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.

(Wooden Schooner, built 1873 – sank November 8–9, 1877)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Official Number: 411
• Year & Place Built: 1873, St. Catherines, Ontario (built by Louis Shickluna) (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
• Dimensions: Length ~137 ft, Beam ~23 ft, Depth of hold ~11.8 ft; approximately 350 gross tons (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
• Loss Date: Night of November 8 through morning of November 9, 1877 (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
• Loss Location: Lake Michigan, off Two Rivers (Manitowoc County), Wisconsin, nearshore between Two Rivers and Manitowoc (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
• Cargo: Laden with 20,488 bushels of corn, bound for Toronto (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)

Vessel Type

• Type: Three-masted wooden schooner (“canaler”) configured for bulk cargo, especially grain transport along Great Lakes canals and coastal lanes (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)

Description

• Built in 1873 by the notable St. Catherines yard of Louis Shickluna, the Magellan was rated at 350 gt and designed for efficient bulk cargo carriage. Registration noted she held Lloyd’s “A2” classification and was valued at approximately US $14,000 at time of loss (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)

History & Operational Record

• Served trade routes between Chicago, Toronto, and other Great Lakes ports, hauling grain and agricultural products. Notable incidents include collisions with the propeller Jarecki (Detroit River, 1874) and with the 12th Street Bridge (1877) shortly before her loss (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)

Final Incident & Disposition

• On November 8‑9, 1877, a severe storm struck Lake Michigan. The Magellan foundered during the gale—likely overwhelmed by waves or structural failure—and sank offshore. Initially, observers believed she had been struck by another vessel; however, later investigation suggests she likely foundered independently, and that the whaleback steamer Joseph L. Hurd later struck wreckage or debris, not the intact vessel (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
• Crew Status: All crew were lost—no survivors from the sinking. Debris and bodies washed ashore near Two Rivers on November 9, with some structural remains (mast stumps, name board, railings) visible off the pier for decades afterward (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)

Located By & Date Found

• The wreck broke apart and sections were beached; the hull was not preserved. Visible remains remained in shallow water near shore for many years. The vessel has not been formally mapped underwater and no modern diver or sonar survey is documented (wisconsinshipwrecks.org, 2manitowoc.com)

Notmars & Advisories

• No long-term Notices to Mariners or hazard advisories are recorded; wreckage was nearshore and cleared over time. None noted in primary sources.

Resources & Links

• Wisconsin Shipwrecks database: Detailed entry on the Magellan‘s build, specs, final voyage, and wreckage site near Two Rivers (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
• Local Manitowoc community history: Eye‑witness newspaper dispatches describing foundering in the storm and shoreward debris deposition on November 9, 1877 (2manitowoc.com, 2manitowoc.com)

Gaps & Next Steps

• Crew names and casualty details: Contemporary press (e.g., Milwaukee Sentinel, Chicago Tribune) from November 1877 could reveal personal identities, survivor accounts, or official casualty tallies.
• Inquiry records: A marine board or maritime tribunal may have investigated the loss. Canadian or U.S. maritime logs could include testimony or cause adjudication.
• Location confirmation: A modern survey near Forget Me Not Creek pier or along Two Rivers shoreline might locate buried timbers or metal fittings if any remained.
• Insurance / registry documentation: Checking Lloyd’s casualty returns or Ontario registry archives could add financial loss detail or ownership records.

Conclusion

The Magellan, a three-masted schooner built in St. Catherines in 1873, foundered during a severe Lake Michigan storm on November 8–9, 1877, while carrying over 20,000 bushels of corn. The vessel foundered amid high seas and sank offshore near Two Rivers, Wisconsin; all crew were lost. Initial belief that another vessel ran her down has been revised: she likely sank independently, and later collisions were post‑loss debris contact. Her upper structures washed ashore and remained visible for decades, but no modern underwater survey has been recorded. The Magellan stands as a tragic example of heavy‑cargo schooner vulnerability in Great Lakes storms—and a case where early misinterpretation of collision gave way to realization of storm-induced structural failure.

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