WISCONSIN shipwreck (iron steamer) | |
 TheWisconsin when she was owned by the Grand Haven & Milwaukee Transportation Company | |
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| Location | Lake Michigan off the coast ofKenosha, Wisconsin |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 42°31′57.66″N87°42′31.44″W / 42.5326833°N 87.7087333°W /42.5326833; -87.7087333 |
| NRHP reference No. | 09000820 |
| Added to NRHP | October 7, 2009 |
TheWisconsin was an iron-hulled packagesteamer built in 1881 that sank in 1929 inLake Michigan off the coast ofKenosha, Wisconsin, United States. In 2009 the shipwreck site was added to theNational Register of Historic Places.[1][2]
TheWisconsin was built for theGoodrich Line at theDetroit Dry Dock Complex in 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. TheWisconsin and her sister shipMichigan were the first double-hulled iron steamers on the Great Lakes.[3]
In 1885, theWisconsin caught fire offGrand Haven, Michigan and was nearly destroyed. TheWisconsin was renamed theNaomi in 1899. On May 27, 1907, the ship caught fire again; the steamersKansas,E. G. Kerr, andSaxona rescued 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, theCrosby was commandeered by the United States Navy and served in New York harbor as a convalescent hospital ship named theGeneral Robert M. O'Reilly afterRobert Maitland O'Reilly, a formerSurgeon General of the United States Army.[5][6] TheGeneral Robert M. O'Reilly was renamed thePilgrim in 1920 before returning to her original owners and name in 1924.[4]
On 29 October 1929, theWisconsin left 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]
