Scow-Schooner (Built 1870, Sank 1893)

Identification & Construction

  • Vessel Name: Laurina
  • Former Names: None documented
  • Registry Number: 15875
  • Built: 1870 (possibly 1872) by Fredrickson, Chicago, Illinois
  • Hull Material: Wood
  • Propulsion: Sail; 2-masted scow-Schooner
  • Original Dimensions: 71.1 ft × 17.7 ft × 4.0 ft; 37.59 gross tons
  • Rebuilt 1881: 73 ft (22.3 m) × 18.5 ft (5.6 m) × 5.1 ft (1.55 m); 55.40 gross tons
  • Home Port: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
  • Primary Service: Lumber and sand trade on Lake Michigan

Ownership History

  • Original Owner: Johnson & partners
  • Final Owner: Samuel Martin
  • Underwriter Rating (1874): B2; valuation $1,200

Service & Operational History

The Laurina served primarily as a lumber and sand scow throughout the western Great Lakes. Her shallow Draft and boxy scow-Schooner design made her ideal for transporting bulk cargo into small or shallow harbors along Wisconsin’s shoreline.

Key operational notes:

  • 1874: Listed in the Board of Lake Underwriters survey for Milwaukee with a modest valuation.
  • 1881: Rebuilt to enlarge cargo capacity, increasing both beam and hold depth.
  • 1890s: Operating in the Milwaukee–Racine trade, hauling hardwood lumber and sand.

Final Voyage & Loss

  • Date of Incident: April 20–21, 1893
  • Voyage: Milwaukee → Racine, cargo of hardwood lumber
  • Incident:
  1. Sought shelter at Milwaukee Harbor during a strong storm.
  2. Anchored near Knapp Street Breakwater, but anchor dragged in early morning gale.
  3. By ~3 a.m., she struck the rocks at the Breakwater, firing distress signals.
  4. Crew escaped safely to shore; no lives lost.
  • Aftermath:
    • Deckload and much of the hold lumber salvaged to railcars.
    • Multiple unsuccessful salvage attempts by Milwaukee Tug Boat Co. and U.S. Revenue Cutter Andy Johnson.
    • Damage too severe; declared Total Loss.

Source: Milwaukee Sentinel, April 21, 26, and May 5, 1893

Wreck Disposition & Site Status

  • Last Document of Enrollment: Surrendered Milwaukee, August 1, 1893 – “Total Loss.”
  • Final Position: Alongside Knapp Street Breakwater, Milwaukee Bay
  • Reported Coordinates: N 43° 01.942′ | W 087° 53.618′
  • Depth: ~0–10 ft (initially awash at Breakwater)
  • Condition:
    • Wreck Abandoned and left to break up.
    • No verified remains located to date; likely disintegrated or buried under harbor fill and Dredge deposits.

Notices & Charts

  • No formal Notice to Mariners beyond local reports; vessel likely quickly deemed a non-hazard due to position at the Breakwater.
  • Likely obliterated by harbor expansion and dredging in late 19th–early 20th century.

Research Recommendations

  • Conduct side-scan sonar or magnetometer sweep near Knapp Street Harbor Breakwater to determine if timbers remain under sediment.
  • Consult Milwaukee harbor engineering maps (1890–1900) for potential burial or removal records.
  • Examine Wisconsin Historical Society Maritime Collection for Tug and salvage reports.

Historical Significance

The Laurina represents a typical late 19th‑century Lake Michigan scow‑Schooner, used extensively in the lumber and aggregate trade. Her wreck and eventual disappearance reflect the hazards of small‑craft operation in exposed harbors before modern breakwaters and Tug assistance were fully established.

While no dive site exists today, the case study contributes to understanding Milwaukee’s working harbor history and scow-Schooner construction on the Great Lakes.

Keywords & Categories

  • Region: Lake Michigan – Milwaukee Harbor
  • Vessel Type: Wooden scow-Schooner
  • Cause of Loss: Storm / anchor dragging / grounding
  • Cargo: Hardwood lumber
  • Dive Status: No extant dive site; wreck likely obliterated
  • Historical Value: Small-craft harbor history; 19th‑century scow construction