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Final resting place of iconic ship discovered after 132 years: Tragic story of how it sank with millionaire owner
The Western Reserve sailed in 1892 with its millionaire owner and his family onboard. The sinking of the ship claimed 27 lives.
After 132 years, the wreck of a ship that sank in Lake Superior has been found. The historic all-steel ship that broke records when it sailed was found resting 600 feet deep off the coast of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula by a crew from the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society. The society, in a report, shared that the ship lost in 1892 claimed 27 lives when it sank, including its millionaire owner.
What made the ship iconic?
According to the society, it was the “first all-steel vessels on the Great Lakes”. The ship was “built to break cargo shipping records and was deemed one of the safest ships afloat.” It was owned by millionaire Captain Peter G. Minch, a highly respected shipping magnate.
Sinking of the ship: A tragic incident
The Minch family and Western Reserve crew boarded the ship for a late-summer cruise. The weather was pleasant initially, but it then turned rough, causing the ship to overturn.
The crew and family members escaped on two lifeboats, but soon, one sank. The other lifeboat stayed afloat until morning, but eventually, it overturned. Out of the crew and passengers, only one person survived to tell the harrowing tale.
“Every shipwreck has its own story, but some are just that much more tragic”, said GLSHS Executive Director Bruce Lynn. “It is hard to imagine that Captain Peter G. Minch would have foreseen any trouble when he invited his wife, two young children and sister-in-law with her daughter aboard the Western Reserve for a summer cruise up the lakes. It just reinforces how dangerous the Great Lakes can be… any time of year,” Lynn added.
The organisation also shared a video that shows the incredible find in the depths of the water.
Darryl Ertel, Director of Marine Operations, and his brother Dan Ertel have been looking for the ship for the past two years. "We side-scan looking out a half mile per side and we caught an image on our port side. It was very small looking out that far, but I measured the shadow, and it came up about 40 feet.” Darryl said.
“So we went back over the top of the ship and saw that it had cargo hatches, and it looked like it was broken in two, one half on top of the other and each half measured with the side scan 150 feet long and then we measured the width and it was right on so we knew that we’d found the Western Reserve,” the director added.
