Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: PENNSYLVANIA
- Type: Wooden schooner
- Year Built: Circa 1836
- Builder:
- Dimensions: Length 60-100 ft (18-30 m); Beam; Depth of hold
- Registered Tonnage:
- Location: Off Lake Erie, near Erie, Pennsylvania
- Official Number: Not recorded
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
A mid-19th-century wooden schooner, typical of the era’s Great Lakes cargo carriers, depended on sail power and reliant on crew skill and weather.
Description
Likely between 60–100 ft (18–30 m) in length, the PENNSYLVANIA hauled mixed cargo typical of freight schooners of the time. Exact tonnage, measurements, and rigging are not detailed in surviving records.
History
Built around 1836, she operated on Lake Erie during a period of frequent autumn storms. On 18 October 1844, while making her way from Cleveland to Buffalo, the schooner encountered a severe gale and capsized. What followed is classified as foundering—the vessel sank, and debris washed ashore for miles along the Erie coast. All 10 individuals aboard perished. Reports describe flotsam reaching the shore, but no further details exist.
Significant Incidents
- All 10 aboard lost during the storm on 18 October 1844.
Final Disposition
Capsized and foundered in open water during the storm. Debris drifted ashore along Lake Erie’s Pennsylvania coast. The wreck remains unlocated, and no parts are known to have been recovered.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No records of wreck-site discovery or salvage. The final resting point remains unknown.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”pennsylvania-1836″ title=”References & Links”]
The PENNSYLVANIA (c. 1836–1844) was a wooden schooner that sank during a powerful gale on 18 October 1844, while voyaging from Cleveland to Buffalo. She foundered with all 10 aboard lost, and her wrecked remains washed ashore along the Lake Erie coast near Erie, Pennsylvania. Today, her exact location remains unknown and undocumented.
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: PENNSYLVANIA
- Vessel Type: Wooden schooner (exact rigging unknown)
- Official Number: Not recorded
- Date Built: Circa 1836
- Date Lost: 18 October 1844
- Location Lost: Off Lake Erie, near Erie, Pennsylvania
- Voyage: Downbound from Cleveland to Buffalo
- Cargo: Flour, whiskey, and assorted goods
- Casualties: All 10 aboard lost (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com, chautauqua.nygenweb.net, us-data.org)
Vessel Type
A mid-19th-century wooden schooner, typical of the era’s Great Lakes cargo carriers, depended on sail power and reliant on crew skill and weather.
Description
Likely between 60–100 ft (18–30 m) in length, the PENNSYLVANIA hauled mixed cargo typical of freight schooners of the time. Exact tonnage, measurements, and rigging are not detailed in surviving records.
History
Built around 1836, she operated on Lake Erie during a period of frequent autumn storms. On 18 October 1844, while making her way from Cleveland to Buffalo, the schooner encountered a severe gale and capsized. What followed is classified as foundering—the vessel sank, and debris washed ashore for miles along the Erie coast. All 10 individuals aboard perished. Reports describe flotsam reaching the shore, but no further details exist (alcheminc.com).
Final Disposition
Capsized and foundered in open water during the storm. Debris drifted ashore along Lake Erie’s Pennsylvania coast. The wreck remains unlocated, and no parts are known to have been recovered.
Located By & Date Found
No records of wreck-site discovery or salvage. The final resting point remains unknown.
Notations & Advisories
- No known navigational hazard warnings are documented.
- Given its mid-lake loss, the wreck poses no current risk to navigation.
Resources & Links
- Great Lakes Shipwreck Files listing (ca. 1844 storm loss, all hands) (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com)
- Historical weather coverage referencing the “lake seiche disaster” of October 1844 on Lake Erie (buffalohistorygazette.net)
Conclusion
The PENNSYLVANIA (c. 1836–1844) was a wooden schooner that sank during a powerful gale on 18 October 1844, while voyaging from Cleveland to Buffalo. She foundered with all 10 aboard lost, and her wrecked remains washed ashore along the Lake Erie coast near Erie, Pennsylvania. Today, her exact location remains unknown and undocumented.
Suggested Next Steps
- Search regional newspapers (Erie, PA; Cleveland, OH; Buffalo, NY) from October 1844 for eyewitness accounts or survivor reports.
- Consult the Erie County Library and local historical societies for maritime disaster records from autumn 1844.
- Investigate insurance and registry archives for vessel specifications and ownership details.