A ship that sank in Lake Michigan 142 years ago has been found almost completely intact by Wisconsin historians.
The schooner Trinidad was found 270 feet deep in Lake Michigan off the coast of Algoma, Wis., by historians Brendon Baillod and Bob Jaeck.
“The vessel is one of the best-preserved wrecks in Wisconsin waters with its deckhouse intact, containing the crew’s belongings and the anchor and deck equipment still in place,” they said in a statement.
The boat sank in the lake in 1881. Baillod and Jaeck found it in July, using victim accounts and historical records, then side-scan sonar, to home in on the ship’s location.
Despite the passage of time, the ship is in almost pristine condition: the ship’s wheel was found on the seabed without a single piece missing. The main part of the boat was intact, with the masts removed. The deck house has only a facade on the roof, but the main structure remains largely untouched.
The 140-foot schooners – similar to sailboats with extra sails – were used primarily in the grain trade between Milwaukee, Chicago, and Oswego, New York.
The schooner Trinidad was discovered in 270 feet of water in Lake Michigan off the coast of Algoma, Wisconsin, in July by historians Brendon Baillod and Bob Jaeck. AP
The schooner Trinidad was found 270 feet deep in Lake Michigan.
Her last voyage occurred on May 11, 1881, when the Trinidad was carrying coal to Milwaukee and suffered a leak while passing through the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal. The boat sank 10 miles off the coast of Algoma, “taking all of the crew’s possessions and the captain’s pet Newfoundland dog with it,” according to a news release.
Captain John Higgins believes the ship’s hull was damaged while the ship was traversing an ice field in the Straits of Mackinac.
All nine passengers – including the captain – survived. They paddled for eight hours in a yaw boat to the beach.
The original owner of the boat did not maintain it causing its value to plummet. Insurance records show Trinidad was worth $22,000 in 1867, but by 1878, it was worth only half that, Baillod said in a news release.
The main part of the boat was found intact, with the masts removed.AP
The hull had begun to leak and the captain nearly died when a block fell from the platform. By 1879, the boat was no longer suitable for carrying a cargo of grain and it was sold.
By May 1880, the boat was tasked with carrying coal to the mines on Silver Island in Lake Superior – a route never traveled by the old ship. It hit a reef on its way to the jetty, tearing off 10 feet of the bottom.
The boat was immediately rescued and put back into service, Baillod said.
It was sent on what was supposed to be its last voyage, but the captain stopped halfway to wait out the winter. It sank shortly after continuing its journey.
The boat sank in the lake in 1881 in an apparent accident and was found using side-scan sonar to hone in on its location. The two men found the location based on the victim’s account and historical records.AP
Baillod and Jaeck began their search for the Trinidad – which was built in New York in 1867 – two years ago. Baillod became interested in the shipwreck while building a database of all known wrecks in Wisconsin waters, Baillod said.
Historians believe the wreck “ticks all the boxes” for a find, as the crew has given a good description of where the Trinidad sank and the boat sank slowly – meaning there’s a good chance it’s still in one piece.
After referring to the historic ship’s lane records, in addition to the crew’s description of where it sank, Baillod was able to determine a search area of about a third of a mile.
They narrowly missed the sonar wreck, but after traversing the area again, they found the ship.
A second team confirmed the wreck after taking measurements of the hull.
The two historians worked with the Wisconsin Historical Society to nominate the site for the National Register of Historic Places.
With Postal wire.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
