Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: W.C. Richardson
- Type: Steel propeller bulk freighter
- Year Built: 1902
- Builder: American Ship Building Co., Cleveland, OH
- Dimensions: Length 374 ft (114 m); Beam 50 ft (15.2 m); Depth 28 ft (8.5 m)
- Registered Tonnage: Gross 3,818; Net 2,841
- Depth at Wreck Site: 12.2 m / 40 ft
- Location: Off Waverly Shoal, ~1.5 miles from Buffalo NY breakwater
- Coordinates: Approximate GPS 42°51′04″ N, 78°54′47″ W
- Official Number: 81816
- Original Owners: Richardson Transportation Co., Cleveland, Ohio
- Number of Masts: Unknown
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The W.C. Richardson was a steel-hulled, single-deck bulk freighter built in 1902 by American Ship Building Company (Hull #411) for use on the Great Lakes. The vessel featured one deck, hold beams, hatches spaced at 24 ft, powered by coal-fired boilers and a triple-expansion steam engine (1,450 IHP). At 374 ft overall length, 50 ft beam, and 28 ft depth, she was classed at 3,818 gross tons.
Description
Launched and enrolled in 1902 at Cleveland, Ohio (US #81816), the W.C. Richardson served in bulk cargo transport under Richardson Transportation Co., with home port Cleveland (later Rockport, Ohio).
History
On 8 December 1909, during a storm on Lake Erie, the vessel foundered off Waverly Shoal, roughly 1½ miles from the Buffalo breakwater. Five crew members were lost; the ship did not survive the storm and sank. Her enrollment was officially surrendered at the end of December 1909.
Significant Incidents
- 8 December 1909: The W.C. Richardson foundered in a storm off Waverly Shoal, resulting in the loss of five crew members.
Final Disposition
The W.C. Richardson was declared a total loss following her sinking in the December 1909 storm. No recorded attempts to salvage the vessel’s remains have been noted in accessible sources.
Current Condition & Accessibility
The wreck site is known in local diver and wreck mapping resources as lying in approximately 40 ft (12.2 m) of water, roughly 1½ miles off the Buffalo harbor wall near Waverly Shoal. Diver reports indicate the site remains partially visible under ~40 ft of water.
Resources & Links
As a diver, remember to respect the site and its history. Leave only bubbles, take only memories, and consider removing any garbage to leave the site better than you found it.