Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: William C / US 217513 (Atwater, Coulee)
- Type: Bulk Freighter
- Year Built: 1919
- Builder: Great Lakes Engineering Works
- Dimensions: Length 253.33 ft (77.2 m); Beam 43.58 ft (13.3 m); Depth of hold 24.42 ft (7.4 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 2,450 GT
- Location: Lake Michigan
- Official Number: 217513
- Original Owners: U.S. Shipping Board; G.A. Tomlinson; Fall River Navigation Co.
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Propeller-driven steel cargo freighter built for the U.S. Shipping Board, typical of wartime designs for materials transport.
Description
Constructed in early 1919 by Great Lakes Engineering Works, Ecorse, MI (Hull #212). A steel-hulled, propeller bulk carrier typical of U.S. Shipping Board designs built for wartime materials transport. The freighter configuration was ideal for general cargo and ore-hauling.
History
- 1919–1922: Owned by U.S. Shipping Board
- 1922–1928: Owned privately by G.A. Tomlinson
- 1928–1945: Owned by Fall River Navigation Co. and renamed Atwater, William C.
- 1945–1946: Transferred to U.S. Maritime Commission
Fall River Navigation Company primarily used it for coal transport; Atwater, William C. was named after the founder William C. Atwater.
Significant Incidents
- 1946: Vessel was dismantled and scuttled. There’s evidence suggesting she may have been used as a target ship or stripped before sinking post-World War II scrapping.
Final Disposition
- Removed from active registry
- Parts likely salvaged before scuttling
- No formal salvage report located in U.S. archival holdings
Current Condition & Accessibility
The wreck is confirmed to be in Lake Michigan, but specific details about its current condition and accessibility for divers are not documented.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”william-c-us-217513-atwater-coulee” title=”References & Links”]
The Coulee, later Atwater, William C., was a 1919-built steel freighter representing the U.S. wartime shipbuilding surge. After private service in coal and ore transport, she was retired in 1946 and scuttled. While basic technical details and ownership lineage are verified, deeper archival research could uncover more about her operational life, final voyage, and place in Great Lakes maritime heritage.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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