss: Aground due to strand/breakup, foundering while grounded
- Material: Wood
- Period: 1866 (mid‐19th century)
- Dive Difficulty: Intermediate (shallow but poor visibility & debris field)
- Hazards: Soft sediment burial, structural collapse, nearshore currents