The remains of a ship lost for more than a century have been uncovered.
The Western Reserve set sail in 1892, navigating Lake Superior on its way to Two Harbors, Minnesota.
This 300-foot steel steamer, among the pioneering all-steel ships of the Great Lakes, failed to reach its intended port.
Aboard were 28 individuals, including the affluent Captain Peter G. Minch, the vessel’s proprietor, along with his family.
The journey faced favorable weather until reaching Whitefish Bay, prompting the crew to anchor and await the passing of intense winds.
On the night of August 30, 1892, around 9pm, the Western Reserve started to succumb to adverse weather conditions, leading to its sinking.
Although passengers managed to evacuate via lifeboats, disaster struck when one capsized, taking several crew members into the depths.
The fate of the second lifeboat was similar, with only Harry W. Stewart surviving.
After 132 years, the wreckage of the Western Reserve has been discovered.
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS) initially identified the site with sonar technology last year, confirming it as the Western Reserve’s remains only recently.
The shipwreck was found about 60 miles northwest of Whitefish Point, Michigan, in Lake Superior, the largest freshwater body globally.
GLSHS Executive Director Bruce Lynn reflected on the find and the sad tale: “Every shipwreck has its own story, but some are just that much more tragic.”
“It is hard to imagine that Captain Peter G. Minch would have foreseen any trouble when he invited his wife, two young children and sister-in-law with her daughter aboard the Western Reserve for a summer cruise up the lakes. It just reinforces how dangerous the Great Lakes can be… any time of year.”
Marine Operations Director, Darryl Ertel, and First Mate, Dan Erte, dedicated two years to the search for this notable shipwreck.
“We side-scan looking out a half mile per side and we caught an image on our port side,” Darryl recounted.
“It was very small looking out that far, but I measured the shadow, and it came up about 40 feet.
“So we went back over the top of the ship and saw that it had cargo hatches, and it looked like it was broken in two, one half on top of the other and each half measured with the side scan 150 feet long and then we measured the width and it was right on so we knew that we’d found the Western Reserve.”