E.F. Gain (1867)

Name: E. F. Gain
Built: 1867 (specific shipyard not yet identified)
Type: Wooden Schooner, used in lumber transport
Final Voyage: Carried a load of lumber when caught in a storm
Loss Date: September 9, 1875
Incident: Driven ashore during a gale; the Hull became waterlogged and she sank.
Crew Evacuation: All crew members survived, swimming ashore safely.

Reports indicate E. F. Gain was caught in a severe autumn storm.
The vessel was thrown onto a lee shore, sustained Hull damage, took on water, and eventually sank.
Crew made a successful escape by swimming to shore, with no recorded fatalities.

Much remains unknown about the E. F. Gain. The following key information is missing and warrants investigation:

Construction Details: Shipyard, dimensions, tonnage, and ownership records—held likely in U.S. Customs enrolment registries (circa 1867–1875).
Voyage Route & Origin Port: Determine where she departed and intended destination.
Crew Manifest: Names, positions, and survival details, possibly listed in crew registries or newspaper accounts.
Weather Conditions: Early September 1875 storm logs from NOAA or Canadian meteorological archives can provide context.
Locate Wreck Site: Identifying grounding location via old charts or local histories would allow targeted survey.
Press and Official Reports: Newspapers or Marine Court documents from September 1875 (e.g., Milwaukee, Duluth, or other Lake Michigan ports) could hold rescue and wreck accounts.

Site Hypothesis: Likely grounded on a lee shore in Michigan or Wisconsin; remains may lie offshore in shallow water.
Remains Condition: Given the sinking post-grounding, remnants might include Hull fragments, iron fittings, and lumber cargo.
Recommended Survey Steps:
1. Review 1875 nautical charts to narrow potential wreck areas.
2. Perform side-scan sonar and magnetometer sweeps along those shorelines.
3. Conduct shoreline-diver reconnaissance or beach combing to locate structural fragments and artifacts.

E. F. Gain typifies mid-19th-century lumber schooners that frequently encountered seasonal storms—her wreck emphasizes hazards of lee-shore grounding.
With no loss of life and a crew survival story, the wreck offers both human and material culture insights into Great Lakes maritime operations.
Locating her remains could enrich knowledge of wooden Schooner construction and late-season navigation practices of the 1870s.

Archive Request: Enquire at National Archives (Detroit/Milwaukee or Buffalo/Chicago district) for enrolment files, registry, and crew manifests (1867–75).
Newspaper Retrieval: Search Great Lakes port newspapers for September 1875 for rescue and wreck reports.
Meteorological Data: Obtain early September lake storm logs to understand environmental conditions at the time.
Historical Chart Study: Examine 19th-century nautical charts to identify likely grounding zones.
Site Survey Planning: Coordinate with Great Lakes maritime archaeologists for underwater and shoreline field surveys.

Abandoned