Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Telegraph
- Type: Wooden sidewheel steamer
- Year Built: 1849
- Builder: Jason W. Abbott, Trenton, Michigan
- Dimensions: Length 130 ft (39.7 m); Beam 18 ft 1 in (5.5 m); Depth 8 ft (2.4 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 181.73 tons (old measurement)
- Location: Approximately 40 miles north of Cleveland, Ohio
- Coordinates: Not recorded
- Official Number: Unknown
- Original Owners: Jason W. Abbott (original), Eber Ward (c. 1851), Richard Barrow (from May 1853)
- Number of Masts: Unknown
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The *Telegraph* was a wooden-hulled, single-deck steam vessel powered by sideshaft paddle wheels. At 130 ft in length and approximately 182 tons, she’s representative of mid-19th-century passenger and package steamboats operating on Lake Erie. Her construction by Jason W. Abbott in 1849 at Trenton, Michigan suggests familiarity with Great Lakes shipbuilding techniques of the era.
Description
The *Telegraph* was a wooden-hulled, single-deck steam vessel powered by sideshaft paddle wheels. At 130 ft in length and approximately 182 tons, she’s representative of mid-19th-century passenger and package steamboats operating on Lake Erie. Her construction by Jason W. Abbott in 1849 at Trenton, Michigan suggests familiarity with Great Lakes shipbuilding techniques of the era.
History
Enrolled in Detroit on 2 June 1849, the *Telegraph* initially served the Detroit–Port Huron route. In 1850, she was involved in a collision with the brig *S.F. GALE* on Lake Huron. Later that year, she linked Detroit to Monroe and connected with the Central Railroad Line in Buffalo. By 1851 she was owned by Eber Ward of Detroit, and from May 1853 under Richard Barrow’s ownership, she operated Cleveland–Port Stanley–Port Burwell lines through 1858.
On her final voyage, departing Cleveland for Port Burwell, the *Telegraph* collided with the schooner *Marquette* during heavy rain and darkness on 2 August 1858, approximately 40 miles north of Cleveland. The impact critically breached her weather bow, causing rapid flooding.
Significant Incidents
- Collision with the brig *S.F. GALE* on Lake Huron in 1850.
- Collision with the schooner *Marquette* on 2 August 1858, leading to her sinking.
Final Disposition
Following the collision, the vessel began filling swiftly. Passengers and crew evacuated into the *Telegraph*’s two small boats, many in scant clothing, though a few managed to retrieve some baggage. After approximately two and a half hours adrift in rough conditions, they were rescued by the *Marquette*. Property damage was estimated at $8,000; the vessel was uninsured, marking a total loss to Barrow. Fortunately, no lives were lost. Contemporary accounts highlight Barrow’s equanimity despite the loss.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No modern discovery or site survey has been documented. The wreck is known solely through 19th-century reports; no sonar, ROV, or diver exploration has confirmed her location to date.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”telegraph-1849″ title=”References & Links”]
No navigational hazard or marine advisory reference to the wreck has been recorded. Access is assumed to be by boat offshore, likely from Cleveland or Port Stanley, with typical Lake Erie conditions of variable visibility and moderate currents.
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 Shipwreck Profile
Other Names: none documented
Official Number: Unknown
Registry: United States
Vessel Type: Wooden sidewheel steamer, single‑deck passenger & package freight
Builder: Jason W. Abbott, Trenton, Michigan
Year Built: 1849
Dimensions: Length 130’ 2″ (≈39.7 m), Beam 18’ 1″ (≈5.5 m), Depth 8′ (≈2.4 m)
Tonnage: 181.73 tons (old measurement)
Cargo on Final Voyage: Passengers (exact number unknown)
Date of Loss: 2 August 1858
Location: Approximately 40 miles north of Cleveland, Ohio, Lake Erie
Coordinates: Not recorded
Depth: Unknown—likely within Lake Erie’s lakebed near site
Home Port: Cleveland, Ohio (later service); originally enrolled Detroit, Michigan
Owners: Jason W. Abbott (original), later Eber Ward (c. 1851), Richard Barrow (from May 1853)
Crew: Unknown exact number
Casualties: None—passengers & crew all rescued
Description
The *Telegraph* was a wooden-hulled, single-deck steam vessel powered by sideshaft paddle wheels. At 130 ft in length and approximately 182 tons, she’s representative of mid-19th-century passenger and package steamboats operating on Lake Erie. Her construction by Jason W. Abbott in 1849 at Trenton, Michigan suggests familiarity with Great Lakes shipbuilding techniques of the era.
History
Enrolled in Detroit on 2 June 1849, the *Telegraph* initially served the Detroit–Port Huron route. In 1850, she was involved in a collision with the brig *S.F. GALE* on Lake Huron. Later that year, she linked Detroit to Monroe and connected with the Central Railroad Line in Buffalo. By 1851 she was owned by Eber Ward of Detroit, and from May 1853 under Richard Barrow’s ownership, she operated Cleveland–Port Stanley–Port Burwell lines through 1858.
On her final voyage, departing Cleveland for Port Burwell, the *Telegraph* collided with the schooner *Marquette* during heavy rain and darkness on 2 August 1858, approximately 40 miles north of Cleveland. The impact critically breached her weather bow, causing rapid flooding.
Final Disposition
Following the collision, the vessel began filling swiftly. Passengers and crew evacuated into the *Telegraph*’s two small boats, many in scant clothing, though a few managed to retrieve some baggage. After approximately two and a half hours adrift in rough conditions, they were rescued by the *Marquette*. Property damage was estimated at $8,000; the vessel was uninsured, marking a total loss to Barrow. Fortunately, no lives were lost. Contemporary accounts highlight Barrow’s equanimity despite the loss.
Located By & Date Found
No modern discovery or site survey has been documented. The wreck is known solely through 19th-century reports; no sonar, ROV, or diver exploration has confirmed her location to date.
Notmars & Advisories
No navigational hazard or marine advisory reference to the wreck has been recorded. “None noted.”
Dive Information
Access: **Unknown** — assumed boat access offshore.
Entry Point: Likely Cleveland or Port Stanley—depending on divergence of location.
Conditions: Typical Lake Erie offshore—variable visibility, moderate currents.
Depth Range: **Unknown**; likely deep enough to avoid casual detection—estimated tens of meters.
Emergency Contacts: U.S. Coast Guard Cleveland Sector; local marine authorities.
Permits: Required for wreck diving in U.S. waters; likely oversight by State of Ohio maritime authorities.
Dive Support: Closest dive charters likely based in Cleveland or Port Stanley.
Crew & Casualty Memorials
Records confirm all aboard were rescued; no fatalities have been memorialized. Crew or passenger names remain unrecorded in accessible daily newspapers or casualty lists.
Documented Statements & Extracts
“The stmr. TELEGRAPH… was run into by the schr. MARQUETTE, about 12:15 Tuesday morning, when some 40 miles from this city… the *Telegraph*… immediately began to fill… the passengers and crew had barely time to escape… The *Telegraph* was small, well built and well appointed… she was insured; she was uninsured and is a total loss.” — *Buffalo Commercial Advertiser*, Jan 15 1859 (1858 Casualty List) :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
Registry, Enrollment & Insurance Trails
The *Telegraph* was enrolled in Detroit on 2 June 1849. Ownership trace: originally Jason W. Abbott (Trenton, MI); by 1851 owned by Eber Ward; by 1853 operated by Richard Barrow (Cleveland). She was uninsured at loss, rendering recovery financially impossible for her owner. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
Site Documentation & Imaging
No known underwater imagery or NOAA virtual reconstructions exist. The wreck remains undocumented in modern surveys.
Image Gallery
Resources & Links
- Great Lakes Vessels Database (BGSU/HCGL)
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
- Chronicling America (Library of Congress)
- Newspapers.com
- Find A Grave
References
- Great Lakes Shipwreck Files – entry for “Telegraph” (WordPress, citing HGL, LHL, LEDC, NSP, WL, EAS records) Archival record details (build, specs, chronology, sinking)—Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library, C. Patrick Labadie Collection (as provided by user)
NOAA/WHS Shipwreck Record Card
Other Names: none
Official Number: Unknown
Coordinates: Not recorded
Depth: Unknown
Location Description: Approximately 40 miles north of Cleveland, Lake Erie
Vessel Type: Sidewheel steamer, wood
Material: Wood
Dimensions: 130 × 18 × 8 (ft)
Condition: Total loss; presumed sunk intact
Cause of Loss: Collision with schooner *Marquette*
Discovery Date: Not discovered
Discovered By: n/a
Method: none documented
Legal Notes: Uninsured; total loss compensation unknown
Hazards: Unknown
Permits Required: Likely for dive access
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