Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Rosa Stearns
- Type: Wooden two-masted schooner
- Year Built: 1866
- Builder: N. Woodward
- Dimensions: 82 ft × 20 ft × 7 ft (25 m × 6.1 m × 2.1 m); 100 tons
- Registered Tonnage: Not documented
- Location: Driven against the Cleveland lighthouse pier, Lake Erie (near Fairport, Ohio entrance)
- Official Number: Not documented
- Number of Masts: 2
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
A small coastal cargo schooner built for heavy bulk freight, commonly transporting coal, lumber, or similar commodities within the Great Lakes.
Description
Built in 1866, Rosa Stearns served ports on Lake Erie. On 6 September 1871, while bound from Cleveland to Port Stanley with coal, she encountered a severe gale. Blowing onshore, she struck the Cleveland lighthouse pier and was pounded to pieces. The crew escaped by jumping to the pier before the vessel broke up completely.
History
Rosa Stearns was constructed at Port Rowan, Ontario, and primarily operated in the Lake Erie region. Her final voyage ended tragically when she was driven onto the Cleveland lighthouse pier during a storm, leading to her total loss.
Significant Incidents
- 6 September 1871: Wrecked by wave action against the Cleveland lighthouse pier during a gale.
Final Disposition
Declared a total loss; wrecked by wave action against the pier. No salvage took place; her remains were dispersed or cleared from the pier entrance.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Immediate post-storm observations by Cleveland harbor crews noted the wreck. No precise cartographic coordinates or modern dive surveys exist. No navigational markers were ever installed, and the Cleveland harbor entrance remains a high-wind zone without specific wreck hazard markings.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”rosa-stearns-1866″ title=”References & Links”]
The schooner Rosa Stearns, launched in 1866, met her fate on 6 September 1871 when a gale drove her into the Cleveland lighthouse pier. With a full coal cargo and no casualties, she was wrecked beyond repair. No remnants remain visible, but the incident underscores the risks of late-season storms on Lake Erie trade routes.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
Join Shotline to read more →