Identification & Site Information

  • Name: ASIA
  • Other Names: None reported
  • Official Number: None assigned
  • Date Built and Launched: 1848
  • Builder: Unknown, Black River, Ohio (near present-day Lorain, OH)
  • Homeport: Cleveland, Ohio (probable owner: Mussey & Reed)
  • Vessel Type: Two-masted wooden Schooner
  • Hull Materials: Wood
  • Number of Decks: 1
  • Power: Sail-powered
  • Measurements:
  • Length: 108 ft (32.9 m)
  • Beam: 23 ft (7.0 m)
  • Depth: 9 ft (2.7 m)
  • Tonnage (Old Measurement): 204 tons
  • Master at Time of Loss: Captain Reed

Vessel Type

The ASIA was a mid-sized wooden Schooner, designed primarily for cargo transport on the Great Lakes. It was part of the expanding grain trade, regularly carrying corn, wheat, and other agricultural products from Chicago to Buffalo. Schooners like the ASIA were a vital part of 19th-century commerce, enabling farmers in the Midwest to sell their crops to eastern markets.

History

The ASIA was in service for seven years, operating between Chicago, Cleveland, Buffalo, and other ports on the Great Lakes before being lost in a collision in 1855.

Key Events in the Vessel’s History:

  • 1848: Built at Black River, Ohio, for cargo transport.
  • 1848-1855: Operated as a grain hauler between Chicago and Buffalo.
  • September 21, 1855: Sank in a collision off Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Michigan.

Final Disposition

The ASIA was lost on September 21, 1855, after colliding with the propeller Steamer FOREST CITY off Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Michigan.

The Disaster

  • The vessel was downbound from Chicago to Buffalo, loaded with corn.
  • While sailing at night or in poor Visibility, it collided with the upbound steam-powered propeller FOREST CITY.
  • The Schooner sank in deep water within 10 minutes, giving the crew just enough time to launch a lifeboat.
  • No lives were lost, as the crew was later rescued by the Schooner HAMLET.
  • The wreck was not salvaged, as deep-water recovery technology was not advanced at the time.

Located By & Date Found

Nil return. The wreck of the ASIA has never been officially located or documented near Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Michigan.

Because it sank in deep water, the remains may still exist on the lake bottom, awaiting discovery.

NOTMARs & Advisories

Nil return. No modern navigational hazards related to this wreck are reported near Grand Traverse Bay, Michigan.

Resources & Links

Conclusion

The ASIA is one of many schooners lost in early Great Lakes commerce, highlighting the risks of wooden sailing vessels sharing busy shipping lanes with steam-powered propellers.

Though its entire crew survived, the sinking demonstrates the dangers of nighttime navigation, limited Visibility, and collisions between fast-moving steamers and slower schooners.

With no confirmed wreck site, the ASIA remains one of Lake Michigan’s lost vessels, possibly still resting undiscovered in deep water.