Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Palestine
- Type: Wooden schooner
- Year Built: 1847
- Builder: Unknown
- Dimensions: Not recorded
- Registered Tonnage: Not recorded
- Location: Ontario shore, Lake Huron
- Official Number: Not recorded
- Original Owners: Not recorded
- Number of Masts: Not recorded
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
A mid–19th-century wooden schooner likely built for general cargo, notably heavy iron freight like railroad materials—well-suited for lake trade but vulnerable when loaded deeply and caught in late-autumn weather.
Description
Departing Kingston, Ontario, bound for Cleveland, the Palestine and Ontonagon carried loads of railroad iron. On 23 November 1853, both schooners were driven ashore on the Ontario coast during a storm. They lost compass reliability (“erratic compass variations”) and ran onto the beach only a few rods apart. Both vessels were pounded heavily by surf and sank in place. No survivors were lost among either crew.
History
Both vessels were declared total losses after breaking apart onshore. No salvage efforts are recorded, suggesting they were abandoned in place and left to the elements.
Significant Incidents
- Wreckage was noted shortly after the storm in November 1853.
- No precise coordinates or archaeological surveys exist for either wreck today.
Final Disposition
Both vessels were declared total losses after breaking apart onshore. No salvage efforts are recorded, suggesting they were abandoned in place and left to the elements.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No official navigational markers were placed. The Ontario Lake Huron coastline remains prone to storms and compass anomalies; modern charts offer general hazard warnings, but no site-specific alerts.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”palestine-1847″ title=”References & Links”]
The Palestine foundered during a November 1853 storm while carrying railroad iron from Kingston to Cleveland. Beaching alongside the Ontonagon due to erratic compass readings, she endured wave pounding until sinking. Both vessels were abandoned onshore with no casualties. The wreck remains undiscovered and uncharted.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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