Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Nile
- Type: Steam Screw (single-mast wooden sidewheel steamer)
- Year Built: 1844
- Builder: Benjamin Goodsell
- Dimensions: 183 ft (55.8 m); Beam 26.75 ft (8.15 m); Depth of hold 13.67 ft (4.16 m)
- Registered Tonnage:
- Depth at Wreck Site: 0 ft
- Location: Milwaukee Harbor, Lake Michigan
- Coordinates: N 43° 01.474' / W 087° 53.633'
- Official Number: None assigned
- Original Owners: Oliver Newberry & Caleb Harrison
- Number of Masts: 1
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
- Class: Steam Screw (single-mast wooden sidewheel steamer)
- Intended Use: Passenger & freight service on Great Lakes
- Service Routes: Primarily Detroit – Buffalo (1846-47), later Buffalo – Detroit – Chicago
Description
The Nile was a 183 ft (55.8 m) wooden sidewheel steamer, 26.75 ft (8.15 m) beam, 13.67 ft (4.16 m) hold depth, powered by a single-cylinder, low-pressure steam engine salvaged from the wrecked steamer Milwaukee (1842). She carried one mast and served in early commercial passenger traffic on the Great Lakes. Her propulsion was steam screw with sidewheel characteristics, as was transitional in 1840s design.
History
- Builder: Benjamin Goodsell
- Build Location: Detroit, Michigan
- Owners: Oliver Newberry & Caleb Harrison (Detroit businessmen and shipping investors)
- Home Port: Detroit, Michigan
Early Service & Incidents:
- June 1844 – Aground at Bois Blanc Island, Detroit River
- July 1844 – Broke shaft on Lake Erie; later collided with the propeller Oswego
- 1845 – Underwent significant rebuild following repeated mechanical issues
- 1846–1847 – Briefly operated Detroit-Buffalo route before shifting to longer Chicago voyages
- Aug 1849 – Collision with Wisconsin near St. Clair River; repaired
- Oct 1849 – Driven ashore during a gale near Milwaukee; refloated but stranded again during tow attempts
Enrollment: Last enrollment recorded in Detroit on April 22, 1844.
Significant Incidents
- Date of Loss: September 5, 1850
- Cause: Fire while stranded in the mouth of the Milwaukee River near Alanson Sweat’s old warehouse
- Details:
“The Nile was burned to the water’s edge. Her furniture and most of her engines had been taken out… They were preparing to haul her out for repairs when the fire consumed her.”
— Milwaukee Sentinel, September 6, 1850
- Insurance: None on the vessel; $1,000 on the warehouse (Milwaukee Mutual Insurance Co.)
- Aftermath: Hull likely salvaged or scuttled in 1852; oral history suggests she was “hauled into Lake Michigan and swallowed up” (M.A. Boardman, 1888)
Final Disposition
- Status: Uncertain; possibly buried, dismantled, or scuttled offshore in Milwaukee Harbor
- Modern Wreck Site: Coordinates suggest historic position; no verified intact wreck remains
- Reported Depth: 0 ft (burned to waterline in shallow harbor)
Current Condition & Accessibility
- No active U.S. Coast Guard or NOAA Notices to Mariners currently issued for Nile
- Milwaukee Harbor underwent significant dredging and infill; wreck remnants may have been removed or buried
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”nile-1844″ title=”References & Links”]
The Nile represents an early generation of transitional Great Lakes steamers. Her short career reflects the operational hazards of wooden steam vessels in the mid-19th century: frequent mechanical failures, strandings, and vulnerability to fire.
While likely dismantled or scuttled, her loss location near Milwaukee highlights the city’s early maritime history and the evolution of fire and salvage practices on the lakes. If remnants exist, they may lie under harbor fill or scattered offshore.
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.
Identification & Site Information
- Vessel Names: Nile (no known name changes)
- Registration Number: None assigned
- Year Built: 1844 (launched July 4, 1843)
- Year Sank: 1850
- Location of Wreck: Milwaukee Harbor, Lake Michigan
- Coordinates: N 43° 01.474′ / W 087° 53.633′
- Nearest City: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- County: Milwaukee
- Depth: 0 ft (wreck likely burned to waterline; salvaged or scuttled)
Vessel Type
- Class: Steam Screw (single-mast wooden sidewheel steamer)
- Intended Use: Passenger & freight service on Great Lakes
- Service Routes: Primarily Detroit – Buffalo (1846-47), later Buffalo – Detroit – Chicago
Description
The Nile was a 183 ft (55.8 m) wooden sidewheel steamer, 26.75 ft (8.15 m) beam, 13.67 ft (4.16 m) hold depth, powered by a single-cylinder, low-pressure steam engine salvaged from the wrecked steamer Milwaukee (1842). She carried one mast and served in early commercial passenger traffic on the Great Lakes. Her propulsion was steam screw with sidewheel characteristics, as was transitional in 1840s design.
History
- Builder: Benjamin Goodsell
- Build Location: Detroit, Michigan
- Owners: Oliver Newberry & Caleb Harrison (Detroit businessmen and shipping investors)
- Home Port: Detroit, Michigan
Early Service & Incidents:
- June 1844 – Aground at Bois Blanc Island, Detroit River
- July 1844 – Broke shaft on Lake Erie; later collided with the propeller Oswego
- 1845 – Underwent significant rebuild following repeated mechanical issues
- 1846–1847 – Briefly operated Detroit-Buffalo route before shifting to longer Chicago voyages
- Aug 1849 – Collision with Wisconsin near St. Clair River; repaired
- Oct 1849 – Driven ashore during a gale near Milwaukee; refloated but stranded again during tow attempts
Enrollment: Last enrollment recorded in Detroit on April 22, 1844.
Final Disposition
- Date of Loss: September 5, 1850
- Cause: Fire while stranded in the mouth of the Milwaukee River near Alanson Sweat’s old warehouse
- Details:
“The Nile was burned to the water’s edge. Her furniture and most of her engines had been taken out… They were preparing to haul her out for repairs when the fire consumed her.”
— Milwaukee Sentinel, September 6, 1850
- Insurance: None on the vessel; $1,000 on the warehouse (Milwaukee Mutual Insurance Co.)
- Aftermath: Hull likely salvaged or scuttled in 1852; oral history suggests she was “hauled into Lake Michigan and swallowed up” (M.A. Boardman, 1888)
Located By & Wreck Status
- Status: Uncertain; possibly buried, dismantled, or scuttled offshore in Milwaukee Harbor
- Modern Wreck Site: Coordinates suggest historic position; no verified intact wreck remains
- Reported Depth: 0 ft (burned to waterline in shallow harbor)
Notmars & Advisories
- No active U.S. Coast Guard or NOAA Notices to Mariners currently issued for Nile
- Milwaukee Harbor underwent significant dredging and infill; wreck remnants may have been removed or buried
Resources & Links
- HCGL Vessel Record – Nile (search for Nile, 1844)
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
- NOAA Thunder Bay Shipwreck Listing
- Chronicling America – Milwaukee Sentinel 9/6/1850
- Wisconsin Shipwrecks Database – Nile
Conclusion
The Nile represents an early generation of transitional Great Lakes steamers. Her short career reflects the operational hazards of wooden steam vessels in the mid-19th century: frequent mechanical failures, strandings, and vulnerability to fire.
While likely dismantled or scuttled, her loss location near Milwaukee highlights the city’s early maritime history and the evolution of fire and salvage practices on the lakes. If remnants exist, they may lie under harbor fill or scattered offshore.
Keywords / Categories
- Great Lakes Steamship, Wooden Sidewheel Steamer, Fire Loss, 1840s Shipping, Milwaukee Harbor, Early Great Lakes Navigation, Salvage History, Potential Buried Wreck