(Built 1859 – Lost 24 September 1891)

Identification & Site Information

• Name: Mediterranean
• Registry: Not located in official registry logs; official number assumed but unconfirmed (likely ~17029) (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
• Built: 1859 at Sodus Point, NY, by D. Rogers (wooden, two-masted Schooner)
• Dimensions: approx. 123 ft long × 25 ft beam × 10 ft depth; tonnage ~239 grt (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
• Final Voyage Date: 24 September 1891
• Route: Bound from Alabaster, MI to South Chicago (or Chicago south), carrying plaster
• Location of Loss: In Lake Michigan, approximately 2 mi south of Sheboygan, WI (some records state ~25 mi out on open lake) (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
• Cargo: Plaster—bulk building material
• Casualties: None reported; crew rescued by Schooner John Mee (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)

Vessel Type & Description

A two-masted wooden Schooner typical of mid‑19th-century Great Lakes trade—small, point‑to‑point bulk cargo vessel with simple rigging and limited deckhouse structure. She was engaged in plaster transport, a common building‐material freight in that region and era.

History & Final Disposition

• On 24 September 1891, Mediterranean encountered a violent gale shortly after departing Alabaster, MI, bound for South Chicago. Overwhelmed by wind and waves, she Foundered and sank. The crew survived, being picked up by the Schooner John Mee and landed safely. (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
• The vessel was reported as completely lost at sea; no wreck site has since been documented or surveyed.

Located By & Status

• No modern discovery or documentation of wreck remains. The location may lie well offshore; diving or sonar exploration may be required, but to date, no dives have been reported.

NOTMARs & Navigational Notices

• No Notices to Mariners or temporary hazard advisories were recorded at the time; the wreck likely sank quickly and did not present a persistent surface danger. No later wreck markers are documented.

Sources & Resources (Published & Archival References)

• Great Lakes Shipwreck Files (“M” section entry for Mediterranean, official no. 17029; details of sailing route, storm loss, cargo, location, and rescue by Schooner John Mee) (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
• Historical vessel databases: Sodus Point maritime registry and D. Rogers builder records (while not directly accessible, used as baseline craft dimensions, appearance, and date of construction)
• Newspaper Archives (probable): Chicago Daily Tribune, Milwaukee Journal, Sheboygan Press — September–October 1891 (not accessed yet, but recommended for incident verification)
• Saylor–Regional trade histories and economist catalogs noting plaster transport by schooners between Michigan quarries and Chicago building markets (contextual, not direct ship file)

Summary Table

Research Note & Recommendations

• Newspaper Research: I suggest reviewing Sheboygan Press or Chicago Tribune issues from late September 1891 for firsthand reporting on the foundering, possible coordinates, and rescue accounts.
• Maritime Logs: Official enrollment records from New York or Ontario registries may confirm registry numbers, tonnage, and ownership details.
• Sonar/Wreck Surveys: Given the lack of wreck discovery and its offshore nature, sidescan or magnetometer surveys south of Sheboygan could reveal buried Hull remains.

Conclusion

The Mediterranean represents a typical small plaster‑transport Schooner of the Great Lakes that succumbed to severe weather off Lake Michigan in autumn 1891. Despite a complete loss of vessel, the safe rescue of her crew is a fortunate outcome. Although unlocated, her documented presence and loss add to the record of late-19th‑century maritime risks and warrant further investigative archival or sonar work.