Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Severn
- Type: Wooden schooner-barge (non-powered)
- Year Built: 1872
- Builder: Unknown
- Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
- Registered Tonnage: Likely in the 300–500-ton range
- Location: Lake Huron, off the Saugeen Peninsula
- Official Number: Unknown
- Original Owners: Mrs A. R. Christie
- Number of Masts: Two
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
A schooner-barge—essentially a large sailing barge rigged with two masts but relying on tow for propulsion. Typical of late 19th-century Great Lakes freight fleets, these barges were affordable carryalls for bulk cargo like coal, but vulnerable in storms.
Description
The Severn was part of a tow with the steamer Africa on 5 October 1895, transporting approximately 850 tons of coal through Lake Huron. During a fierce gale off the Saugeen Peninsula, the towline was cut, and the schooner vanished shortly thereafter.
History
Registered out of Owen Sound and owned by Mrs A. R. Christie, the Severn was involved in a significant maritime incident. The vessel was lost during a storm, and no wreckage or survivors were reported. The barge is considered a complete and unmapped loss.
Significant Incidents
- Date of Loss: 5 October 1895
- Voyage: Bound from Ashtabula, OH to Owen Sound, ON, as a towed barge behind the propeller Africa
- Incident: Caught in a violent storm on Lake Huron; Africa released Severn from tow, and the schooner disappeared—presumed foundered.
- Casualties: None documented—lost crew presumed among those aboard Africa (13 total fatalities; crew counts uncertain).
Final Disposition
The Severn was released in a storm and never seen again. Believed to have foundered during the gale; no wreckage or survivors were reported. The barge is considered a complete and unmapped loss.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No modern rediscovery or wreck location reported. The wreck probably lies in deep water off the Saugeen coast, with no navigational buoy or hazard marking indicating the site.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”severn-1872″ title=”References & Links”]
The Severn, a schooner-barge built in 1872 and carrying roughly 850 tons of coal, was lost in the stormy disaster involving the steamer Africa on 5 October 1895. Kept afloat by a tow that was cut during a Lake Huron gale, she was never recovered, her crew never seen again, and her wreck remains unlocated in deep Ontario waters.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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