.jpg) Vienna at dock. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
.svg) United States | |
| Name | Vienna |
| Owner | Built for Cleveland Transportation Company. Owned by Orient Transportation Company at time of loss |
| Port of registry | Cleveland, Ohio |
| Builder | Quale & Martin of Cleveland, Ohio |
| Completed | 1873 |
| Fate | Sank in Whitefish Bay 17 September 1892 after she was rammed by theNipigon |
| Notes | United States Registry # 25875 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Propeller, woodensteamer |
| Tonnage | 1005.79Gross Register Tonnage 829.42Net Register Tonnage |
| Length | 191.33 ft (58.32 m) |
| Beam | 33.66 ft (10.26 m) |
| Depth | 14 ft (4.3 m) |
| Propulsion | Propeller |
| Notes | Vienna was downbound with her schooner barge tow, theMatte C. Bell, when she sank. There were no deaths. |
TheSSVienna was built in 1873 during the era whensteamers were built with sailrigging. She had a 19 year career marked with maritime incidents including sinking when she was just three years old. She sank for her final time in fair weather inWhitefish Bay inLake Superior after she received a mortal blow when she was inexplicably rammed by the steamerNipigon. Although there were no deaths when theVienna sank for the last time, more than 100 years later her wreck claimed the lives of 4scuba divers, the most of all the wrecks in theWhitefish Point Underwater Preserve that now protects her as part of an underwater museum. Her wreck was stripped of artifacts that resulted in theMichigan Department of Natural Resources seizing her artifacts in a raid on theGreat Lakes Shipwreck Museum in 1992. Her artifacts are now on display in this museum as loan from the State of Michigan.
Quayle & Martin built the wooden steamerVienna with an octagonalpilot house and sail rigging in 1873 for the Cleveland Transportation Company during the era when insurance companies still required ships to carry sails to maintain liability coverage.[1][2]
Vienna had a series of maritime incidents during her 19 year career. In August 1876, she ran ashore atPresque Isle inLake Huron and was able to get off. Her luck did not hold in October 1876 when she sank in Lake Superior with acargo of grain when she was just three years old. She was rebuilt in 1875 – 1876 as a double-decker with threemasts and increased tonnage. In September 1883 she sustained considerable damage when the Willow Street bridge swung into her in Cleveland, Ohio.[3] In 1887, she was assisted by the tugLeviathan when she was stranded on an uncharted 14feet (4.3 m) deep shoal 1.5 to 2miles (2.4 to 3.2 km) southwest ofWaugoshance Light in theStraits of Mackinac with $1,800 in damages.[3][4] In 1889, she was sold to Orient Transportation Company of Rockport, Ohio. In 1890, her rigging was changed to two masts. She sank for a second and final time in 1892.[3]
In fair weather at 12:25 am on 17 September 1892, the steamerNipigon was light and upbound in Whitefish Bay in Lake Superior towing theschoonersMelbourne andDelaware.Vienna under Captain J.W. Nicholson was downbound fromMarquette, Michigan and towing the schoonerMattie C. Bell. Both were heavy with a cargo of iron ore.[5]Vienna andNipigon exchanged signals for the normalport to port passing but the 191 ft (58 m), 626 tonNipigon suddenly veered and rammed the 191 ft (58 m), 1,006 tonVienna on the port side. Both vessels immediately dropped their consorts.[5][6][7]Nipigon tried to towVienna to shallow water but after an hour they were still about 1mile (1.6 km) from shore when the ore-laden, mortally woundedVienna dove into deep water.[5][7][8] No one could explain why theNipigon failed to obey her helm.Vienna was valued at $46,000 but she was only partly insured.[7]Vienna's crew and papers were transferred to the lumber hookerNipigon.Nipigon'sstem and forefoot were badly crushed but she was not leaking much and she was able to proceed on her way. A tug towedBell toSault Ste. Marie, Michigan.[5][8][9]
The wreck ofVienna was discovered in 1975 by theUnited States FisheriesR.V. Kohvo research vessel while setting fish sampling nets. She was then extensively explored by divers Kent Bellrichard ofMilwaukee, Wisconsin and Tom Farnquist, Director of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS) and theGreat Lakes Shipwreck Museum.[6] Shipwreck historian Gerred wrote of Bellrichard and Farnquist's dives toVienna:
They had made many trips to the wreck and brought up some interesting artifacts. Among them were a hand carved eagle atop the pilot house, theship's wheel, wooden blocks, portholes, a telegraph bell, whistle pull, dishes, crocks, and a largegrindstone. Farnquist, who is an expert on making lamps, book ends, and tables from wreck material, refinished the wheel. He mounted it against blue velvet with a polished frame of wreck wood. It is displayed at theLake Superior College and will be donated to their future marine museum. The eagle also was refinished and donated to the museum ship,Valley Camp.[5]
Michigan's Antiquities Act of 1980 prohibited the removal of artifacts from shipwrecks on the Great Lakes bottomlands.[10] TheMichigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) 1992 raid on the GLSHS offices and Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum included seizure of artifacts that were illegally removed from theVienna.[10][11] Artifacts fromVienna's wreck are on display in the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum as a loan from the State of Michigan by a 1993 settlement agreement with the GLSHS following the DNRE raid on the museum in 1992.[11][12]Vienna's wreck in now protected by theWhitefish Point Underwater Preserve as part of an underwater museum.
Vienna lies in 120 to 148 feet (37 to 45 m) of water at46°44.46′N84°57.91′W / 46.74100°N 84.96517°W /46.74100; -84.96517.Vienna is one of the more accessible wreck dives in the Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve because she is about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from shore.[13] She is known as a "blow-off" wreck dive because she lies closer to shore and extended-range divers go to this wreck during high winds and rough seas or when they have limited time. Her wreck ismoored to protect her remains and enhance the safety of divers.[2][13] However, the greater accessibility ofVienna belies her ability to ensnare even technically skilled, experiencedscuba divers. The four diving fatalities on her wreck are the most of all the wrecks in the Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve. Her remains are intact and upright and divers especially enjoy exploring her intactbow cabins.[13]In 1994, 102 years afterVienna sank, an experienced male diver who was a member of theChippewa County Sheriff's Department died while diving her wreck.[14] In 1995, an experienced male diver died of massiveemboli after deeply penetrating the wreck, likely running out of air, and attempting an uncontrolled ascent withoutstaged decompression.[15] In 1996, an inexperienced female diver's body was recovered from the wreck of theVienna in 147 feet (45 m) feet of water when her companion diver who was her fiancé was unable to rescue her.[16] A fourth diving fatality occurred at the wreck ofVienna in 1998 but details of the accident are not available.[17]
