Remnants of a ship from the Lake Michigan shipwreck that sank over 100 years ago have been found off the shores of western Michigan
The Michigan Shipwreck Research Association made a post on March 23, stating that a group of experts from the organisation uncovered the wreck of “the remarkably intact steamship Milwaukee,” which sank in July 1886 after crashing against another ship.
This marks the 19th shipwreck discovery around the West Michigan coast by the group.
Its researchers first discovered the Milwaukee in June 2023 using side-scan sonar, a technology used to detect and scrutinise objects on the seafloor.
According to the Facebook post, the mysterious shipwreck was uncovered by a violent storm. They then worked to film the wreck and confirm it was, in fact, the Milwaukee. A remote-operated vehicle was coupled specifically for the Milwaukee project.
Reports from Newspapers on the sinking were vital in locating the ship, the Michigan Shipwreck Research Association said. Articles explained the ship’s course as well as the point it sank, helping researchers hone in on a specific area off Holland, Michigan.
“News accounts of the accident, as well as the study of water currents, led us to the Milwaukee after only two days searching,” said the association’s Neel Zoss.
On the day it sank, the ship was headed to Muskegon from Chicago to take lumber. A lookout on the Milwaukee spotted the lights of another ship, the C. Hickox, approaching. However, a thick fog rolled in and made it impossible for the captain to see what the C. Hickox was doing. By the time the fog had parted, the ships were set to collide. “The Hickox ploughed into the side of the Milwaukee, popping hull planks, nearly capsizing the ship,” the Michigan Shipwreck Research Association said.
The association said everyone aboard the Milwaukee was able to make it to safety on the Hickox before the ship sank.
In an interview with CNN affiliate WXMI, Valerie van Heest, director of the Michigan Shipwreck Research Association, described the wreck on the ship’s portside as one of the “smoking guns” corroborating the ship’s identity.
One key detail that helped researchers confirm the wreck’s identity was the damage caused by the Hickox.
News accounts also pointed to a “canvas jacket” the crew rigged by stretching the sail over the damaged side of the ship, according to WXMI. Researchers discovered canvas straps lying next to the ship, further confirming they had uncovered the Milwaukee.
Jack van Heest, who is also part of the association’s board of directors, told WXMI the researchers had likely spent a total of 400 hours working on the Milwaukee project.
