Identification & Site Information

  • Name: Miranda
  • Build Year: 1848
  • Type: Wooden Schooner
  • Hull Material: Wood
  • Official Number: Not documented in sources

Vessel Type & Construction

  • Rigging: Two-masted wooden Schooner designed for lumber transport
  • Dimensions & Tonnage: Specifics unrecorded in available sources, but typical for lumber schooners of this era: ~90–140 ft length, ~200–300 tons

Final Voyage & Wreck Details

  • Departure: Bound from Bay City, Michigan to Detroit, Michigan
  • Date & Loss Event: Caught in a severe storm on September 17, 1871, driven ashore in 8 ft of water; subsequently “pounded to pieces” by waves at Bound Bay and fully wrecked by 12 PM (noon) (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
  • Cargo: Approximately 85,000 board feet of lumber, plus cedar posts and shingles (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
  • Crew & Casualties: No known record of loss of life; presumed all hands survived—no fatalities reported (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)

History & Ownership

  • Owner at Loss: Captain J. R. Scott, Detroit; master aboard was Captain McAdam (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
  • Operational Use: Engaged in transporting lumber products between Michigan ports
  • Aftermath: Wreck reported ashore and fully wrecked by the 4th (likely September 21); stripped of equipment and cargo; broken up by the 10th (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)

Final Disposition & Salvage

  • Status: Declared a Total Loss; Hull wreckage broken apart by storm waves and tides
  • Salvage: Vessel was stripped and dismantled on site; engines, rigging, and cargo recovered where possible (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)

Archival & Research Gaps

  • Hull Specifications: Exact dimensions, photography, or builder’s plans remain unverified.
  • Crew Lists & Biographies: Detailed crew manifests listing deckhands, officers, or survivor accounts are not found.
  • Insurance & Legal Documentation: No surviving insurance records or loss claims traced.
  • Local Newspaper Accounts: Investigate Detroit and Bay City newspapers (e.g., Bay City Tribune) from late September 1871 for detailed reports.
  • Official Records: Seek entries in U.S. Customs enrollment, shipping logs, and possibly Marine Court inquiry records.

Wreck & Heritage Significance

  • Represents the perilous conditions faced by Great Lakes lumber schooners during the autumn storm season (“Witch of November”).
  • Early example of cargo Schooner loss during peak logging-traffic era; dramatic wreck may have influenced regional salvage practices.
  • Potential for exploring small-scale remains or artifact dispersal field near the Bound Bay shoreline zone.

Proposed Next Steps for Research & Exploration

  • Archival Dive: Consult Bay City Tribune and Detroit Free Press archives for survivor testimonies, cargo valuations
  • Government Records: Review 1871 Marine Court files in Detroit or U.S. Customs Enrollment records
  • Local Historical Society Inquiry: Bay County Historical Society may possess unpublished letters or eyewitness accounts
  • Field Survey: While wreck was dismantled and likely buried, survey near original wreck site (‘Bound Bay’) may uncover timber remnants or cargo scatter

Conclusion

The Schooner Miranda, built in 1848 and lost in a September 17, 1871 storm, exemplifies a lumber Schooner crushed by a late-season gale—stripped, dismantled, and ultimately destroyed by wave action. No known lives were lost, but the damage to its cargo and Hull was total. Archival confirmation of dimensions, crew, and official proceedings would provide a more complete historical record, and a field survey of the site may yield physical evidence of the wreck.