Identification & Site Information

Vessel Type

A wood-hulled, three-masted Schooner-Barge—a typical freight carrier of the era—towed by steam vessels on Lake Superior. She lacked propulsion of her own and relied entirely on tow for movement.

Description

At around 41 m (134 ft) in length with a modest beam and 3.4 m (11 ft) depth, Richard Morwood was built sturdy for bulk cargoes like oil. Though originally built as Lennie Powell, she was later renamed and modified, becoming a sizable Schooner-Barge in the late 1870s.

History

Launched in 1856 from Port Dover, Ontario, she was initially registered under another name (Lennie Powell) before being renamed Richard Morwood in 1875 (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com). Serving as a towed bulk cargo vessel, she underwent major repairs in 1864 and continued in service until her loss in 1887 during a November gale on Lake Superior .

Final Disposition

During a powerful late-season storm on 19 November 1887, the Richard Morwood separated from her tow, had her sails ripped apart, struck bottom near Grand Island, and sank. All crew survived. As a non-self-propelled Tug-to Barge, she drifted uncontrolled into shallow waters before sinking .

Located By & Date Found

No modern surveys or underwater investigations have definitively located the wreck. Her presumed resting area lies off Munising in Lake Superior, near Grand Island, but none have been plotted with precision.

Notations & Advisories

  • No current navigational hazards are charted in that vicinity related to this wreck.
  • Because she sank near shore, fragments may exist in shallow water—shallow dive exploration might detect debris in the vicinity of Grand Island, but conditions and hazards remain undocumented.

Resources & Links

Conclusion

Richard Morwood—a robust Schooner-Barge built in 1856—met her end on 19 November 1887 after being separated from tow during a violent storm on Lake Superior. Drifting onto bottom near Munising, she sank intact, but not before her sails were destroyed and she struck bottom. Her crew escaped unharmed, and the wreck remains un-located in modern surveys, likely lying in or near shallow waters off Grand Island.