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
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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.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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