130-year-old shipwreck found in Lake Michigan using historical records, remote sensing technology
(CBS DETROIT) - Wisconsin maritime historians recently discovered a 130-year-old shipwreck in Lake Michigan near Algoma, Wisconsin.
The John Evenson steam tug was built in 1884. The harbor and towing tug was lost in June 1895 while assisting the I. Watson Stephenson as it was entering the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal with schooner barges, according to the Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association.
The ship's captain allegedly ran across the Stephenson's bow, which hit the tug and capsized her.
Five crewmembers were rescued from the water, but the ship's fireman, who was sleeping below decks when the incident occurred, and was carried down with the ship.
While searching for Evenson, historians Brendon Baillod and Bob Jaeck collected all accounts of the shipwreck, which was reported in many marine newspapers.
The issue they came across with their research was that the locations of the shipwreck varied in these newspapers. Some said the ship sank in 300 feet of water, and others said it did in 50 feet of water.
They used these reports, along with the original wreck report from Evenson's captain, John Laurie, to plot all the locations. They discovered that some matched the small area given in the wreck report, which was about four miles northeast of Algoma, Wisconsin.
At 9 a.m. on Sept. 13, the historians found the ship within five minutes of what was planned to be a three-day search. They used remote sensing equipment and deployed a remote-operated vehicle, which descended on the Evenson's propeller, steam engine and boiler.
A Wisconsin State Underwater archeologist and a diver arrived the next day to document the shipwreck.
This marks the third shipwreck the two historians have found in the last two years. They found the schooner Margaret A. Muir in June and the schooner Trinidad in June 2023.