Shipwreck verified
Patty RamusThunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary staff have confirmed the identity of a shipwreck that was discovered near Harrisville.
The wreck has been identified as the schooner John L. Shaw. The wreck, located about four miles east of Harrisville, was discovered in 2007 by John Gauthier while he was fishing. Sanctuary staff were made aware of the discovery a few months ago, said Wayne Lusardi, sanctuary state maritime archaeologist.
From an archaeological perspective, the Shaw fills a gap in the collection of schooners around the sanctuary, said Russ Green, deputy superintendent.
"With the possibility of sanctuary expansion, having an exciting, easily accessible wreck off Harrisville is great news. The Shaw is in recreational diving limits and much of it is intact. If a dive boat (is) launched from the Harrisville marina, it's just a short ride to the site," he said.
The identification was made based on evidence from the available historical data and measurements taken by sanctuary staff. On Sept. 24, Green, Lusardi and Tane Casserley, National Maritime Heritage Program coordinator, dove the wreck. Casserley took still photos of the wreck while Green videotaped it and Lusardi took measurements and drew a preliminary site plan, Lusardi said.
Lusardi said the Shaw was constructed in 1885 by James Davidson, a shipbuilder in Bay City. Davidson is known for building large wooden vessels and he kept that tradition alive during his day. The Shaw was a three-mast schooner that measured 206 feet in length, 37 feet wide, 14 feet deep and it weighed more than 900 tons.
"If you put it side by side with the E.B. Allen it would virtually be twice as long and twice as wide," he said. "It's gigantic compared to other contemporary wooden schooners. There were a few big ones but there weren't a whole lot."
On Nov. 13, 1894, the Shaw got caught in a snow storm and it was being towed by a steam barge, the Eddy. The Shaw started taking on water and sinking because the bilge pumps couldn't keep up with the incoming water. The crew attempted to signal the Eddy with lights, but the Eddy's crew couldn't see them through the snow. The Shaw's crew started a fire on the bow and they burned everything from bedding to clothes in an attempt to signal the Eddy.
The Shaw eventually took on too much water. The crew loaded onto a lifeboat and abandoned ship. The ship was carrying coal and no people went down with the ship.
"The people on the Eddy didn't know what was happening until they felt a jerk in the tow line and the boat went down," Lusardi said.
The ship went down in about 128 feet of water and the tops of the masts suck out of the water for a long time. The wreck now is relatively intact and about three-quarters of the deck is still intact. The bow is smashed and collapsed but all the pieces are there. The stern is slightly broken but not as much as the bow and the cabin is missing, Lusardi said.
Lusardi said the information eventually will be placed on the sanctuary's Web site. Anyone who is interested in obtaining the coordinates for the wreck's location can contact Lusardi by calling 356-8805 ext. 11.
Patty Ramus can be reached via e-mail at pramus@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5687.
