Persia US 19672

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Persia
• Type: Schooner
• Year Built: 1855
• Builder: D. Barrett
• Dimensions: Length 95.5 ft (~29.1 m); Beam 21 ft (6.4 m); Depth of hold 6.8 ft (2.1 m)
• Registered Tonnage: 96.69 GT
• Location: Eight miles north of Racine, WI
• Coordinates: N 42° 48.468′, W 87° 47.172′
• Official Number: 19672
• Original Owners: J.S. Reed, Lieppe
• Number of Masts: Two

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

• A two-masted wooden schooner, rigged fore-and-aft, powered by sail; intended for lumber trade along the Great Lakes.

Description

Constructed of timber planking on wooden frames, rated A1 by 1863 insurance boards, downgraded to B2 by 1874. Total registered tonnage 96.69 GT after remeasurement in 1865. Typical schooner rig with two masts, suited for hauling lumber in relatively protected coastal routes.

History

Initially owned by J.S. Reed of Chicago, later by Lieppe, Chicago. Valued at $4,000 in 1863 and $3,000 in 1874. Carried uninsured lumber, through Kelly, Weeks & Co. of Chicago. No recorded loss of life: Captain Sam Martin and two crew escaped in the yawl when the vessel failed.

Significant Incidents

• On 2 June 1892, Persia sprang a leak and became waterlogged. She anchored offshore, dragged anchor, and stranded approximately eight miles north of Racine. Crew abandoned vessel, which rapidly broke apart, scattering uninsured lumber that was scavenged locally.

Final Disposition

The vessel was valued at $1,000; cargo at $1,000; neither insured. USLSS reports (6 June) indicate vessel was dismantled and rigging recovered to Racine harbor for the master.

Current Condition & Accessibility

The wreck’s remains were found in the early 1990s by Bob Jaeck, searching documented loss accounts and sonar/historical mapping off Racine’s coast. Remaining structure lies submerged just offshore in shallow water; condition consistent with breakup on beach and partial preservation at site.

Resources & Links

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The schooner Persia represents a modest but informative example of mid-19th century lumber schooners operating out of Chicago. Her short career, minimal tonnage, and eventual uninsured loss reflect economic fragility of smaller wooden trading vessels. The intact escape of all aboard and preservation of beach debris help confirm the circumstances shortly after loss. The site located by Jaeck in the 1990s contributes to documented wreck counts off Racine and illustrates coastal emergency strandings rather than deep-water sinkings. Persia holds limited archaeological value beyond mapping early timber vessel patterns, and her dispersed remains present minimal dive interest—but historically she fills economic gaps in Great Lakes lumber-trading records.