Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Nile
- Type: Wooden-hulled sidewheel propeller steamer
- Year Built: 1852
- Builder: Port Dover, Ontario
- Dimensions: 190 ft (58 m) × 28 ft (8.5 m) × 12 ft (3.5 m)
- Registered Tonnage: ~650 tons
- Location: Moored at Detroit, Michigan, on Detroit River
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
A mid-19th-century mixed-use propeller steamer, the Nile combined passenger and package freight services. Powered by a sidewheel steam engine, she was designed for regional routes along the Detroit River and into the upper Great Lakes.
Description
The Nile was a wooden-hulled sidewheel propeller steamer that served both passenger and freight needs. Her design was typical of the era, focusing on efficiency for regional transport.
History
On 21 May 1864, while at dock in Detroit, the Nile experienced a catastrophic boiler explosion. The blast obliterated the vessel, propelling massive boiler fragments hundreds of feet and causing widespread damage. Eight crew members aboard the vessel died, and one additional man ashore was killed.
Significant Incidents
- Catastrophic boiler explosion on 21 May 1864 while moored in Detroit.
- Explosion resulted in the death of eight crew members and one man ashore.
Final Disposition
The explosion resulted in the total destruction of the vessel. Any remaining hulk was likely scrapped or salvaged in the following days. No attempt to rebuild or refloat occurred, per contemporary records.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No modern archaeological study or dive survey has located remnants. The wreck site, being in shallow, urbanized dock waters, likely bears no recoverable remains.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”nile-1852″ title=”References & Links”]
The destruction of the Nile on 21 May 1864 illustrates the grave dangers of boiler operation aboard wooden steamers in dock—particularly in the era before modern safety valves and pressure gauges. Its sudden and violent end shocked Detroit’s maritime community and highlighted the imperative of improved marine boiler safety regulations.
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: Nile
- Built: 1852 (per official record) or 1847 at Port Dover, Ontario (per wreck files) (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com)
- Vessel Type: Wooden-hulled sidewheel propeller steamer
- Dimensions: Approximately 58 m × 8.5 m × 3.5 m (190′ × 28′ × 12′); registered at ~650 tons when built (linkstothepast.com)
- Cargo at Loss: Household goods, horses, wagons
- Casualties: 8 crewmen killed, plus one man ashore
- Date Lost: 21 May 1864
- Location: Moored at Detroit, Michigan, on Detroit River (explosion while docked) (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com, history.navy.mil, manitouislandsarchives.org)
Vessel Type & Description
A mid-19th-century mixed-use propeller steamer, the Nile combined passenger and package freight services. Powered by a sidewheel steam engine, she was designed for regional routes along the Detroit River and into the upper Great Lakes.
History & Loss
On 21 May 1864, while at dock in Detroit, the Nile experienced a catastrophic boiler explosion. The blast obliterated the vessel, propelling massive boiler fragments hundreds of feet and causing widespread damage. Eight crew members aboard the vessel died, and one additional man ashore was killed (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com).
Final Disposition
The explosion resulted in the total destruction of the vessel. Any remaining hulk was likely scrapped or salvaged in the following days. No attempt to rebuild or refloat occurred, per contemporary records.
Located By & Date Found
No modern archaeological study or dive survey has located remnants. The wreck site, being in shallow, urbanized dock waters, likely bears no recoverable remains.
Notations & Advisories
No lasting navigational hazard exists. Standard municipal river management practices would have removed wreckage from the channel following the incident.
Conclusion
The destruction of the Nile on 21 May 1864 illustrates the grave dangers of boiler operation aboard wooden steamers in dock—particularly in the era before modern safety valves and pressure gauges. Its sudden and violent end shocked Detroit’s maritime community and highlighted the imperative of improved marine boiler safety regulations.
Suggested Keywords: Nile boiler explosion, Detroit River steamer disaster, 1864 steamboat explosion
Categories:
- Great Lakes steam vessel disasters
- 19th-century boiler explosions
- Propeller steamers
- Maritime safety history
Resources & Links
- Smokstak forum post: Describes the boiler explosion scattering debris up to 300 ft and killing eight crew (smokstak.com, wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
- Great Lakes Shipwreck Files – Nile entry includes build details, location, casualties, cargo (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com)