South America

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: South America
• Type: two-masted wood schooner
• Year Built:
• Builder:
• Dimensions:
• Registered Tonnage: approx. 600 barrels
• Location: Lake Erie
• Original Owners: unknown, likely privately owned or single-voyage charter
• Number of Masts: 2

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

A typical small-cargo schooner of the era—wood-hulled, two-masted, fore-and-aft rigged—principally used for regional bulk cargo haulage (salt, grain, lumber) across the Great Lakes.

Description

Departing Buffalo with 600 barrels of salt, the schooner South America vanished en route on or after October 17. The prevailing hypothesis is capsizing or foundering in a sudden storm on Lake Erie. There are no known crew rosters, survivor accounts, or passenger lists. The disappearance remains undocumented in detail—common for small merchant schooners of that period.

History

Despite multiple historical listings, no wreck site, registry number, or official construction details have been located in accessible archives. Significant gaps exist in the historical record, including construction information, ownership details, and crew or passenger manifests.

Significant Incidents

• Construction info: Year, builder, dimensions, tonnage not found in standard indexes (e.g., BGSU vessel lists, HCGL).
• Ownership: No record of owner or homeport; likely privately owned or single-voyage charter.
• Crew/passenger manifest: Absent—crew complement and identities unknown.
• Loss confirmation: No newspaper accounts or maritime registers have been located confirming the event specifically for this vessel.

Final Disposition

The schooner South America remains an undocumented disappearance with minimal known facts: departed Buffalo, laden with salt, vanished in a storm around October 17. The lack of registry data, crew info, or wreck location highlights significant archival gaps.

Current Condition & Accessibility

As the wreck site has not been located, the current condition of the South America remains unknown. Further research into mid-October storm reports and port records from 1841 to 1843 is essential for potential discovery.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”south-america” title=”References & Links”]

To progress in understanding the fate of the South America, a focused deep dive into mid-October storm reports and port records in 1841-43 is essential.