Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: STORM SPIRIT
- Type: Schooner
- Year Built: 1856
- Builder: J. P. Arnold
- Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
- Registered Tonnage: 223 tons
- Location: Off Bark Shanty, tip of Michigan’s Thumb, Lake Huron
- Official Number: none recorded
- Original Owners: S. Gray of Chicago, Illinois; Scott and Rankin of Erie, Pennsylvania
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The STORM SPIRIT was a typical mid-19th century wooden schooner designed for bulk cargo operations on the Great Lakes. Its construction suited the grain and lumber trades of the era, with a single deck and broad hull form for maximizing cargo capacity.
Description
The schooner STORM SPIRIT was launched at Port Huron in 1856 and initially enrolled at Chicago the same year. By 1860, it was owned by S. Gray of Chicago, Illinois. That same year, the vessel went ashore near Port Rowan, Ontario, while carrying corn, where it sank and was abandoned. The schooner was raised the following month by Van Norman with the tug E. P. Dorr and underwent substantial repairs in 1861. By 1863, ownership had transferred to Scott and Rankin of Erie, Pennsylvania.
History
On the night of August 10, 1864, STORM SPIRIT, upbound on Lake Huron, collided with the downbound bark CITY OF MILWAUKEE near Bark Shanty at the tip of Michigan’s Thumb. The collision caused STORM SPIRIT to sink.
Significant Incidents
- Collision with bark CITY OF MILWAUKEE on August 10, 1864, resulting in sinking.
Final Disposition
Sank following collision, declared a total loss. No salvage documented beyond the wreck report.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Unknown, presumed scattered and buried in the sand off Bark Shanty, Lake Huron.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”storm-spirit-1856″ title=”References & Links”]
The wreck of the STORM SPIRIT remains a significant part of maritime history in the Great Lakes, illustrating the dangers of navigation during the 19th century.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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