Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Stone City
- Type: Wooden schooner
- Year Built:
- Builder:
- Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
- Registered Tonnage: ~189 tons
- Location: Aground on fog-bound coastline; likely Lake Michigan near Big Cedar, Michigan
- Original Owners: Unknown, likely locally owned
- Number of Masts: Two
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
A small two-masted wooden schooner engaged in regional fishing or cargo runs carrying salted fish along Great Lakes coastal routes.
Description
No builder dimensions, registry numbers, or engine data are available from existing summaries. Vessel matches typical design for schooners transporting salted fish in the late 19th century—likely stout but shallow-draft suited to coastal trade.
History
- Carried salted fish-bound for Big Cedar, Michigan.
- Lost in dense fog; ran aground and quickly broke apart due to wave action and structural failure.
- No recorded casualties or successful salvage attempts.
- Absence of registry or ownership information suggests the vessel was small and possibly locally owned.
Significant Incidents
- Wrecked on October 12, 1898, with some sources noting 1899.
- Grounded in fog, leading to its rapid disintegration.
Final Disposition
- Broke up promptly after stranding; rendered a total loss.
- No documented salvage, insurance claims, or legal inquiry.
- Left as a wreck in shallow water; likely fragmented and partially buried or destroyed over time.
Current Condition & Accessibility
- No Notices to Mariners or hazards were officially noted.
- The site appears uncharted in hydrographic records.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”stone-city-1898″ title=”References & Links”]
Available documentation is minimal. This report is based on verified incident details, with significant gaps in vessel registration, construction data, and local context. Further archival research (e.g. shipping registers, lighthouse logs, local newspapers) is recommended to build a more complete historical profile.
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.
Wooden Schooner (~189 tons)
Wrecked: October 12, 1898 – Lake Michigan Region
Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Stone City
- Type: Wooden schooner (estimated ~189 tons, per Swayze classification)
- Loss Date: October 12, 1898 (some sources note 1899)
- Location: Aground on fog-bound coastline; likely Lake Michigan near Big Cedar, Michigan
- Cargo: Salted fish
- Casualties: None reported
Vessel Type
A small two-masted wooden schooner engaged in regional fishing or cargo runs carrying salted fish along Great Lakes coastal routes.
Description & Construction
No builder dimensions, registry numbers, or engine data are available from existing summaries. Vessel matches typical design for schooners transporting salted fish in the late 19th century—likely stout but shallow-draft suited to coastal trade.
History & Operational Profile
- Carried salted fish-bound for Big Cedar, Michigan.
- Lost in dense fog; ran aground and quickly broke apart due to wave action and structural failure.
- No recorded casualties or successful salvage attempts.
- Absence of registry or ownership information suggests the vessel was small and possibly locally owned.
Final Disposition
- Broke up promptly after stranding; rendered a total loss.
- No documented salvage, insurance claims, or legal inquiry.
- Left as a wreck in shallow water; likely fragmented and partially buried or destroyed over time.
Notmars & Advisories
- No Notices to Mariners or hazards were officially noted.
- The site appears uncharted in hydrographic records.
Research Gaps & Recommended Next Steps
- Historic newspapers (~mid-October 1898): Look into Michigan coast publications (e.g., Grand Haven Tribune, Ludington Daily News) for incident reports, vessel registry, ownership, or crew testimony.
- Local lighthouse service logs: May contain rescue records or incident summaries given crew survival.
- Regional shipping registries/trade records: Could provide tonnage, home port, master name, or ownership affiliation.
Significance & Historical Context
- Illustrates the vulnerability of small schooners to navigational hazards in fog-bound coastal waters.
- The cargo of salted fish underscores the seasonal coastal fishing trade, often under poorer visibility conditions.
- Such losses highlight inadequacies in navigational aids and the risk of minor vessels in 19th-century Great Lakes commerce.
Sources & References
- Summary based solely on the Great Lakes Shipwreck Files – Swayze Index entry for Stone City, listing date, cargo (“salted fish”), grounding in fog, and loss with no casualties.
(greatlakesrex.wordpress.com, en.wikipedia.org)
Keywords & Categories
Schooner, coastal grounding, fog navigation, salted fish trade, no-casualty wreck, 1898 wreck
Note: Available documentation is minimal. This report is based on verified incident details, with significant gaps in vessel registration, construction data, and local context. Further archival research (e.g. shipping registers, lighthouse logs, local newspapers) is recommended to build a more complete historical profile.
stone-city-1898 1898-10-12 17:22:00