Shotline Diving

Connecting You to the Depths of the Great Lakes

SS Michigan (1890)

Explore the wreck of the SS Michigan, a steel package freighter that capsized in 1943 while assisting another vessel during a storm.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: SS Michigan
  • Type: Steel-hulled package freighter
  • Year Built: 1890
  • Builder:
  • Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
  • Registered Tonnage:
  • Location: Eastern Lake Huron or Northern Lake Superior
  • Coordinates: Exact coordinates unknown
  • Official Number: Not identified

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

  • Steel-hulled, propeller-driven package freighter (grain and general cargo transport).

Description

The SS Michigan was a steel package freighter primarily used for transporting grain across the Great Lakes. It was built in 1890 and is noted for its involvement in a significant maritime incident in 1943.

History

  • Primarily carried grain across the Great Lakes.
  • November 4, 1943: While lightering grain from the damaged Canadian steamer Riverton in heavy weather, the SS Michigan was driven onto a shoal and grounded (12 pm local time noted in GL Shipwreck Files).
  • Conditions reported as an ongoing storm at the time of the stranding.

Significant Incidents

  • Loss Cause: Grounded on shoal during storm conditions while assisting Riverton; capsized/foundered due to shifting cargo and flooding.
  • Declared a total loss; no official salvage succeeds recorded.

Final Disposition

The SS Michigan was declared a total loss after capsizing due to shifting cargo and flooding while grounded during a storm. No successful salvage operations were recorded.

Current Condition & Accessibility

The exact wreck coordinates of the SS Michigan are unknown. The last known grounded location is likely near the Riverton incident site, possibly in eastern Lake Huron or northern Lake Superior, depending on the voyage route. No documentation of sonar survey or site rediscovery exists.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”ss-michigan-1890″ title=”References & Links”]

The SS Michigan was a steel-grain package freighter active around WWII, meeting her demise on November 4, 1943, after being driven onto a shoal during stormy weather while offloading grain from the damaged Riverton. She capsized and was declared a total loss—yet her final resting place remains undocumented. Further archival research and marine survey are required for confirmation.

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

  • Vessel Name: SS Michigan
  • Build Year & Yard: Likely built in 1890, with steel hull—possibly a package freighter similar in class to peer ships of the era (Wikipedia, Wikipedia, Bridge Michigan)
  • Official Number: Not identified; commonly grouped with steel „packet” freighters.

Vessel Type

  • Steel-hulled, propeller-driven package freighter (grain and general cargo transport).

Operational History & 1943 Incident

  • Primarily carried grain across the Great Lakes.
  • November 4, 1943: While lightering grain from the damaged Canadian steamer Riverton in heavy weather, the SS Michigan was driven onto a shoal and grounded (12 pm local time noted in GL Shipwreck Files).
  • Conditions reported as an ongoing storm at the time of the stranding.

Final Disposition

  • Loss Cause: Grounded on shoal during storm conditions while assisting Riverton; capsized/foundered due to shifting cargo and flooding.
  • Declared a total loss; no official salvage succeeds recorded.

Wreck Location & Condition

  • Exact wreck coordinates are unknown.
  • Last known grounded location: likely near the Riverton incident site—possibly in eastern Lake Huron or northern Lake Superior, depending on voyage route.
  • No documentation of sonar survey or site rediscovery exists.

Notices & Official Records

  • No Notices to Mariners or maritime advisory bulletins found.
  • The ship is recorded only in narrative lightning strike within Great Lakes Shipwreck Files.

Sources & Archival References

  • Entry in Great Lakes Shipwreck Files (Nov 4, 1943) referencing Michigan’s grounding while lightering grain from Riverton.
  • Maritime History of the Great Lakes image for SS Michigan not yet cross-referenced.
  • General background on steel package freighters from late 19th–early 20th century (Wikipedia, Wikipedia).

Research Gaps & Suggested Next Steps

  1. Ship Specifications: Confirm build date, yard, official number (likely in Maritime History of the Great Lakes database or BGSU).
  2. Voyage Records: Locate Riverton‘s damage reports—Canadian Marine Department or harbour logs may note Michigan’s grounding.
  3. Newspaper Accounts: Check regional papers around Nov 1943 (e.g., Georgian Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay) for accident coverage.
  4. Wreck Survey: Satellite or sonar scans near the shoaling point could identify wreck remains.

Conclusion

The SS Michigan was a steel-grain package freighter active around WWII, meeting her demise on November 4, 1943, after being driven onto a shoal during stormy weather while offloading grain from the damaged Riverton. She capsized and was declared a total loss—yet her final resting place remains undocumented. Further archival research and marine survey are required for confirmation.

Would you like me to pursue any of the following?

  • Technical specifications from ship registries
  • Voyage manifests, Marine Department incident files
  • Contemporary news coverage
  • Organize a targeted sonar search

Your next steps could include detailed archival inquiry or an expedition briefing if the wreck site is a dive candidate

Keywords: SS Michigan • steel package freighter • grain lightering • Riverton assistance • grounding shoal • November 4, 1943 • Great Lakes wreck survey.

ss-michigan-1890 1943-11-04 11:02:00