140 Years After A Lake Michigan Maritime Mishap, Divers Came Upon A Haunting Sight In The Depths
It’s a dark night in 1878 on the deep waters of Lake Michigan as two great schooners make their way through the mist. But with visibility so low, calamity strikes. The two vessels collide, never to deliver their cargoes of vital supplies. And as they sink without trace, the wrecks of these two great vessels are destined to remain unseen for more than 130 years.
There's something beneath the surface
In 2010 underwater explorer Bernie Hellstrom was sailing near Beaver Island, some 30 miles off the north-eastern shore of the lake. The trip was expected to offer nothing out of the ordinary – but then he discovered a large object lurking hundreds of feet below the surface. Nine years later, he returned to find out more.
Preserved remains
On closer inspection, Hellstrom discovered the preserved remains of our two ancient schooners lying on the lake bed. But at first, the identity of the vessels remained an enigma. Although the large hole in one ship certainly indicated a devastating accident, experts could not locate any historical records detailing any such maritime mishap. So what was the story behind these haunting wrecks?
Untouched for a century
Eventually, historian Brendon Baillod uncovered the truth about the two vessels lying beneath the surface of Lake Michigan. Back in 1878 – less than two decades after the end of the Civil War – they had met their mutual doom in the early hours of June 25. But how had their wrecks remained undiscovered for well over a century?
Unveiling what actually happened
As Baillod unraveled the events of 1878 he established the identity of the two ships: the Peshtigo and the St. Andrew. Until recently, experts had believed that these lost vessels lay some 50 miles away, beneath the waters of neighboring Lake Huron. Now, thanks to some skilled maritime detective work, their true fate has been revealed.
