Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Norland
- Type: steam screw package freighter
- Year Built: 1890
- Builder: H.B. & G.B. Burger Shipyard, Manitowoc, Wisconsin
- Dimensions: Length 152.5 ft (46.45 m); Beam 25 ft (7.62 m); Depth of hold 9.4 ft (2.87 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 522 tons
- Depth at Wreck Site: 17.7 m / 58 ft
- Location: 3 miles southeast of St. Francis, off Milwaukee's South Point
- Coordinates: N 42° 58.25' / W 087° 48.74'
- Official Number: 136131
- Original Owners: C.B. & H.W. Hart, Joseph Chicago Milwaukee Steamship Co., International Bank of New York, Norlund Lines, Arnold Transit Co., Frank Finsthwait
- Number of Masts: Single mast
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
- Wooden steam screw package freighter
- Single mast, package freight carrier
Description
The Norlond, originally launched as Eugene C. Hart, was a wooden-hulled steam screw freighter measuring:
- Length: 152.5 ft (46.45 m)
- Beam: 25 ft (7.62 m)
- Depth of Hold: 9.4 ft (2.87 m)
- Gross Tonnage: 522 tons
She was powered by a single steam screw engine and constructed of wood, designed primarily to carry general merchandise. Her cargo on her final voyage was valued at $500,000, including toys, pharmaceuticals, and plumbing supplies.
History
Builder: H.B. & G.B. Burger Shipyard, Manitowoc, Wisconsin
Original Owners: C.B. & H.W. Hart, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Other Owners: Joseph Chicago Milwaukee Steamship Co., International Bank of New York, Norlund Lines, Arnold Transit Co.
Final Owner: Frank Finsthwait, New York, NY
Home Port: New York, NY
Service Record:
- 1890–1917: Operated on the Great Lakes for Hart Shipping Line.
- April 1893: Lengthened at Milwaukee to increase cargo capacity.
- August 1901: Broke propeller shaft on the St. Marys River; towed to DeTour, MI.
- 1911: Ran Green Bay to Sault Ste. Marie route.
- 1917–1919: Sold and operated on the U.S. East Coast during WWI.
- 1919: Purchased by Norlond Lines and renamed Norlond.
- 1922: Returned to Great Lakes under Frank Finsthwait, operating Chicago–Milwaukee package freight route.
Significant Incidents
Final Disposition:
- Date of Loss: November 13, 1922
- Cause: Structural failure due to leak during a gale; foundered after pump failure.
- Voyage: Chicago to Milwaukee with $500,000 in general cargo.
- Sequence:
- Sought refuge at Racine during storm; leaks discovered and patched.
- Departed for Milwaukee but sprang a second leak.
- After two hours of pumping, crew abandoned ship in lifeboats.
- Vessel sank stern-first off Milwaukee’s South Point in 58 ft (17.7 m).
- Casualties: None – crew successfully reached shore.
- Insurance: Cargo insured; vessel salvaged in 1923.
Final Disposition
Salvage:
- 1923 – Steamer Jane recovered the engine and most cargo.
- 1959 – John Steele rediscovered the wreck, 3 miles southeast of St. Francis.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Located: 1959 by diver John Steele
Coordinates: N 42° 58.25′ / W 087° 48.74′
Condition:
- Wreck lies upright in sand and mud.
- Upper hull collapsed, exposing boiler, shaft, propeller, and keel.
- Cargo debris field scattered around site.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”norland-us-136131″ title=”References & Links”]
The Norlond is a historically significant Great Lakes package freighter, representing the transitional era of wooden steamers. Her loss highlights structural limitations of late 19th-century wooden hulls under heavy package cargo loads in rough conditions. Today, she is an accessible intermediate recreational dive and a study site for maritime archaeologists examining Great Lakes commerce, salvage practices, and the transition from wood to steel shipbuilding.
Keywords: Lake Michigan, Milwaukee, package freighter, steam screw, wooden hull, foundered, 1922, Norlond, Eugene C. Hart, Hart Shipping Line, Norlund Lines.
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
- Vessel Name(s): Eugene C. Hart (1890–1919), Norlond (1919–1922)
- U.S. Registry Number: 136131
- Year Built: 1890
- Year Sank: 1922
- Lives Lost: 0
- Depth: 58 ft (17.7 m)
- Coordinates: N 42° 58.25′ / W 087° 48.74′
- Body of Water: Lake Michigan
- Nearest City: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- County: Milwaukee
Vessel Type
- Wooden steam screw package freighter
- Single mast, package freight carrier
Description
The Norlond, originally launched as Eugene C. Hart, was a wooden-hulled steam screw freighter measuring:
- Length: 152.5 ft (46.45 m)
- Beam: 25 ft (7.62 m)
- Depth of Hold: 9.4 ft (2.87 m)
- Gross Tonnage: 522 tons
She was powered by a single steam screw engine and constructed of wood, designed primarily to carry general merchandise. Her cargo on her final voyage was valued at $500,000, including toys, pharmaceuticals, and plumbing supplies.
History
- Builder: H.B. & G.B. Burger Shipyard, Manitowoc, Wisconsin
- Original Owners: C.B. & H.W. Hart, Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Other Owners: Joseph Chicago Milwaukee Steamship Co., International Bank of New York, Norlund Lines, Arnold Transit Co.
- Final Owner: Frank Finsthwait, New York, NY
- Home Port: New York, NY
Service Record:
- 1890–1917: Operated on the Great Lakes for Hart Shipping Line.
- April 1893: Lengthened at Milwaukee to increase cargo capacity.
- August 1901: Broke propeller shaft on the St. Marys River; towed to DeTour, MI.
- 1911: Ran Green Bay to Sault Ste. Marie route.
- 1917–1919: Sold and operated on the U.S. East Coast during WWI.
- 1919: Purchased by Norlond Lines and renamed Norlond.
- 1922: Returned to Great Lakes under Frank Finsthwait, operating Chicago–Milwaukee package freight route.
Final Disposition
- Date of Loss: November 13, 1922
- Cause: Structural failure due to leak during a gale; foundered after pump failure.
- Voyage: Chicago to Milwaukee with $500,000 in general cargo.
- Sequence:
- Sought refuge at Racine during storm; leaks discovered and patched.
- Departed for Milwaukee but sprang a second leak.
- After two hours of pumping, crew abandoned ship in lifeboats.
- Vessel sank stern-first off Milwaukee’s South Point in 58 ft (17.7 m).
- Casualties: None – crew successfully reached shore.
- Insurance: Cargo insured; vessel salvaged in 1923.
Salvage:
- 1923 – Steamer Jane recovered the engine and most cargo.
- 1959 – John Steele rediscovered the wreck, 3 miles southeast of St. Francis.
Located By & Condition
- Located: 1959 by diver John Steele
- Coordinates: N 42° 58.25′ / W 087° 48.74′
- Condition:
- Wreck lies upright in sand and mud.
- Upper hull collapsed, exposing boiler, shaft, propeller, and keel.
- Cargo debris field scattered around site.
Notmars & Advisories
- No current navigational hazards reported.
- Wreck site may require Wisconsin DNR diving permit for artifact removal.
Resources & Links
- Bowling Green State University – HCGL Vessel Index
- Wisconsin Shipwrecks – Norlond
- NOAA Thunder Bay Shipwrecks
- Newspapers.com – Milwaukee Sentinel Archive
- 3D Shipwrecks Database
Shore Dive Information
- Entry: Boat dive recommended; approximately 3 miles SE of St. Francis
- Depth Range: 50–58 ft (15–17.7 m)
- Bottom Composition: Sand and mud; scattered cargo and timber
- Emergency Contacts:
- USCG Milwaukee Sector: +1 (414) 747-7182
- Milwaukee Fire Department Dive Rescue: 911 local
- Permits: Required for artifact collection; look but don’t touch recommended.
Conclusion
The Norlond is a historically significant Great Lakes package freighter, representing the transitional era of wooden steamers. Her loss highlights structural limitations of late 19th-century wooden hulls under heavy package cargo loads in rough conditions. Today, she is an accessible intermediate recreational dive and a study site for maritime archaeologists examining Great Lakes commerce, salvage practices, and the transition from wood to steel shipbuilding.
Keywords: Lake Michigan, Milwaukee, package freighter, steam screw, wooden hull, foundered, 1922, Norlond, Eugene C. Hart, Hart Shipping Line, Norlund Lines.
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