Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Sanderson, William
- Type: Wooden, single-deck schooner (3-masted)
- Year Built: 1856
- Builder: Goble & Crockett
- Dimensions: Length 136 ft (41.4 m); Beam 25.8 ft (7.9 m); Depth of hold 11.9 ft (3.6 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 385 tons (old style); remeasured 307 gross tons
- Location: Offshore near Empire, Michigan (Sleeping Bear region), Lake Michigan
- Official Number: 26562
- Number of Masts: 3
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
A large-capacity, three-masted wooden schooner—a principal workhorse for grain transportation across the Great Lakes.
Description
- Construction: Full-length keel, single deck, wood-framed
- Rig: Three-masted schooner, heavily sparred for bulk cargo sailing
- Engine: None (pure sail-powered)
- Cargo Capacity: Large hold suited for grain
History
- 1857 (Nov 28): Ashore 15 miles from Buffalo; tug freed her next day
- 1860 (Jun 9): Lost rudder near Port Huron, MI
- 1863–1873: Passed through multiple owners (Clark & Co.; Page & Dobbie), with rebuilds in 1865, 1868, and 1873
- 1871: Captain lost overboard and drowned during an incident
- Oct 1874: Heavily damaged near White Rock, MI
- Nov 22–23 1874: Departing Chicago for Oswego, hit by a violent storm. The schooner broke up and sank offshore near Empire, MI—and drifted submerged before discovery.
Significant Incidents
- Entire crew (7–10 souls lost) during the storm.
Final Disposition
The schooner foundered and broke up offshore during the storm. Wreck drifted underwater; no salvage performed. All crew lost.
Current Condition & Accessibility
The hull was discovered in November 1874 by a former owner five miles below Long Point Cut—about 150 miles from original sinking location. No formal archaeological survey has been reported.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”wiiliam-sanderson-us-26562″ title=”References & Links”]
The Sanderson, William was a large-capacity grain schooner whose final voyage ended violently in late-season Lake Michigan storms. Laden with 20,000 bushels of wheat, she went down just off the Sleeping Bear coast in November 1874, claiming all aboard. The discovery of her wreck miles from the sinking site underscores lake drift dynamics and the risk of storms during autumn voyages.
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 Wreck Profile
- Name: Sanderson, William
- Official Number: 26562
- Year Built: 1856, Oswego, NY by Goble & Crockett
- Type: Wooden, single-deck schooner (3‑masted)
- Dimensions: 41.4 m (136 ft) × 7.9 m (25.8 ft) × 3.6 m (11.9 ft)
- Tonnage: 385 tons (old style); remeasured 307 gross tons
- Final Location: Offshore near Empire, Michigan (Sleeping Bear region), Lake Michigan
- Loss Date: 22–23 November 1874
- Loss Cause: Foundered in a severe storm while laden with wheat
- Cargo: Approximately 20,000 bushels of wheat
- Loss of Life: Entire crew (7–10 souls lost) (usdeadlyevents.com, usdeadlyevents.com, Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
Vessel Type
A large-capacity, three-masted wooden schooner—a principal workhorse for grain transportation across the Great Lakes.
Description
- Construction: Full-length keel, single deck, wood-framed
- Rig: Three-masted schooner, heavily sparred for bulk cargo sailing
- Engine: None (pure sail-powered)
- Cargo Capacity: Large hold suited for grain
History & Chronology
- 1857 (Nov 28): Ashore 15 miles from Buffalo; tug freed her next day
- 1860 (Jun 9): Lost rudder near Port Huron, MI
- 1863–1873: Passed through multiple owners (Clark & Co.; Page & Dobbie), with rebuilds in 1865, 1868, and 1873
- 1871: Captain lost overboard and drowned during an incident
- Oct 1874: Heavily damaged near White Rock, MI
- Nov 22–23 1874: Departing Chicago for Oswego, hit by a violent storm. The schooner broke up and sank offshore near Empire, MI—and drifted submerged before discovery (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
Final Disposition
The schooner foundered and broke up offshore during the storm. Wreck drifted underwater; no salvage performed. All crew lost.
Located By & Date Found
The hull was discovered in November 1874 by a former owner five miles below Long Point Cut—about 150 miles from original sinking location (usdeadlyevents.com, Great Lakes Shipwreck Files). No formal archaeological survey has been reported.
Notmars & Advisories
None; the wreck lies in open Lake Michigan, present-day hazards unknown.
Resources & Links
- Great Lakes Shipwreck Files summary and discovery note (usdeadlyevents.com, Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
- USDeadlyEvents and Chicago Tribune (Dec 3, 1874) detail storm loss and fatalities; crew loss of up to 10 (usdeadlyevents.com)
Conclusion
The Sanderson, William was a large-capacity grain schooner whose final voyage ended violently in late-season Lake Michigan storms. Laden with 20,000 bushels of wheat, she went down just off the Sleeping Bear coast in November 1874, claiming all aboard. The discovery of her wreck miles from the sinking site underscores lake drift dynamics and the risk of storms during autumn voyages.
Keywords & Glossary
- Wooden grain schooner
- Lake Michigan November storm
- Foundering
- Shipwreck off Empire MI
- 1874 maritime disaster
- Entire crew lost