Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Moonlight
- Type: Wooden three-masted schooner (later schooner-barge)
- Year Built: 1874
- Builder: Wolf & Davidson, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Dimensions: Length 205.9 ft (62.8 m); Beam 33.6 ft (10.2 m); Depth 14.2 ft (4.3 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 777 gross tons / 738 net tons
- Depth at Wreck Site: 73 m / 240 ft
- Location: Off Michigan Island, Apostle Islands, Lake Superior
- Coordinates: Approx. 7 miles east of Michigan Island (44.9° N, 90.4° W)
- Official Number: 90719
- Original Owners: Hibbard & Vance (initial); later L.M. Norris; William S. Mack et al (Cleveland); Jay Hersley (Sault Ste. Marie); J.C. Gilchrist & Co.
- Number of Masts: 3
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The Moonlight was a large, wooden-hulled, three-masted schooner built for grain and ore traffic on the upper Great Lakes. Measuring over 205 feet in length, she was praised at her 1874 launch for her cutting-edge design, strong framing, and ability to carry 50,000 bushels of grain. Like many schooners of her generation, she was later relegated to barge service, towed by powerful steamers in the bulk trade.
Description
The Moonlight was a large, wooden-hulled, three-masted schooner built for grain and ore traffic on the upper Great Lakes. Measuring over 205 feet in length, she was praised at her 1874 launch for her cutting-edge design, strong framing, and ability to carry 50,000 bushels of grain. Like many schooners of her generation, she was later relegated to barge service, towed by powerful steamers in the bulk trade.
History
Launched at Milwaukee by Wolf & Davidson on 14 March 1874, the Moonlight drew a crowd of over 400 spectators. Owned initially by a group of Milwaukee investors, including David Vance, the vessel quickly entered the grain and coal trades between Milwaukee, Buffalo, and beyond. Her career was eventful:
- 1874: Suffered fire damage from a tug spark during outfitting; lost anchors and chains in ice at the Straits.
- 1875: Reported leaking while loaded with wheat.
- 1883: Collided with the steamer Conemaugh at Milwaukee.
- 1889: Struck barges of the Belle Cross.
- 1894: Assisted in the rescue of crew from the steamer Ohio following its collision with the Ironton.
- 1895–96: Stranded in a gale on Chocolay Reef near Marquette along with the Henry A. Kent; released in spring 1896 by salvage tug Jay Hursley.
- 1898: Sold to J.C. Gilchrist & Co. and converted into a barge.
Significant Incidents
- 1874: Suffered fire damage from a tug spark during outfitting; lost anchors and chains in ice at the Straits.
- 1875: Reported leaking while loaded with wheat.
- 1883: Collided with the steamer Conemaugh at Milwaukee.
- 1889: Struck barges of the Belle Cross.
- 1894: Assisted in the rescue of crew from the steamer Ohio following its collision with the Ironton.
- 1895–96: Stranded in a gale on Chocolay Reef near Marquette along with the Henry A. Kent; released in spring 1896 by salvage tug Jay Hursley.
- 1898: Sold to J.C. Gilchrist & Co. and converted into a barge.
Final Disposition
On 13 September 1903, while in tow of the steamer Volunteer and laden with iron ore, Moonlight began leaking heavily in a gale near the Apostle Islands. She foundered rapidly about 12 miles off Michigan Island, Lake Superior. Her crew escaped safely to the towing steamer. The vessel was declared a total loss.
Current Condition & Accessibility
The wreck was discovered in the summer of 2004. Moonlight rests in 240 feet of water, broken but with her name still visible on her side. Location: approximately 7 miles east of Michigan Island in Lake Superior.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”moonlight-us-90719″ title=”References & Links”]
No current Coast Guard hazards are posted. Wreck lies in deep water within the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore region.
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