Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Selden E. Marvin
- Type: Two-masted wooden schooner-barge, single-deck
- Year Built: 1881
- Builder: Bailey Brothers, Toledo, Ohio
- Dimensions: Length 174.6 ft (53.2 m); Beam 33.2 ft (10.1 m); Depth of hold 12.2 ft (3.7 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 618 ft
- Depth at Wreck Site: 183 m / 600 ft
- Location: Approximately 20 miles north of Grand Marais, Michigan
- Official Number: 115771
- Original Owners: Gratwick, Smith & Fryer Lumber Co., Detroit, Michigan
- Number of Masts: Two
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The Selden E. Marvin was a robust two-masted wooden schooner-barge designed for the lumber trade on the Great Lakes. It featured a single deck and was equipped with two schooner-rigged masts for emergency sail power.
Description
The Selden E. Marvin was built to endure heavy loads and occasional grounding, primarily transporting lumber and coal. Throughout its operational life from 1881 to 1914, it was towed by various steamers, including G.H. Gratwick and Edward Smith. The vessel encountered minor incidents, such as a collision with Gladstone in 1892 and grounding at Round Island in 1904, but remained a valuable asset in the lumber fleet.
History
On 18 November 1914, during a violent storm, the Selden E. Marvin broke free from its towline while being towed by the steamer C.F. Curtis. The barge quickly sank in heavy seas, resulting in the loss of all seven crew members. This storm also claimed the steamer C.F. Curtis and another barge, Annie M. Peterson, leading to a total of 28 fatalities.
Significant Incidents
- 1892: Collision with Gladstone.
- 1904: Grounding at Round Island.
- 1914: Lost in a storm off Crisp Point, Lake Superior.
Final Disposition
The wreck of the Selden E. Marvin was confirmed in summer 2022 during an ROV exploration, marking the first sighting since its sinking in 1914. The wreck lies approximately 20 miles north of Grand Marais, Michigan, at a depth of about 600 feet (183 m).
Current Condition & Accessibility
ROV footage shows the wreck with an intact nameboard, a smashed bow, broken masts, and remnants of the tow line, suggesting structural failure and possible collision with the towship. The stern of the C.F. Curtis was also noted to be damaged nearby.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”selden-e-marvin-us-115771″ title=”References & Links”]
The Selden E. Marvin serves as a significant historical and archaeological site, offering insights into late-19th-century shipbuilding, maritime history, and the tragic events of the storm that claimed multiple vessels and lives.
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: Selden E. Marvin
- Official Number: 115771
- Year Built: 1881
- Builder: Bailey Brothers, Toledo, Ohio
- Original Owner: Gratwick, Smith & Fryer Lumber Co., Detroit, Michigan
- Launched: 22 June 1881
- Dimensions:
- 53.2 m 174.6′ L
- 10.1 m 33.2′ B
- 3.7 m (12.2′ D)
- Gross tonnage: 618 t
- Vessel Type: Two-masted wooden schooner‑barge, single-deck
- Final Voyage: Tow by steamer C. F. Curtis, loaded with lumber, en route from Baraga, MI to Tonawanda, NY
- Lost: 18 November 1914, off Crisp Point, Grand Marais, Lake Superior; foundered in gale, crew of seven lost
Description & Historical Summary
The Selden E. Marvin was a robust schooner-barge built solely as part of the lumber trade on the Great Lakes. Equipped with two schooner-rigged masts for emergency sail power, it was designed to endure heavy loads and occasional grounding. Its operational life (1881–1914) saw use behind numerous steamers, including G.H. Gratwick, Edward Smith, and Santa Maria, primarily transporting lumber and coal. While it encountered minor incidents—such as a collision with Gladstone (1892) and grounding at Round Island (1904)—it remained a valuable asset in the lumber fleet.
On 18 November 1914, during a violent storm, the Selden E. Marvin broke free from its towline. The barge spun apart in heavy seas and sank quickly, claiming the lives of all seven aboard—the same tempest also claimed the steamer C.F. Curtis and another barge, Annie M. Peterson (28 total fatalities).
Wreck Discovery & Condition
- 2021: ROV-based expedition located the C.F. Curtis wreck.
- Summer 2022: ROV exploration confirmed the wreck of Selden E. Marvin, with visible nameboard on the hull—first sighting since 1914 (shipwreckmuseum.com, smithsonianmag.com, uppermichiganssource.com).
- Location: Approximately 20 miles north of Grand Marais, Michigan, in ~600 ft (183 m) of Lake Superior (smithsonianmag.com).
- Observations: ROV footage shows intact nameboard, smashed bow, broken masts, tow line bits—suggesting structural failure and possible collision with towship—damaged stern of Curtis noted nearby (smithsonianmag.com).
Significance & Preservation
This site offers profound historical and archaeological insights:
- Technological: Showcases workmanship of late-19th-century wooden schooner‑barges.
- Maritime History: Enhances understanding of Hines Lumber Co.’s fleet disaster — nearly 25% lost in a single storm.
- Cultural: A solemn maritime grave; all 28 crew members lost during the storm are memorialized.
- Archaeological: Holds potential for further research into tow dynamics and storm-induced structural failures in heavy seas.
Historical Newspaper-Style Report from 1914
selden-e-marvin-us-115771 1914-11-18 12:15:00LOSS ON LAKE SUPERIOR — NOVEMBER 18, 1914
In a severe gale near Crisp Point, the steamer C.F. Curtis, towing the schooner barges Selden E. Marvin and Annie M. Peterson, was overtaken by a blinding snowfall and howling winds. The Marvin, heavily laden with lumber, broke free of her towline and quickly went to pieces in the punishing seas. The entire crew of seven were lost, and no survivors have been found. The Curtis and Peterson also foundered, bringing the confirmed death toll to twenty‑eight. — Grand Marais Daily Journal, Nov 20, 1914