Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: The Muskegon (formerly Peerless)
- Type: Package / passenger freighter, later sandsucker
- Year Built: 1872
- Builder: Ira Lafrinnier, Cleveland, Ohio
- Dimensions: 211 ft (64.3 m); Beam ~39.9 ft (12.17 m); Depth of hold 12.5 ft (3.81 m)
- Registered Tonnage: ~1,199 gross tons
- Depth at Wreck Site: 9.75 m / 32 ft
- Location: Michigan City, Indiana
- Coordinates: Not precisely published in sources consulted
- Official Number: US 20470
- Original Owners: Leopold & Austrian Lake Superior Line (as Peerless); later Muskegon & Chicago Navigation Co.; later Independent Sand Co.
- Number of Masts: Not specified
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The Muskegon was originally built as a combined passenger and package freight steamer, later converted for bulk cargo operations.
Description
Built as Peerless in 1872 by Ira Lafrinnier at Cleveland, the vessel was powered by a high-pressure condensing engine fed by two coal-fired firebox boilers. Over time, she was refitted and repurposed for bulk cargo operations, particularly sand-laden operations under new ownership.
History
Peerless entered service circa 1872 under the Leopold & Austrian Lake Superior Line, serving routes between Chicago and Duluth, carrying passengers and freight. Over decades she underwent various refits, ownership changes, and even a collision in 1899 (with the schooner A. Stewart), after which she sank and was later raised and repaired. In about 1907 she was sold to the Muskegon & Chicago Navigation Company and renamed Muskegon. By 1908 she was converted to a bulk freighter. Later she was sold to the Independent Sand Company and further adapted to a sandsucker. By the time of her loss she was engaged in sand unloading operations at Michigan City, Indiana.
On 6 October 1910, while unloading sand at the Indiana Transportation Company dock in Michigan City, a fire broke out in the hull—some accounts attribute it to kerosene spillage near the boilers. The vessel burned down to the waterline and sank at the dock. She remained partially submerged at the dock until 10 June 1911, when she was refloated and towed out into deeper water to be scuttled.
Significant Incidents
- Collision with the schooner A. Stewart in 1899, resulting in sinking and subsequent raising and repair.
- Fire on 6 October 1910 while unloading sand, leading to sinking at the dock.
Final Disposition
After the fire and sinking at her dock, Muskegon lay in place until mid-1911. On 10 June 1911, she was refloated, towed away from the dock, and scuttled offshore to avoid obstruction. Substantial portions of her machinery—boilers, engine components, propeller, shafting, etc.—remain on site.
Current Condition & Accessibility
The Muskegon wreck is included in the Indiana DNR / Lake Michigan Shipwreck Virtual Tour program. The site has been documented via photogrammetric imaging, diver surveys, and remote sensing. The wreck site lies within the designated Indiana Shipwreck Nature Preserve as of 2024, and is regulated by state heritage and underwater archaeological laws.
Resources & Links
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Contemporary accounts report no loss of life during the fire and sinking. Crew member identities at the time of the incident are not documented in the sources reviewed. Researchers may consult local Michigan City / LaPorte County newspaper archives or maritime registers for crew lists.
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