- Built: 1863 at Dover, Ohio by G.A. Johnson
- Tonnage: Approximately 142 GRT (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
Final Incident & Loss
- Date: November 14, 1887
- Location: Near Ashtabula, Ohio, on eastern Lake Erie (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
- Cause: Overwhelmed by a severe southwest gale—Foundered and sank, reportedly worth around $12,000 including cargo (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
- Casualties: 9 lives lost of an unspecified crew size
Vessel Role & Cargo
- Functioned as a wooden scow or scow-Schooner, commonly used to haul bulk goods like coal, gravel, or grain
- Carrying cargo at time of sinking; Total Loss value estimated at $12,000 suggests substantial bulk freight (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, alcheminc.com)
Wreck Site & Conditions
- Resting place: Deep waters near Ashtabula’s eastern piers; likely scattered wreckage in deeper zones beyond coastal shoals
- Condition: Wooden Hull fragments probably scattered across the lakebed or consumed by waves; no modern surveys currently documented
Archival Documentation
- Detailed in Great Lakes Shipwreck Files and corroborated by Ashtabula region shipwreck indexes (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, alcheminc.com)
Research Gaps & Future Directions
| Area | Recommended Approach |
|---|---|
| Crew Manifests & Casualty Lists | Consult Ohio newspaper archives (e.g., Ashtabula Sentinel, Cleveland Plain Dealer) for November 1887 casualty coverage |
| Weather & Gale Context | Analyze meteorological logs from Nov 1887 to trace gale timing and strength |
| Insurance Records | Explore marine insurance files to validate the estimated loss value |
| Underwater Survey Potential | Investigate side-scan sonar data for remnant debris or voids near Ashtabula Harbor |
| Archival Register Confirmation | Verify build info, official number, and ownership via U.S. Customs and Great Lakes vessel registers |
Summary
The Eli, built in 1863, met her tragic end on November 14, 1887, off Ashtabula, Ohio, during a severe SW gale. She Foundered, resulting in 9 crew deaths, with a reported Total Loss of $12,000. While documented in historical files, her wreck location remains unverified. Still, her story and fate offer compelling reasons for in-depth archival research and potential underwater rediscovery.