Shotline Diving

Connecting You to the Depths of the Great Lakes

Oakland (Missouri) US 19298

Explore the wreck of the Oakland, a wooden propeller steamer lost in a storm on Lake Erie in 1883, with all crew surviving the ordeal.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: Oakland
  • Type: wooden propeller package freight steamer
  • Year Built: 1867
  • Builder: Wm. Loomas, Erie, PA
  • Dimensions: Length ~184 ft (56 m); Beam 28 ft; Depth of hold 10 ft
  • Registered Tonnage: 311 gross tons
  • Location: Off Conneaut, Ohio
  • Official Number: 19298

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

A wooden-hulled, single-screw, package-freight steamer equipped to haul loaded barges and cargo across Lake Erie. Designed for heavy timber and general freight operations, typical of vessel types engaged in Great Lakes lumber trade in the late 19th century.

Description

Built using timber and iron fastenings, the Oakland measured approximately 184 ft in length with a 28 ft beam and 10 ft depth. Gross tonnage was approximately 311 tons, with a net tonnage around 219. The vessel was originally built upon a reconditioned hull and served in package freight and lumber transport throughout its career.

History

  • Built in 1867, from the hull of the earlier steamer Missouri at Erie, PA by Wm. Loomas.
  • Operated widely in the Lake Erie lumber trade, frequently engaged in towing barges and carrying cargo.
  • At time of loss, she had just delivered the barge George W. Wesley at Cleveland, en route from Bay City, MI toward Erie, PA with a substantial lumber cargo.

Significant Incidents

  • The Oakland encountered a violent northwest gale that overwhelmed her shortly after completing her tow assignment.
  • The crew launched a tiny yawl, in which seven men abandoned ship; the remaining four stayed aboard and were rescued from a makeshift raft 30 hours later. The vessel foundered and sank off Conneaut.
  • No fatalities were reported among the 11-member crew.

Final Disposition

The wreck likely rests submerged in Lake Erie near Conneaut, but no modern survey, dive, or precise wreck coordinates are documented in the sources consulted. Conditions of depth, site condition, or diving accessibility remain unknown.

Current Condition & Accessibility

No Notices to Mariners or official hazard bulletins have been documented in the sources. Primary documentation is drawn from Swayze’s Great Lakes Shipwreck Files and compiled records on shipwreck lists.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”oakland-missouri-us-19298″ title=”References & Links”]

The event highlights the hazards of late-season lumber voyages on Lake Erie, particularly during strong NW gales. The loss of the Oakland underscores the risks faced by package freighters towing barges in volatile mid-September weather. That all crew survived despite prolonged exposure and survival on a raft speaks to both disaster and resilience.

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 Type

A wooden-hulled, single‑screw, package‑freight steamer equipped to haul loaded barges and cargo across Lake Erie. Designed for heavy timber and general freight operations, typical of vessel types engaged in Great Lakes lumber trade in the late 19th century (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, alcheminc.com).

Description

Built using timber and iron fastenings, the Oakland measured approximately 184 ft in length with a 28 ft beam and 10 ft depth. Gross tonnage was approximately 311 tons, with a net tonnage around 219. The vessel was originally built upon a reconditioned hull and served in package freight and lumber transport throughout its career (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files).

History

  • Built in 1867, from the hull of the earlier steamer Missouri at Erie, PA by Wm. Loomas (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files).
  • Operated widely in the Lake Erie lumber trade, frequently engaged in towing barges and carrying cargo.
  • At time of loss, she had just delivered the barge George W. Wesley at Cleveland, en route from Bay City, MI toward Erie, PA with a substantial lumber cargo (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files).

Final Disposition

  • The Oakland encountered a violent northwest gale that overwhelmed her shortly after completing her tow assignment.
  • The crew launched a tiny yawl, in which seven men abandoned ship; the remaining four stayed aboard and were rescued from a makeshift raft 30 hours later. The vessel foundered and sank off Conneaut (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files).
  • No fatalities were reported among the 11-member crew.

Wreck Status

  • The wreck likely rests submerged in Lake Erie near Conneaut, but no modern survey, dive, or precise wreck coordinates are documented in the sources consulted.
  • Conditions of depth, site condition, or diving accessibility remain unknown.

Notices & Advisories

  • No Notices to Mariners or official hazard bulletins have been documented in the sources.
  • Primary documentation is drawn from Swayze’s Great Lakes Shipwreck Files and compiled records on shipwreck lists (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files).

Historical Significance

  • The event highlights the hazards of late‑season lumber voyages on Lake Erie, particularly during strong NW gales.
  • The loss of the Oakland underscores the risks faced by package freighters towing barges in volatile mid‑September weather.
  • That all crew survived despite prolonged exposure and survival on a raft speaks to both disaster and resilience.

Research Gaps & Further Steps

  • Local newspaper archives (Conneaut, Cleveland & Erie, September–October 1883): To look for survivor accounts, captain’s statements, or salvage activity.
  • Railway & port records: May hold freight manifests or incident reports related to the barge delivery and subsequent storm loss.
  • U.S. Corps of Engineers or Conneaut harbor records (1883): To locate any notes on hazard removal or marking of wreckage.

Resources & References

  • Great Lakes Shipwreck Files – Entry for “Oakland, 1883‑09‑17, storm, none of 11″ (WordPress archive) (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
  • Alchem, Inc. “Erie‑Ashtabula Shipwrecks” – Oakland summary, cargo and crew details (alcheminc.com)
  • The Marsh collection PDF – Report referencing the significant lumber cargo and storm conditions (marshcollection.org)

Keywords & Categories

Wooden propeller steamer, Bay City lumber trade, storm foundering, Lake Erie 1883, Conneaut shipwreck, crew survival, package freighter

oakland-missouri-us-19298 1883-09-17 16:06:00