Thomas H. Smith – Lake Michigan Freighter Shipwreck (1893)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Thomas H. Smith
• Type: Steam Screw Bulk Freight Steamer
• Year Built: 1881
• Builder: Rand & Burger
• Dimensions: Length 130 ft (39.6 m); Beam 27 ft (8.2 m); Depth of hold 11 ft (3.35 m)
• Registered Tonnage: 281.11 gt
• Location: Lake Michigan, off Racine, WI
• Coordinates: Approx. coordinates N 42° 46.777′, W 87° 38.619′
• Official Number: 145284
• Original Owners: John Leatham & Thomas H. Smith of Sturgeon Bay; home port Milwaukee, WI
• Number of Masts: No masts

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

A wooden-hulled steam screw bulk freight steamer, sometimes described as a tug or steambarge because of its modest size and towing role—primarily used in the lumber trade between Green Bay and Chicago.

Description

Built for freight, especially light cargo and towing (often the schooner William Aldrich as tow), the Thomas H. Smith combined steam power with heavy-duty construction to operate in all seasons across Lake Michigan.

History

• Entered service in 1881, actively engaged in lumber hauling between Green Bay area ports and Chicago/Milwaukee.
• Operated under Leatham & Smith’s firm of Sturgeon Bay, significant in regional towing and wrecking business.

Significant Incidents

• Date of loss: November 11 (or 10/11), 1893. Foundered after collision with steamer Arthur Orr in dense fog off Racine during the early morning hours (~2:30–3:30 AM). Smith sank almost immediately, reportedly severed midships; water contact caused boiler to explode as she went down.
• Casualties: No lives lost; crew of 12 rescued by Arthur Orr; Smith was light and towing schooner William Aldrich, which the crew released before sinking.

Final Disposition

• The wreck has not been located. Despite reported location “about 4–5 miles off Racine Point” and searches, no debris field or hull has been confirmed.
• Secondary accounts mention confusion in distances—some reports give “3 miles NE of Racine Point,” varying depths (approx. 75 to 150 ft), and shipping lane offsets; side-scan sonar grids have yet to conclusively find the wreck.

Current Condition & Accessibility

No Notices to Mariners identified; vessel trade and harbor charts may not reference the wreck, given its rapid sinking and absence of remains.

Resources & Links

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The Thomas H. Smith was a late-19th-century steam freight vessel built in Manitowoc and lost in a tragic collision off Racine in November 1893. Though no lives were lost, the ship sank swiftly in fog, likely splitting midships and causing an explosion as boiler compartments flooded. Despite search efforts, her wreck remains undiscovered—making her both historically significant and a prime target for future marine archaeological surveying.