Identification Card (Site Style)

Description

The Mediator was a Schooner-Barge built in 1862, part of a fleet of wooden vessels adapted for towing service by steamers. These vessels retained masts but were generally operated without sails, transporting bulk cargo such as lumber and iron ore under tow. On her final voyage, Mediator was loaded with lumber bound from Duluth to Chicago.

History

On September 18, 1898, the Steamer Kalkaska departed Duluth with the Schooner-barges J.H. Mead and Mediator in tow, both carrying deckloads of lumber. While off Keweenaw Point, a violent gale struck Lake Superior, producing heavy seas. The towlines parted, and both barges were left adrift.

Driven before the storm, the barges grounded about one mile west of the Gratiot River mouth, Keweenaw Peninsula. While the crews escaped without loss of life, both vessels were declared total losses, their cargo scattered along the shoreline.

Final Disposition

Grounded and destroyed in storm-driven seas near the Gratiot River, Lake Superior, September 18, 1898. Declared a Total Loss with cargo of lumber. Some wreckage persists in shallow water (20 ft) near shore.

Located By & Date Found

The wreck was known since the time of loss (1898). Site location documented at 47°07.310′N, 88°33.010′W. No formal archaeological survey conducted to date.

NOTMARs & Advisories

None issued; wreckage lies in shallow nearshore waters. Hazard to small craft possible in storm surge.

Dive Information

Access: Shore or small boat dive possible from Gratiot River area
Entry Point: Keweenaw Peninsula near Gratiot River mouth
Conditions: Cold Superior waters; shifting sands and timbers; variable Visibility
Depth Range: ~20 ft (6 m)
Emergency Contacts: USCG Sector Sault Ste. Marie
Permits: Required for survey or artifact recovery under Michigan law
Dive Support: Regional dive operations available in Copper Harbor and Eagle Harbor

Crew & Casualty Memorials

All crew survived; no fatalities. No memorials specific to Mediator recorded.

Documented Statements & Extracts

“On September 18, 1898, the Steamer Kalkaska was towing the Schooner-barges J.H. Mead and Mediator from Duluth to Buffalo with deckloads of lumber when they were beset by rough conditions at Keweenaw Point. The heaving barges soon parted their towlines and were driven before the gale until they were thrown ashore about a mile west of the Gratiot River mouth.” — Keweenaw Shipwrecks (Baillod)

Registry, Enrollment & Insurance Trails

Built 1862. Enrollment and insurance records not located in online archives. No insurance payout records traced.

Site Documentation & Imaging

No official survey or photogrammetry has been conducted. Local wreck remains may be scattered timbers and cargo debris in nearshore waters.

Resources & Links

• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• Great Lakes Vessels Database (BGSU/HCGL)
• David Swayze Shipwreck File
• Keweenaw Shipwrecks – Mediator

References

1. Baillod, Eric. *Keweenaw Shipwrecks – Mediator*.
2. Great Lakes casualty reports, September 1898.
3. Duluth News Tribune & Marquette Mining Journal, storm coverage (Sept–Oct 1898).

NOAA/WHS Shipwreck Record Card