In the late 19th century, nearly two decades ahead of the catastrophic Titanic sinking, the Great Lakes witnessed the launch of another ship heralded as a technological marvel. The Western Reserve, an all-steel freighter acclaimed for its speed and innovation, was among the first of its kind to navigate these waters. Affectionately dubbed “the inland greyhound” by contemporary press, this 300-foot vessel was perceived as an epitome of safety. Proud owner Peter Minch expressed his confidence in the ship by taking his family on board for a leisurely voyage in August 1892.
However, on August 30th, as the Western Reserve made its way through Lake Superior’s Whitefish Bay between Michigan and Canada, it encountered a fierce storm. With the ship lightened without cargo and riding high in the water, the gale proved fatal. The relentless force of the storm caused the ship to split in two, resulting in the tragic loss of 27 lives, including that of Minch and his family. Miraculously, wheelsman Harry W. Stewart managed to survive, swimming over a mile to safety after enduring a capsized lifeboat.
The shipwreck’s location remained an enigma for over a century, hidden beneath the lake’s depths until a breakthrough in July when the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society discovered its resting place off Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. This significant announcement was made at Wisconsin’s Ghost Ships Festival, highlighting a part of maritime history that many thought lost.
Bruce Lynn, the society’s executive director, emphasized the importance of this find. He remarked on how the ship stood as a symbol of innovation, as most vessels of that era were still constructed from wood. The Western Reserve’s story intertwined technological advancements with familial tragedy, underscoring both its historical relevance and the fragility of early steel ships.
The quest to locate the Western Reserve was a painstaking endeavor. Darryl and Dan Ertel, integral to the discovery team, dedicated over two years to the search. On July 22, their persistence paid off, as they navigated aboard the research vessel David Boyd. Due to heavy traffic, they adjusted their search area, inadvertently leading them to an unexpected breakthrough. Using side-scanning sonar, they identified a promising signal approximately 60 miles from Whitefish Point, detecting a large, split ship at a depth of 600 feet.
Returning to the site a week later, Lynn and his team confirmed the find using a submersible drone. The images from the drone showcased a running light matching the one from the Western Reserve that had washed ashore after the ship sank, the only artifact initially recovered. This marked a poignant day of confirmation, stirring a mix of emotion and unease among the discoverers, conscious of the ship’s sudden and somber demise.
Lynn described the wreck as “pretty torn up,” but noted its remarkable preservation, attributed to the cold, fresh waters of the lake. This discovery serves not only as a testament to a bygone era but also as a reminder of the inherent dangers of the Great Lakes, often underestimated despite their perilous conditions.
The sinking of the Western Reserve aligns with many shipwrecks on the Great Lakes, a body of water notorious for its treacherous nature since the 1700s. Among the most tragic, the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975 similarly ended in disaster due to an unexpected storm, claiming all hands onboard.
November typically signifies the commencement of storm season on the lakes, with climatic conditions much like those bringing about towering 30-foot waves. However, the Western Reserve faced its fate under unusual August conditions, with the storm classified as a “relatively minor gale.” Specialists speculate that brittle steel, still in its infancy as a material for shipbuilding, may have contributed to the ship’s failure. Similar attributes were noted in the steel used in the Titanic, suggesting a potential connection between material properties and maritime tragedies.