William Burns (1865)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: William Burns
• Type: Undocumented (likely a schooner or barge based on regional usage and era)
• Year Built: 1865
• Builder:
• Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
• Registered Tonnage:
• Location: Michigan shoreline (exact site not recorded)

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

Vessel Identification & Profile

• Name: William Burns
• Year Built: 1865
• Vessel Type: Undocumented (likely a schooner or barge based on regional usage and era)
• Hull Material: Presumed wood
• Original Use: Commercial Great Lakes traffic, likely lumber or general cargo

Description

Final Disposition

• Date of Loss: Approximately August 12, 1877
• Cause: Accidental fire
• Final Condition: Partially awash from disuse and disrepair; subsequently destroyed by fire
• Location: Michigan shoreline (exact site not recorded)
• Casualties: None reported

History

Circumstances of Loss

• After being laid up for several seasons, the vessel deteriorated and was left in a semi-submerged or beached state
• Fire occurred under unclear circumstances but described as accidental
• Likely total hull loss; presumed that the remains were either burned away or dismantled soon after

Historical Context

• Mid-19th century Great Lakes vessels were often abandoned or scrapped along shorelines after becoming unfit for trade
• Fires, either accidental or deliberate (scuttling), were common disposal methods for derelict ships
• The William Burns fits the profile of a vessel rendered obsolete or unseaworthy and ultimately lost to fire without incident

Significant Incidents

Documentation & Source Notes

• Date Range Reference: ca. August 12, 1877
• No official number or builder registry found
• Incident referenced in regional fire logs and shipwreck summary lists
• Casualty and insurance records contain no formal entry, suggesting no lives lost or insured value claimed

Final Disposition

Research Recommendations

• Review Michigan port customs reports for abandonment logs (1875–1877)
• Examine regional newspaper records around August 1877 for vessel fire reports
• Search state fire marshal or port records for fire incidents involving moored vessels

Current Condition & Accessibility

Keywords and Categories

• Region: Michigan
• Vessel Type: Unknown (likely commercial schooner or barge)
• Cause of Loss: Fire, abandonment
• Material: Wood
• Final Status: Destroyed
• Period: 1865–1877
• Hazards: Fire, derelict vessel disposal

Resources & Links

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This vessel exemplifies the many unrecorded or lightly documented wrecks of the Great Lakes that were lost not through storms but through obsolescence and neglect.