Marysburg (1870)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Marysburg
• Type: Schooner
• Year Built: 1870
• Builder: John Tait, South Bay (Ontario)
• Dimensions: 99 ft (30.18 m) × 22 ft; 9 ft
• Registered Tonnage: ~150 tons gross
• Location: Ashore on Lake Ontario (Port Union shore)
• Coordinates: (Not documented)
• Official Number: (none recorded)
• Original Owners: Initially C. Wilson; later John Allen, James Guy, John Blow
• Number of Masts: Two masts

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

The Marysburg was a wooden two-masted schooner, rigged fore-and-aft, designed for coastal and inter-lake trade.

Description

The Marysburg was a mid-19th century wooden carvel-planked schooner, rigged fore-and-aft on two masts. It was built for coastal and inter-lake trade, particularly suited for timber, general freight, and seasonal cargoes like ore. The relatively shallow hold depth (9 ft) suggests she was built for moderate cargo but with shallow-draft capabilities. Her hull form and scantlings likely followed regional Canadian schooner designs of her era.

She carried one deck and typical schooner gear (bowsprit, jib boom, fore-and-aft sails). The scant archival notes do not mention auxiliary machinery or modifications, so she remained a purely sail-powered vessel throughout her service.

History

Early Years & Ownership

• The Marysburg was constructed in 1870, with registry at Picton, Ontario (Official number not recorded).
• The original subscribing owner was C. Wilson (sole).
• On 12 July 1871, ownership was transferred to John Allen, James Guy (of Oshawa), and John Blow (Whitby).
• In September 1871, Marysburg stranded at Point Pelee in Lake Erie during thick weather (fog/mist). She was refloated and resumed service.
• In October 1874 and in 1875, she sustained damage and underwent repairs in Lake Erie routes.

Collision Off Braddock’s Point, 1876

On or about 20–22 May 1876, Marysburg collided with the schooner American approximately 20 miles off Braddock’s Point, New York, while navigating in fog at night.

• A contemporary newspaper report describes the impact: “The violence of the shock was so great that the Marysburg’s stem was driven back at the top two or three inches … about one thousand feet of lumber went overboard…”
• She lost her bowsprit, jib-boom, jib gear, and sustained structural displacement in the stem.
• She managed to limp to port for repairs and was returned to service.

These incidents likely weakened her structural integrity over time, increasing her vulnerability in later storms.

Final Voyage & Loss

On 31 October 1881, Marysburg was driven ashore during a storm on the southwest shore of Lake Ontario (at Port Union), while en route likely loaded with iron ore.

• The crew abandoned the vessel, declaring her a total loss. No casualty is recorded.
• Her registry was officially closed 20 December 1881.

The circumstances suggest that she was overwhelmed by storm winds and waves; once ashore, her hull likely fractured or planked beyond salvage given the severity of grounding in that era.

Significant Incidents

Final Dispositions

The Marysburg was abandoned as irreparable after grounding. Her hull and cargo were declared total loss. No documented salvage, refloating, or reuse is recorded subsequently. The lack of detailed site surveys or underwater records suggests that no modern recovery efforts or dives are associated with her remains.

Located By & Date Found

There is no reliable record to suggest that Marysburg‘s wreck has been located, surveyed, or positively identified by modern archaeological teams. Given the passage of time, possible shifting of dismantled wreckage and sediment cover, and absence of coordinates in archival sources, she remains a lost wreck in the historical ledger.

A dive or survey search would need to begin from the shore groundings at Port Union, cross-referenced with shoreline morphology and bathymetric surveys to locate buried or submerged remnants.

Final Disposition

Notmars & Advisories

None documented. Because she was a stranding rather than a navigational hazard in open water, she does not appear in official bearing or lightship records as a hazard post-loss.

Current Condition & Accessibility

Dive Information

Because her wreck remains unidentified and uncharted, no dive-specific information is available (e.g. depth, visibility, entry). Any exploratory survey would require:

• Shore/boat access near Port Union, Ontario
• Bathymetric and side-scan sonar surveys
• Permits and approval from Ontario marine heritage agencies
• Local dive charter support in the Oshawa/Greater Toronto area
• Safety contingencies (weather, currents, bottom conditions)

Resources & Links

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Crew & Casualty Memorials

No known memorials or crew lists survive in the public record for Marysburg. No fatalities were recorded in her loss. To reconstruct crew manifest, one might search:

• Local newspapers (Oshawa, Toronto, Oswego) in fall 1881
• Canadian shipping registry/crew lists for Picton-registered schooners
• Coroner’s or consular records in Ontario archives