Identification & Site Information

  • Name: L. Seaton
  • Built: 1872 at Reed & Sons shipyard, Henderson, New York
  • Official Number: 15948
  • Type: Wooden Schooner, used for package freight and passenger transport
  • Dimensions: 121 ft length × 26 ft beam × 11 ft depth; 233 GRT / 221 NRT
  • Loss Date: November 12, 1892
  • Loss Location: Driven ashore on Long Point, Lake Erie, during a northeast storm (“ENE gale”)
  • Cause of Loss: Broke anchor chains while seeking shelter; grounded and pounded to pieces by waves
  • Cargo: Railroad ties

Incident & Final Disposition

  • L. Seaton had sought refuge in a lee harbor during a storm when anchor chains failed under heavy seas.
  • She was driven ashore near Long Point, managed to remain upright briefly, but was ultimately pounded to pieces by waves and declared a Total Loss.
  • Crew survival is implied though unreported; no fatalities are recorded in surviving sources (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com).

Archival & Research Gaps

  • Crew & Passengers: Names and roles remain unrecorded; enrollment manifests and Packet service papers (1872–1892) housed in U.S. Customs District registers are likely sources.
  • Tow or Shelter Details: Identify the harbor in which she sought refuge and the circumstances leading to chain failure.
  • Weather Conditions: Meteorological logs from Environment Canada and NOAA detailing the extreme gale conditions on November 12, 1892.
  • Newspaper Reports: Local Lake Erie press (Port Dover, Hamilton, Buffalo) likely covered the wreck and any rescue/salvage operations.
  • Salvage Records: Harbor Commission records from Port Dover or Port Rowan may document salvage efforts or fault investigations.

Wreck & Exploration Potential

  • Location: Long Point, Lake Erie — a shallow, long sand spit shoreline
  • Likely Remains: Expect distributed wood debris and fastener scatter in surf zone; deeper remains may exist offshore due to shifting sands
  • Survey Proposal:
    1. Historical chart overlay to pinpoint drift point and anchorlet location
    2. Side-scan sonar and magnetometer survey around known grounding area
    3. Shoreline and nearshore dive/shore walk to recover structural remnants like Keel sections or iron hardware

Historical & Archival Significance

  • L. Seaton operated as a Packet Schooner on Lake Erie, carrying freight and passengers—a shrinking class of wooden vessels by the late 19th century.
  • Her loss typifies anchor failure and exposed lee-shelter risk in the December gales of the era.
  • Recovering even fragmentary remains could bring insight into late-Schooner construction practices and chain strength standards of the period.

Next Steps

  • Submit archive requests to National Archives (Detroit District) for vessel enrollment, crew lists, and freight logs.
  • Search historical newspapers (Port Dover, Port Rowan, Buffalo) for November 1892 reportage.
  • Coordinate with Long Point Provincial Park or Canadian dive clubs for potential site survey.
  • Gather meteorological data to recreate the storm event leading to anchor failure.