LAURA MILLER (Official No. 140856; Launched 1886)

Identification & Site Information

  • Name: Laura Miller
  • Official Number: 140856
  • Built: 1886, Chicago
  • Dimensions: 23 m × 5.8 m × 1.8 m (75 ft × 19 ft × 6 ft); Gross Tonnage 56 grt, Net Tonnage 53 nrt
  • Date Lost: 8 October 1899
  • Loss Location: Approximately 3 mi (4.8 km) NW of Toledo gas buoy, Lake Erie
  • Cargo: 120 t coal
  • Crew: All rescued; tow‑Barge Quimby assisted (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com)

Vessel Type

A wooden two‑masted Schooner—from the late‑age sail fleet—used primarily as a coal transport Barge, operating in tow of tugs in the Lower Great Lakes.

Description

Constructed of robust timber framing, with a typical cargo hold for coal and equipped with twin masts. Designed for inshore towing rather than independent sail, with simplified rigging.

History

Built in Chicago in 1886, Laura Miller was intended for tow service, ferrying coal on Lake Erie. On 8 October 1899, while bound for Port Huron under tow by the Tug Higgie, she encountered a severe gale (canadiangeographic.ca, greatlakesrex.wordpress.com). The storm caused rapid foundering but crew survived. The tow‑Barge Quimby rescued them by approximately 1200 hours the same day (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com).

The vessel had a checkered prior record: stranded at Glencoe, Illinois in 1889; sank in storms off Grand Haven in 1894; and grounded near Mackinaw City in 1896. Despite multiple damages, she returned to service until her final loss (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com).

Final Disposition

Foundered and sunk in open water. No salvage operations recorded; her registry was surrendered on date of loss (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com).

Located By & Date Found

No wreck identification or discovery has been recorded. The wreck remains “presumed lost” in deep offshore waters and is not documented.

NOTMARs & Advisories

No Notmar advisories. Modern charts may mark presumed sinking location based on historical reports, but none officially recorded.

Resources & Links

Conclusion

Laura Miller exemplifies the small tow‑schooners critical to late‑19th‑century coal transport on the Great Lakes. Her multiple groundings reflect navigational hazards near shallow ports and weather, culminating in the fatal gale of 1899. While her crew survived, the wreck remains lost, an underwater relic of sail‑era logistics. With few technical details available, locating her would require targeted deep‑water sonar surveying near the sinking coordinates.

Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms

Coal Schooner, 1880s sail Barge, Lake Erie, tow‑boat, gale foundering, wooden vessel, Lower Lakes transport, lost tow‑Barge, 120 t coal cargo, no‑loss incident.