Identification & Specifications

  • Built: 1846 at Algonac, Michigan by Zadock Pangborn
  • Original Owner: Gillman Appleby of Buffalo, NY; registered in Buffalo
  • Type: Wooden, single-Deck side-wheel Steamer
  • Engine: One crosshead cylinder powering 34″ side-wheels (engine built by T.F. Secor & Co., NYC)
  • Dimensions: 217.3 ft long × 30.6 ft beam × 12.7 ft depth
  • Tonnage: 806.4 tons (old style)

Service & Performance History

  • 1847: Underwent machinery repair in Cleveland; engine lowered by 1 ft
  • 1851: Disabled on Lake Erie—towed to Buffalo; later struck reef and sank near West Sister Island
  • 1854–1857: Various incidents — groundings, reef strikes (Hog Island, St. Clair Flats), rebuilding to sloop Barge
  • 1860–1862: Persistent conversions — dismantled into Barge, later used as sloop Barge

Final Incident — October 12, 1863

  • Route: Sailing Lake Huron loaded with lumber
  • Event: Stranded about 15 miles southeast of Point Aux Barques during a gale
  • Outcome: Vessel broke apart in subsequent storms; Total Loss
  • Mud flow: Remains gradually scattered and degraded off Michigan coast

Wreck Site Details

  • Location: Approx. 15 miles southeast of Point Aux Barques Light, Lake Huron
  • Coordinates & Condition: Likely fragmented in shallow to moderate depths; no modern sonar or dive surveys recorded
  • Hazard: Reef-prone waters—area is visible in NOAA charts but needs updated hazard verification

Citations

Research Opportunities & Recommendations

  • Archival Research
    • Inspect autumn 1863 lake shipping news in Detroit Free Press or Toronto Globe
    • Review Point Aux Barques Life-Saving Station logs for gale records and rescue operations
  • Field Survey
    • Side-scan sonar mapping off Point Aux Barques reef line to locate Hull debris
    • Diver reconnaissance depending on depth and bottom Visibility
  • Hazard & Historic Record Context
    • Determine presence of wreck in NOAA charts and update community hazard advisories
    • Investigate whether scattered remains contributed to local salvage or beach wash-ups

Conclusion

The Sultana, a mid-19th-century side-wheel Steamer built in Algonac, Michigan, succumbed to a gale on October 12, 1863, near Point Aux Barques. Though fragmented and likely well-decayed, the wreck remains of historical interest. Priorities include confirming the precise location and examining archival sources to document the loss and any rescue operations. A modest survey effort could recover structural data and improve regional maritime charts.