SS Wisconsin
WISCONSINshipwreck (iron steamer) | |
 TheWisconsinwhen she was owned by the Grand Haven & Milwaukee Transportation Company | |
  | |
| Location | Lake Michiganoff the coast ofKenosha, Wisconsin |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 42°31′57.66″N87°42′31.44″W/ 42.5326833°N 87.7087333°W |
| NRHP referenceNo. | 09000820 |
| Added to NRHP | October 7, 2009 |
TheWisconsinwas an iron-hulled packagesteamerbuilt in 1881 that sank in 1929 inLake Michiganoff the coast ofKenosha, Wisconsin,United States. In 2009 the shipwreck site was added to theNational Register of Historic Places.[1][2]
Career[edit]
TheWisconsinwas built for theGoodrich Lineat theDetroit Dry Dock Complexin 1881,[2]a steamer 204 feet (62 m) long with a beam of 35 feet (11 m) and a depth of 12 feet (3.7 m).[3][4]Her design was progressive in several ways. She had an iron hull in an era when most ships were still built of wood. That hull was a double hull, with a max 3.8-foot space between the iron outer hull and the iron floor of the hold. This 3.8-foot space between the hulls was divided into five watertight compartments, which could be independently filled or emptied withballast water,to adjust for light loads or top-heavy loads. Her front was clad with a rounded iron forefoot which could be pushed up onto ice floes so the ship's weight could break through. TheWisconsinand her sister shipMichiganwere the first double-hulled iron steamers on the Great Lakes.[3]
In 1885, theWisconsincaught fire offGrand Haven, Michiganand was nearly destroyed. TheWisconsinwas renamed theNaomiin 1899. On May 27, 1907, the ship caught fire again; the steamersKansas,E. G. Kerr,andSaxonarescued most of the people on board, but four crew members and one passenger perished. By 1910 the ship was known as theE. G. Crosby.[4]
DuringWorld War I,theCrosbywas commandeered by the United States Navy and served in New York harbor as a convalescent hospital ship named theGeneral Robert M. O'ReillyafterRobert Maitland O'Reilly,a formerSurgeon General of the United States Army.[5][6]TheGeneral Robert M. O'Reillywas renamed thePilgrimin 1920 before returning to her original owners and name in 1924.[4]
Sinking and legacy[edit]
On 29 October 1929, theWisconsinleft Chicago bound for Milwaukee. Under the command of Captain Dougal Morrison, the freighter was carrying passengers, automobiles, and machine tools. The ship ran into a storm and began taking on water, sinking around 7:10 pm. Rescue craft arrived 20 minutes later.[4]Estimates of the number saved and lost vary widely, from 18 lost out of 26 aboard to 18 lost of 76 aboard.[4]Estimates given around the time of the sinking give numbers of around 63-66 saved, 8-10 dead or missing. Sources agree the captain went down with the ship.[7][8][9]
The wreck site is a popular location for historians, archaeologists and divers. It lies in 90 to 130 feet (27 to 40 m) of water, 6.5 miles (10.5 km) south-southeast ofKenosha.[10]
References[edit]
- ^"Weekly List of Actions Taken On Properties".National Park Service.Retrieved2012-02-26.
- ^ab"WisconsinShipwreck ".National or State Register.Wisconsin Historic Society.Retrieved2018-07-06.
- ^abTamara Thomsen; Keith Meverden (2009-02-01)."National Register of Historic Places Registration Form:WisconsinShipwreck ".National Park Service.Retrieved2018-07-06.Withone photo.
- ^abcdeShelak, Benjamin J. (2003).Shipwrecks of Lake Michigan.Big Earth Publishing. pp. 71–73.ISBN9781931599214.Retrieved3 January2016.
- ^Hilton, George Woodman (2002).Lake Michigan Passenger Steamers.Stanford University Press.ISBN9780804742405.Retrieved3 January2016.
- ^"Wisconsin (1880-1881)".Wisconsin Shipwrecks.Wisconsin Sea Grant, Wisconsin Historical Society.Retrieved2018-07-07.
- ^"Three Score Near Death When Saved".The Appleton Post-Crescent.29 October 1929. p. 1.Retrieved3 January2016– viaNewspapers.com.
- ^"Lake Michigan Steamer Sinks, 9 dead".Olean Times-Herald.29 October 1929. p. 1.Retrieved3 January2016– viaNewspapers.com.
- ^"Seek Causes of Wisconsin loss; 9 dead".News-Palladium.30 October 1929. p. 6.Retrieved3 January2016– viaNewspapers.com.
- ^Kohl, Cris (2001).The Great Lakes Diving Guide.West Chicago, Ill.: Seawolf Communications, Inc.
- Shipwrecks on the National Register of Historic Places in Wisconsin
- Shipwrecks of the Wisconsin coast
- Hospital ships of the United States Navy
- World War I auxiliary ships of the United States
- 1881 ships
- Maritime incidents in 1929
- Shipwrecks of Lake Michigan
- Ships built in Detroit
- National Register of Historic Places in Kenosha County, Wisconsin
- Wreck diving sites