Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Reliable
- Type: Sandsucker scow-schooner
- Year Built: 1880
- Builder:
- Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
- Registered Tonnage:
- Location: ~1–2 mi offshore of South Milwaukee, WI
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The Reliable was a wooden flat-bottom vessel specifically designed as a sandsucker scow-schooner, primarily used for dredging and transporting sand.
Description
According to period sources, the Reliable regularly transported sand and operated near the Milwaukee-Chicago corridor. On the loss day, she had nearly completed loading by 2:30 PM when the storm hit.
History
On Saturday afternoon, 16 August 1913, while nearly loaded—some two miles offshore of South Milwaukee—the Reliable took on a leak in the hold. The crew pumped continuously for two hours. Capt. Krumer ordered dumping of sand to lighten the vessel around 6:00 PM. Shortly thereafter, she called for help, and the steamer Chicago happened by a few hundred yards away and responded.
Significant Incidents
- On the day of the sinking, the Reliable experienced a sudden gale storm, part of the broader 1913 storm season.
- The vessel capsized and sank due to shifting sand cargo in the gale, but all crew members were saved.
Final Disposition
The Reliable capsized and sank, but all crew members were rescued by the nearby steamer Chicago. No modern rediscovery or underwater survey is documented, and the wreck likely lies submerged near the sinking site.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No formal Notices to Mariners or hazard bulletins were issued regarding the wreck of the Reliable.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”reliable-1880″ title=”References & Links”]
The Reliable was a small sandsucker schooner built in 1880, lost on 16 August 1913 during a gale off South Milwaukee. A leak and shifting cargo triggered capsizing, but all crew survived via a small boat escape and timely rescue by the steamer Chicago. While modest in size and not involved in the larger November hurricane, her loss underscores operational risks faced by local sand vessels in sudden weather changes.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
Join Shotline to read more →