Father-Daughter Duo Discover Remarkably Intact Shipwreck in Lake Michigan After 137 Years

After following clues from old newspaper clippings, a father-daughter duo from Wisconsin has discovered the remarkably intact wreck of the steamship Milwaukee, which sank in Lake Michigan nearly 140 years ago. The vessel, which went down in 1886 after colliding with another ship, was found 360 feet below the water's surface by explorers from the Michigan Shipwreck Research Association (MSRA).

Discovery and Survey of the Wreck

The researchers located the Milwaukee in June 2023 using side-scan sonar and then surveyed the wreck using a remote operated vehicle (ROV). The team announced its discovery to a live audience at a theater in Holland, Michigan, at the association's annual film festival.

History of the Steamship Milwaukee

The steamship Milwaukee, originally a 135-foot vessel with three decks, had two decks designed for freight and one for passengers. It was repurposed to accommodate more cargo, such as lumber, iron, and packaged goods after the Wall Street panic of 1873. In 1883, businessman Lyman Gates Mason of Muskegon bought the Milwaukee to haul his company's lumber to Chicago, leading to alterations in the vessel to fit Mason's needs.

Newspaper Clues and the Sinking

Valerie van Heest, who created the search grid, mentioned that it was newspaper accounts of the sinking that provided the clues needed to locate the shipwreck. The Milwaukee set a course to Muskegon, Michigan to pick up a cargo of lumber as a nearly identical ship, the C. Hickox, left Muskegon for Chicago with a load of lumber, while towing a fully packed schooner barge. The two ships ended up on a collision course due to a combination of factors, including smoke from wildfires hanging in the air and navigational errors.

Details of the Accident

Under navigational rules, both ship captains were supposed to slow down, steer right, and sound their steam whistles. However, due to a thick fog that rolled in, both captains were rendered blind to the other ship's presence. This resulted in a collision between the Milwaukee and the Hickox, leading to the former's sinking to the bottom of Lake Michigan nearly two hours after the accident. Luckily, everyone on the Milwaukee made it safely aboard the Hickox.

Aftermath and Lessons Learned

Both ship captains temporarily lost their licenses after the accident, and the shipwreck association highlighted the importance of slowing down in the face of danger as a key lesson from this historic shipwreck.

Remarkable Findings

After studying the wreck, the explorers realized that the Milwaukee had indeed been remodeled to accommodate more lumber, with the pilothouse and aft cabin made smaller. The announcement of the Milwaukee's discovery comes just a few months after a man and his daughter found the remains of a ship that sank in Lake Michigan 15 years before the Milwaukee, in 1871.