Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: MEARS
- Type: lumber barge
- Year Built: 1869
- Builder: David McDole
- Dimensions: 172 ft (52.4 m) X 28.6 ft (8.7 m); Depth of hold: 12.7 ft (3.9 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 410.66 tons
- Location: East of Tawas, Michigan
- Official Number: 50624
- Original Owners: Various owners including R. Prindiville, Parker, DeGraff & others
- Number of Masts: 3 (rigged for sailing as auxiliary support)
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Originally designed as a steambarge, but never fitted with machinery. Operated as a lumber barge, typically towed by steamers.
Description
- Builder: David McDole
- Build Location: Lincoln, Michigan
- Hull: Wood
- Decks: 1
- Masts: 3 (rigged for sailing as auxiliary support)
- Length: 172 ft (52.4 m)
- Beam: 28.6 ft (8.7 m)
- Depth: 12.7 ft (3.9 m)
- Gross Tonnage: 410.66 tons
- Cargo Capacity: Approx. 400,000 board feet of lumber
History
- 1869, Sep 11: Launched, with original intent as a powered steambarge.
- 1870: Operating as MARS, 410.66 gross tons.
- 1871–1879: Remeasured to 421 gross tons; owned by R. Prindiville, Chicago, IL.
- 1871, Jun 13: Sunk the bark MAITLAND in a collision at the Straits of Mackinac.
- 1871, Aug 14: In tow of steamer EAST SAGINAW, struck schooner NEW LISBON at Sarnia in the St. Clair River.
- 1871, Sep: Went ashore at Erie, PA, with a lumber cargo.
- 1880: Registered as US90460; 429.86 gross / 408.37 net tons.
- 1881: Rebuilt at Detroit; then owned by Parker, DeGraff & others.
- 1885–1887: Operated from Bay City, MI, under ownership of Vance & Keith, and later E.J. Vance; typically towed by the steamers BENTON and S.S. WILHELM.
Significant Incidents
- 1871, Jun 13: Collision with the bark MAITLAND, resulting in its sinking.
- 1871, Aug 14: Collision with the schooner NEW LISBON while in tow.
- 1871, Sep: Went ashore at Erie, PA, with a lumber cargo.
Final Disposition
On 27 November 1889, while in tow behind the steamer S.S. WILHELM along with the barge MIDNIGHT, the MEARS was caught in a severe gale on Lake Huron. She broke loose east of Tawas, Michigan, and was driven ashore where she broke apart. One crewmember was lost in the incident. The wreck was a total loss.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No confirmed modern dive or discovery of the wreckage has been documented. The remains likely lie scattered or buried near shore east of Tawas.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”mears-us-50624″ title=”References & Links”]
The MEARS exemplified a common transition vessel of the 19th century Great Lakes lumber trade — built as a steambarge but used primarily as a towed barge. Despite incidents during her operational life, she served nearly two decades before meeting her fate in a classic November gale. Her loss contributed to the recognition of the hazards of towing multiple barges in heavy weather without sufficient safety measures.
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.
Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name(s): MEARS (Reportedly first intended to be named MIDDLESEX)
- Official Number: 50624
- Year Built: 1869
- Final Location: East of Tawas, Michigan, Lake Huron
- Date Lost: 27 November 1889
- How Lost: Driven ashore in gale, broke up
- Final Cargo: Lumber
- Casualties: 1 life lost
Vessel Type
Originally designed as a steambarge, but never fitted with machinery. Operated as a lumber barge, typically towed by steamers.
Description
- Builder: David McDole
- Build Location: Lincoln, Michigan
- Hull: Wood
- Decks: 1
- Masts: 3 (rigged for sailing as auxiliary support)
- Length: 172 ft (52.4 m)
- Beam: 28.6 ft (8.7 m)
- Depth: 12.7 ft (3.9 m)
- Gross Tonnage: 410.66 tons
- Cargo Capacity: Approx. 400,000 board feet of lumber
History
- 1869, Sep 11: Launched, with original intent as a powered steambarge.
- 1870: Operating as MARS, 410.66 gross tons.
- 1871–1879: Remeasured to 421 gross tons; owned by R. Prindiville, Chicago, IL.
- 1871, Jun 13: Sunk the bark MAITLAND in a collision at the Straits of Mackinac.
- 1871, Aug 14: In tow of steamer EAST SAGINAW, struck schooner NEW LISBON at Sarnia in the St. Clair River.
- 1871, Sep: Went ashore at Erie, PA, with a lumber cargo.
- 1880: Registered as US90460; 429.86 gross / 408.37 net tons.
- 1881: Rebuilt at Detroit; then owned by Parker, DeGraff & others.
- 1885–1887: Operated from Bay City, MI, under ownership of Vance & Keith, and later E.J. Vance; typically towed by the steamers BENTON and S.S. WILHELM.
Final Disposition
On 27 November 1889, while in tow behind the steamer S.S. WILHELM along with the barge MIDNIGHT, the MEARS was caught in a severe gale on Lake Huron. She broke loose east of Tawas, Michigan, and was driven ashore where she broke apart. One crewmember was lost in the incident. The wreck was a total loss.
Located By & Date Found
No confirmed modern dive or discovery of the wreckage has been documented. The remains likely lie scattered or buried near shore east of Tawas.
Notmars & Advisories
None noted.
Resources & Links
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
- Great Lakes Vessels Database – Bowling Green State University
- C. Patrick Labadie Collection
- Newspaper archives and collision reports from 1871
- David Swayze Shipwreck File
Conclusion
The MEARS exemplified a common transition vessel of the 19th century Great Lakes lumber trade — built as a steambarge but used primarily as a towed barge. Despite incidents during her operational life, she served nearly two decades before meeting her fate in a classic November gale. Her loss contributed to the recognition of the hazards of towing multiple barges in heavy weather without sufficient safety measures.
Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms
Keywords: lumber barge, storm wreck, Lake Huron, Tawas, S.S. WILHELM, wooden vessel, 19th-century barge
Categories: Great Lakes shipwrecks, barge losses, lumber trade, maritime storms
Glossary:
- Towed vessel: A ship that is moved by another powered vessel
- Gross tonnage: A measure of the ship’s internal volume
- Went ashore: Was driven onto land or shallow water by wind or current