Thank you to Captain Jerry Guyer, Len-Der
Charters and Aquatic
Adventures Diveshop for a safe and fun day of diving on Lake Michigan.
A 338 foot steel railroad car ferry loaded with 27 box cars
and 52 passengers encountered
tremendous seas and sank October 22, 1929. She lies in 90 to 120 feet of
water sitting
upright and intact, 6 miles northeast of Milwaukee.
MILWAUKEE
Other names : built as MANISTIQUE, MARQUETTE & NORTHERN No. 1, renamed
in 1909
Official no. : 93363
Type at loss : propeller, steel, carferry, 30 car
Build info : 1903, American Shipbuilding, Cleveland hull# 413
Specs : 338x56x19, 2933g 1755n
Date of loss : 1929, Oct 22
Place of loss : on a line between Milwaukee and Grand Haven
Lake : Michigan
Type of loss : storm
Loss of life : 52 [all]
Carrying : 27 loaded railcars
Detail : Sailed off into a storm, bound Milwaukee for Grand Haven, and was
lost. Theory is that rail cars came loose in gale and crashed through her
seagate, allowing water to come in over the stern and sink her. Her skipper
apparently turned back for Milwaukee, but never made it. Some of her lifeboats
were launched by her crew, and two of their bodies were picked up two days
later by the steamer STEEL CHEMIST. Another lifeboat containing bodies washed
up near Holland, MI.. It was routine for her to challenge the storm, she
was built for it.
Wreck was located in 1972.
Information courtesy of Nordic Diver website- www.nordicdiver.com
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