Continental – Lake Michigan Freighter Shipwreck (1904)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Continental
• Type: Wooden steam screw bulk carrier
• Year Built: 1882
• Builder: George Presley Shipyard, Cleveland, Ohio
• Dimensions: Length: 244.7 ft (74.6 m); Beam: 36.4 ft (11.1 m); Depth of hold: 19.2 ft (5.8 m)
• Registered Tonnage: 1,506.67 gross tons
• Depth at Wreck Site: 4.5 m / 15 ft
• Location: Rawley Point, Lake Michigan, near Two Rivers, WI
• Coordinates: 44° 13.932' N / 87° 30.462' W
• Official Number: 126016
• Original Owners: Republic Iron Company, Marquette, MI
• Number of Masts: None

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

The Continental was a two-deck wooden steam screw bulk carrier, built for the iron ore and coal trade of the upper Great Lakes. Her hull was of wooden construction with a plain bow, rounded stern, and powered by a single screw driven by a double expansion steam engine. She was built to carry heavy ore loads, often in consort with schooners, on routes linking Marquette and Cleveland.

Description

The Continental was a two-deck wooden steam screw bulk carrier, built for the iron ore and coal trade of the upper Great Lakes. Her hull was of wooden construction with a plain bow, rounded stern, and powered by a single screw driven by a double expansion steam engine. She was built to carry heavy ore loads, often in consort with schooners, on routes linking Marquette and Cleveland.

History

Launched on 2 May 1882 at Cleveland, Ohio, Continental entered service with the Republic Iron Company of Marquette, Michigan. She spent her career hauling bulk iron ore and coal. Over two decades she experienced multiple incidents:

• September 1883: Assisted grounded schooner Sumatra, snapping three towlines in the process.
• 28 April 1890: Fire in the oil room during an ore run to Ashtabula; flames forced collision with consort Magnetic, which sank. Crew rescued.
• 1890–1903: Routine ore service under successive captains including C.M. Davis, E.T. Rattray, Charles Hinslea, Harry Rodgers, and W.A. Black.

Significant Incidents

• September 1883: Assisted grounded schooner Sumatra, snapping three towlines in the process.
• 28 April 1890: Fire in the oil room during an ore run to Ashtabula; flames forced collision with consort Magnetic, which sank. Crew rescued.
• 1890–1903: Routine ore service under successive captains including C.M. Davis, E.T. Rattray, Charles Hinslea, Harry Rodgers, and W.A. Black.

Final Disposition

On the night of 12–13 December 1904, en route light from St. Ignace to Manitowoc Dry Dock, Continental encountered a heavy snowstorm. Near Twin Rivers Point, she missed a critical course change and stranded on sandbars off Rawley Point Lighthouse. All 20 crew were rescued by local fishing boats.

Salvage attempts by the tug Arctic of Manitowoc and Reid Wrecking Co. of Port Huron failed. Winter ice filled the hull and broke her apart. Locals salvaged furnishings, bedding, coal, and supplies before spring breakup.

Current Condition & Accessibility

The wreck lies in 0–15 ft (0–4.5 m) of water, shifting with sand movement. The remains include sections of hull and the double expansion steam engine. The site is periodically exposed by storms and ice, making it one of the most accessible large wooden bulk carriers preserved on Lake Michigan.

Resources & Links

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Known since stranding in 1904; site continuously documented by Wisconsin Historical Society and sport divers. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a significant cultural resource.