Lead Image

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

Description

The ALVAH S. CHISHOLM JR. was constructed in 1900 at Marine City, Michigan by builder A. Anderson as a Steamer. In 1928, she was converted into a wooden sandsucker Barge, used by the Lorain Washed Sand Co. for dredging and hauling sand across Lake Erie. Sandsucker barges were essential in supplying sand for road, construction, and industrial projects across the Great Lakes region.

History

After nearly three decades as a Steamer, the vessel was Rebuilt in 1928 into a Barge. She supported infrastructure growth by dredging sand from lakebeds and transporting it to harbors and construction sites. On May 11, 1935, she sank while tied up at dock in Sandusky, Ohio. Salvage attempts were Abandoned, and she was left idle. Reports diverge on her fate: one account states she was towed into Lake Erie and scuttled with explosives in 1937, while another records she was consumed by fire at her moorings in May 1941.

Final Dispositions

The ultimate end of the vessel remains unclear. She is reported as both scuttled (1937) and destroyed by fire (1941). The absence of precise documentation leaves her fate unresolved. If scuttled, wreckage may still lie offshore in Lake Erie; if burned, remains may have been reduced to rubble at the dockside.

Located By & Date Found

No confirmed discovery of the wreck site has been documented. If scuttled, her remains may be located on the lakebed; if destroyed at dock, remnants may lie buried under shoreline infrastructure in Sandusky, Ohio.

NOTMARs & Advisories

No active Notices to Mariners are associated with the ALVAH S. CHISHOLM JR.. Location remains uncertain due to conflicting records.

Dive Information

Access: Unknown
Entry Point: Sandusky, Ohio (if remains at dock)
Conditions: Unknown
Depth Range: Unknown
Emergency Contacts: USCG Ninth District (Great Lakes)
Permits: Required for excavation or disturbance
Dive Support: Not available (site undocumented)

Crew & Casualty Memorials

No casualties were recorded with the loss of the ALVAH S. CHISHOLM JR..

Documented Statements & Extracts

“On May 11, 1935, the sandsucker Barge Alvah S. Chisholm Jr. sank at Sandusky docks. Later reports suggest it was destroyed by fire in 1941, or scuttled in Lake Erie with explosives in 1937.” — Great Lakes Shipwreck File (David Swayze).

Registry, Enrollment & Insurance Trails

Official enrollment records list the vessel as a 478 gross ton Steamer converted into a Barge in 1928. Home port: Cleveland, Ohio. No insurance records located online.

Site Documentation & Imaging

No survey or imaging of the wreck has been conducted. Its final location remains uncertain.

Image Gallery

Resources & Links

• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• Great Lakes Vessel Database (BGSU/HCGL)
• David Swayze Shipwreck File

References

1. David Swayze, Shipwreck File (USACE collection).
2. Great Lakes Vessel Database, Bowling Green State University.
3. Maritime History of the Great Lakes online archives.

NOAA Shipwreck Record Card