Shotline Diving

Connecting You to the Depths of the Great Lakes

You Tell US 656020

Explore the wreck of the You Tell, a 19th-century scow-schooner lost in Lake Superior due to a storm. A dive into maritime history awaits.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: You Tell
  • Type: Scow-schooner
  • Year Built: 1866
  • Builder: W. Gangulon, Detroit, Michigan
  • Dimensions: 56 ft (17.1 m) X 17 ft (5.2 m); Depth: 5 ft (1.5 m)
  • Registered Tonnage: 38 GT
  • Location: Near Washington Island, Isle Royale, Lake Superior
  • Official Number: 65020
  • Original Owners: L. Tenney of Duluth, Minnesota
  • Number of Masts: 2-mast

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

The You Tell was a small wooden scow-schooner, a vessel type commonly used on the Great Lakes for transporting bulk cargoes.

Description

The You Tell was built in 1866 in Detroit, Michigan, by shipbuilder W. Gangulon. Scow-schooners were characterized by their flat-bottomed hulls, allowing them to operate in shallow waters, making them ideal for transporting goods to and from undeveloped or small port areas.

History

The vessel was owned by L. Tenney of Duluth, Minnesota, and primarily operated between Lake Superior ports, hauling cargo between settlements and industrial centers in the western Great Lakes.

Significant Incidents

  • On September 26, 1872, while sailing from Thunder Bay, Ontario, to Ashland, Wisconsin, the You Tell encountered a storm near Washington Island, Isle Royale.
  • The storm pushed her onto a shoal, causing her hull to take on water and eventually founder.
  • There is no clear record of casualties, leaving the fate of the crew unknown.

Final Disposition

The You Tell was abandoned and never recovered after her hull was damaged and submerged in the treacherous waters near Isle Royale. Over time, the harsh conditions of Lake Superior likely destroyed any remaining structure.

Current Condition & Accessibility

There is no known modern discovery of the wreck. Any surviving remains would likely be scattered wreckage or buried under shifting lakebed sediments near Isle Royale.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”you-tell-us-656020″ title=”References & Links” show_ref_button=”yes”]

The You Tell was a typical scow-schooner of the mid-19th century, serving in short-haul cargo transport across Lake Superior. Her loss in 1872 due to a storm and shoal impact is part of the treacherous maritime history of this region.

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.

Identification & Site Information

  • Name: You Tell
  • Other Names: None
  • Official Number: 65020
  • Vessel Type at Loss: Scow-schooner, wood, 2-mast
  • Builder: W. Gangulon, Detroit, Michigan
  • Year Built & Launched: 1866
  • Specifications:
    • Length: 56 ft (17.1 m) Beam: 17 ft (5.2 m) Depth: 5 ft (1.5 m)
    • Gross Tonnage: 38 GT
  • Date Lost: September 26, 1872
  • Location of Loss: Near Washington Island, Isle Royale, Lake Superior
  • Cause of Loss: Storm, struck a shoal and foundered
  • Loss of Life: Unknown
  • Cargo at Time of Loss: Hay

Vessel Description & History

The You Tell was a small wooden scow-schooner built in 1866 in Detroit, Michigan, by shipbuilder W. Gangulon. Scow-schooners were a common vessel type on the Great Lakes, particularly for carrying bulk cargoes such as lumber, stone, and agricultural products. Their flat-bottomed hulls allowed them to operate in shallow waters, making them ideal for transporting goods to and from undeveloped or small port areas.

The vessel was owned by L. Tenney of Duluth, Minnesota, and primarily operated between Lake Superior ports, hauling cargo between settlements and industrial centers in the western Great Lakes.

Final Voyage & Loss

On September 26, 1872, the You Tell was sailing from Thunder Bay, Ontario, to Ashland, Wisconsin, carrying a cargo of hay. While passing near Washington Island, Isle Royale, she encountered a storm. The rough conditions pushed her onto a shoal, causing her hull to take on water and eventually founder.

There is no clear record of casualties, so it remains unknown whether any of the crew perished or survived. However, given the ship’s small size and low tonnage, it is likely that only a few crew members were aboard at the time of the wreck.

Final Disposition

With her wooden hull damaged and submerged in the treacherous waters near Isle Royale, the You Tell was abandoned and never recovered. Over time, the harsh conditions of Lake Superior likely destroyed any remaining structure.

Located By & Date Found

There is no known modern discovery of the wreck. Any surviving remains would likely be scattered wreckage or buried under shifting lakebed sediments near Isle Royale.

Notmars & Advisories

No known modern navigational hazards related to this vessel exist, but the waters around Isle Royale are notorious for shipwrecks, with numerous rocky shoals and unpredictable storms.

Resources & Links

Conclusion

The You Tell was a typical scow-schooner of the mid-19th century, serving in short-haul cargo transport across Lake Superior. Her loss near Isle Royale in 1872, due to a storm and shoal impact, was one of many similar shipwrecks in this treacherous region. With no known recovery or modern discovery, her fate remains another unsolved chapter in the history of Great Lakes maritime trade.

you-tell-us-656020 1872-09-26 07:55:00