Margaret A. Muir was an American schooner that sank in a storm on Lake Michigan, United States, on September 30, 1893.[1] Its wreckage was discovered in 50 ft (15 m) of water off Algoma on May 12, 2024.
History
editMargaret A. Muir, a wooden, 130-foot (40 m) three-masted schooner, was built in 1872 in Manitowoc, Wisconsin.[1] For 21 years, the ship, which was originally built to carry grain, carried cargo across all five Great Lakes.[1]
On the morning of September 30, 1893, Margaret A. Muir was carrying 4,375 barrels of salt from Bay City, Michigan, to South Chicago, Illinois.[1] The ship's captain David Clow reported the ship was heading toward the Wisconsin coast and had cleared the Straits of Mackinac. At around 05:00, a 50 mph (80 km/h) storm hit the ship,[2] and at around 07:30, the waves increased and began blowing over the ship's decks.[2] As Margaret A. Muir neared the port of Ahnapee (now Algoma), Clow discovered several feet of water in the ship's hold and immediately ordered the crew to abandon ship. Almost as soon as Clow gave the order, the ship sank.[2]
The crew of six made their way through the 15-foot (4.6 m) waves to shore, where townspeople took them to a hotel and provided them with dry clothes.[1] The only fatality was the captain's dog and ship's mascot, which Clow called "an intelligent and faithful animal, and a great favorite with the captain and crew".[2]
Discovery of wreck
editOn May 12, 2024, 131 years after it sank,[3] a group of maritime historians working with Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association discovered the wreck of Margaret A. Muir.[1] The ship was found in 50 ft (15 m) of water and only a few miles away from Algoma Harbor.[1] The deck had come off and the ship's sides had opened, exposing the structure and allowing researchers to see how it was constructed. The ship's deck gear, including its handpumps, bow windlass, capstan and two large anchors, remain intact.[2] Archaeology groups in Wisconsin plan to nominate the site of the wreck for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g Kuta, Sarah (July 25, 2024). "Shipwreck Found in Lake Michigan 130 Years After Sinking With Captain's 'Intelligent and Faithful' Dog Onboard". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Brown, Forrest (July 25, 2024). "Researchers discover site of 1893 schooner wreck in Lake Michigan in just 50 feet of water". CNN Travel. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- ^ a b Gmiter, Tanda (July 25, 2024). "Wreck of triple-masted schooner found in Lake Michigan after 131 years". mlive.com. Advance Local Media LLC. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
Further reading
edit- Ruberg, Sara (July 26, 2023). "130 Years After Sinking, Ship is Found on the Bottom of Lake Michigan". The New York Times.