Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Nautilus
- Type: Schooner
- Year Built: 1853
- Builder: Jones
- Dimensions: Length 128 ft (39 m); Beam 26 ft (7.9 m); Depth of hold Not recorded (estimated 8-10 ft / 2.4-3.0 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 306 tons
- Depth at Wreck Site: 4.3 m / 14 ft
- Location: Off Lake Street, Chicago Harbour
- Original Owners: Rounds, Hudson & Ranney
- Number of Masts: 2
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Wooden schooner designed for bulk cargo transport across the upper Great Lakes.
Description
- Hull Material: Wood
- Decks: 1
- Number of Masts: 2
- Length: 39 metres / 128 feet
- Beam: 7.9 metres / 26 feet
- Depth: Not recorded (likely an omission or clerical error; based on contemporaries, estimated around 2.4–3.0 metres / 8–10 feet)
- Tonnage (Old Style): 306 tons
Constructed with robust dimensions for the salt, lumber, and general cargo trade, Nautilus represented the mid-19th-century lake schooner class—shallow draft, broad-beamed, and optimized for port access on the Great Lakes.
History
- 1853: Built in Buffalo, New York by shipwright Jones. Enrolled that year for operation from both Buffalo, NY, and Chicago, IL.
- 1854: Owned by the firm Rounds, Hudson & Ranney of Chicago, Illinois.
- October 4, 1854: While carrying 1,600 barrels of salt, Nautilus holed her hull and quickly sank off Lake Street within Chicago Harbour during a storm. The wreck settled in relatively shallow water.
Significant Incidents
- Loss Circumstances: The vessel holed and sank during a storm while inbound to Chicago. Loss was deemed total. There is no known record of salvage.
Final Disposition
Wrecked. The vessel holed and sank during a storm while inbound to Chicago. Loss was deemed total. There is no known record of salvage.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No modern archaeological recovery or formal identification of wreck site is documented.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”nautilus-1853″ title=”References & Links”]
The Nautilus of 1853 is an example of the perilous nature of early Great Lakes navigation, especially for large schooners running bulk commodities into shallow and often storm-exposed harbours like Chicago. Though lost within a year of launch, her size and cargo emphasize the growing demands of commercial trade through the Great Lakes in the mid-19th century.
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: Nautilus
- Year Built: 1853
- Built At: Buffalo, New York
- Final Location: Off Lake Street, Chicago Harbour, Lake Michigan
- Date Lost: 4 October 1854
- Final Depth: Approx. 4.3 metres / 14 feet
Vessel Type
Wooden schooner designed for bulk cargo transport across the upper Great Lakes.
Description
- Hull Material: Wood
- Decks: 1
- Number of Masts: 2
- Length: 39 metres / 128 feet
- Beam: 7.9 metres / 26 feet
- Depth: Not recorded (likely an omission or clerical error; based on contemporaries, estimated around 2.4–3.0 metres / 8–10 feet)
- Tonnage (Old Style): 306 tons
Constructed with robust dimensions for the salt, lumber, and general cargo trade, Nautilus represented the mid-19th-century lake schooner class—shallow draft, broad-beamed, and optimized for port access on the Great Lakes.
History
- 1853: Built in Buffalo, New York by shipwright Jones. Enrolled that year for operation from both Buffalo, NY, and Chicago, IL.
- 1854: Owned by the firm Rounds, Hudson & Ranney of Chicago, Illinois.
- October 4, 1854: While carrying 1,600 barrels of salt, Nautilus holed her hull and quickly sank off Lake Street within Chicago Harbour during a storm. The wreck settled in relatively shallow water.
Final Disposition
Wrecked. The vessel holed and sank during a storm while inbound to Chicago. Loss was deemed total. There is no known record of salvage.
Located By & Date Found
No modern archaeological recovery or formal identification of wreck site is documented.
Notmar & Advisories
None noted.
Resources & Links
- C. Patrick Labadie Collection
- C. E. Feltner Enrollments Database
- “Steamboat Era in the Muskokas” by Richard Tatley
- Enrollment and shipping records, Buffalo & Chicago
Conclusion
The Nautilus of 1853 is an example of the perilous nature of early Great Lakes navigation, especially for large schooners running bulk commodities into shallow and often storm-exposed harbours like Chicago. Though lost within a year of launch, her size and cargo emphasize the growing demands of commercial trade through the Great Lakes in the mid-19th century.
Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms
- Keywords: schooner, Lake Michigan, salt trade, Chicago harbour, 1850s wreck
- Categories: Great Lakes schooners, Lake Michigan wrecks, 19th-century maritime commerce
- Glossary:
- Holed: A breach or puncture in the hull of a vessel.
- Barrels (salt): Common 19th-century bulk packaging for dry goods including salt.