Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Maggie Carroll
- Type: Tug (converted from schooner)
- Year Built: 1883
- Builder: Matthew Carroll
- Dimensions: Length 49 ft (14.9 m); Beam 13.7 ft (4.2 m); Depth of hold 4.1 ft (1.2 m)
- Registered Tonnage: Gross Tonnage: 16; Net Tonnage: 9
- Location: Lighthouse dock, Superior, Wisconsin, Lake Superior
- Official Number: 91593
- Original Owners: Multiple owners including Hiram J. Lubes, J.H. Upham, E.T. Williams, John Hanson, and James Magee
- Number of Masts: 2 (original as schooner)
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Vessel Type Description
Originally launched as a two-masted schooner in 1883, the Maggie Carroll was soon converted into a small screw tug, reflecting the growing demand for towing and ferry service on Lake Superior in the late 19th century. Wooden-hulled tugs of this size were commonly used for harbor work, towing rafts or other vessels, and occasionally for short excursions and ferry duties.
Description
Identification & Site Information
- Name: Maggie Carroll
- Official Number: 91593
- Year Built: 1883
- Builder: Matthew Carroll
- Built at: Duluth, Minnesota
- Hull Material: Wood
- Number of Decks: 1
- Propulsion: Screw
- Cylinders: 1
- Boilers: 1
- Propellers: 1
- Final Location: Lighthouse dock, Superior, Wisconsin, Lake Superior
- Date Lost: September 28, 1893
- How Lost: Burned to waterline and sank
History
History
The Maggie Carroll began her working life in August 1883, enrolled at Duluth, Minnesota, as a schooner with two masts. By May 1884, she had been converted into a screw tug and was active in local excursion and ferry service in Duluth, Ashland, and Bayfield.
Throughout her relatively short career, she changed ownership multiple times:
- 1888, owned by Hiram J. Lubes, Duluth
- 1889, owned jointly by Hiram J. & Charles H. Lubes
- 1889, transferred back to Matthew Carroll
- 1889, June, owned by J.H. Upham and partners
- 1891, owned by E.T. Williams and partners, Duluth, who reboilered her
- 1891, sold to John Hanson of West Superior, Wisconsin
- 1892, rebuilt and sold to James Magee of Duluth
On September 28, 1893, the Maggie Carroll burned to the waterline while at the lighthouse dock in Superior, Wisconsin, and sank.
Significant Incidents
Significant Incidents
– September 28, 1893: The Maggie Carroll burned to the waterline and sank at the lighthouse dock in Superior, Wisconsin.
Final Disposition
Final Disposition
The remains of the Maggie Carroll were considered a total loss. No salvage attempts were recorded after the fire.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Current Condition & Accessibility
The tug burned to the waterline and sank, with no known surveys or salvage efforts having been documented since. Its exact present state is unknown.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”maggie-carrol-us-91593″ title=”References & Links”]
Conclusion
The Maggie Carroll’s story illustrates the adaptability of Great Lakes vessels during this period, transitioning from sail to steam to meet changing economic needs. Her loss in a dockside fire is typical of the hazards faced by wooden tugs of her era.
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.
Identification & Site Information
- Name: Maggie Carroll
- Official Number: 91593
- Year Built: 1883
- Builder: Matthew Carroll
- Built at: Duluth, Minnesota
- Vessel Type: Tug (converted from schooner)
- Hull Material: Wood
- Number of Decks: 1
- Number of Masts: 2 (original as schooner)
- Propulsion: Screw
- Cylinders: 1
- Boilers: 1
- Propellers: 1
- Length: 49 feet (14.9 metres)
- Beam: 13.7 feet (4.2 metres)
- Depth: 4.1 feet (1.2 metres)
- Gross Tonnage: 16
- Net Tonnage: 9
- Final Location: Lighthouse dock, Superior, Wisconsin, Lake Superior
- Date Lost: September 28, 1893
- How Lost: Burned to waterline and sank
Vessel Type Description
Originally launched as a two-masted schooner in 1883, the Maggie Carroll was soon converted into a small screw tug, reflecting the growing demand for towing and ferry service on Lake Superior in the late 19th century. Wooden-hulled tugs of this size were commonly used for harbor work, towing rafts or other vessels, and occasionally for short excursions and ferry duties.
History
The Maggie Carroll began her working life in August 1883, enrolled at Duluth, Minnesota, as a schooner with two masts. By May 1884, she had been converted into a screw tug and was active in local excursion and ferry service in Duluth, Ashland, and Bayfield.
Throughout her relatively short career, she changed ownership multiple times:
- 1888, owned by Hiram J. Lubes, Duluth
- 1889, owned jointly by Hiram J. & Charles H. Lubes
- 1889, transferred back to Matthew Carroll
- 1889, June, owned by J.H. Upham and partners
- 1891, owned by E.T. Williams and partners, Duluth, who reboilered her
- 1891, sold to John Hanson of West Superior, Wisconsin
- 1892, rebuilt and sold to James Magee of Duluth
On September 28, 1893, the Maggie Carroll burned to the waterline while at the lighthouse dock in Superior, Wisconsin, and sank.
Final Disposition
The remains of the Maggie Carroll were considered a total loss. No salvage attempts were recorded after the fire.
NOTMARs & Advisories
No current Notices to Mariners apply to this wreck site.
Located By & Date
The Maggie Carroll was lost at dockside in 1893 and no specific modern dive discovery has been noted.
Current Condition & Accessibility
The tug burned to the waterline and sank, with no known surveys or salvage efforts having been documented since. Its exact present state is unknown.
Resources & Links
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
- C. Patrick Labadie Collection
- Steamboat Era in the Muskokas (Tatley)
- Newspaper archives, Duluth & Superior
Conclusion
The Maggie Carroll’s story illustrates the adaptability of Great Lakes vessels during this period, transitioning from sail to steam to meet changing economic needs. Her loss in a dockside fire is typical of the hazards faced by wooden tugs of her era.
Keywords
Maggie Carroll, tugboat, schooner conversion, Duluth maritime, Lake Superior shipwreck, 19th-century harbor tug, burned vessel