(built 1867 – wrecked 30 May 1889)
Identification & Site Information
- Name: Victor (no earlier names identified)
- Official Registry Number: (not listed)
- Year built: 1867, Port Dalhousie, Ontario by W. Andrews
- Dimensions / Tonnage: Approximately 126 ft × 24 ft × 12 ft; ~320 tons (registered) (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
- Vessel Type: Two‑masted wooden Schooner; typically coal carrier
Operational Ownership & Trade
- Owned and commanded by Edward Brown of Hamilton, Ontario
- Operated out of Chicago, carrying coal freight across Lake Huron (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
Final Voyage & Incident Report
- Date of Loss: 30 May 1889 (though some record sources list 1888)
- Voyage Circumstances: Under tow of the Steamer C. W. Chamberlain
- During a gale, Victor broke loose from her tow and was driven ashore south of Sand Beach, Michigan, near the Straits (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
- The Hull split longitudinally (“split in two lengthwise”) and was deemed a Total Loss (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
- Casualties: None reported; crew survival is implied by absence of fatalities (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
Final Disposition
- The vessel was declared a total wreck, structurally destroyed by grounding and storm forces.
- Her remains were Abandoned and not salvaged or recovered.
Rediscovery & Current Status
- There is no record of modern rediscovery, wreck survey, or dive site documentation. The remains likely lie in shallow coastal waters near the Straits of Mackinac, fragmented and dispersed.
Summary Table
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | Victor |
| Built | 1867, Port Dalhousie, Ontario |
| Type | Wooden Schooner, ~126 ft × 24 ft × 12 ft, ~320 tons |
| Owner / Master | Edward Brown, Hamilton, Ontario |
| Loss Date | 30 May 1889 (some variants list 1888) |
| Tow | Under tow of Steamer C. W. Chamberlain |
| Cause of Loss | Broke loose in gale; grounded and Hull split → wreck |
| Cargo | Coal |
| Casualties | None |
| Modern Rediscovery | None known |
Research Gaps & Recommended Follow-Up
- Build certificate, official registry, and enrollment details (missing official number).
- Crew roster and manifest, beyond ownership.
- Local weather station logs or storm trackers from May 1889 indicating the gale’s intensity near Sand Beach.
- Contemporary newspaper or port reports, particularly from Chicago, Hamilton, and Straits-area papers for eyewitness accounts.
- Insurance or underwriter claim files, likely held in regional repositories in Hamilton or Chicago.
- Chamberlain’s tow records or logs to confirm incident procedural details.
Summary & Historical Relevance
Victor was a mid‑19th-century wooden Schooner built for coal service, lost on 30 May 1889 after breaking from tow in a gale while being towed by C. W. Chamberlain. She capsized ashore near the Straits of Mackinac, her Hull split by force, and was lost entirely with no survivors lost. The incident underscores hazards of tow operations in shoaling storm conditions on Lake Huron and the risks small schooners faced in heavy weather.
No modern archaeological survey has located her remains, presenting an opportunity for future maritime-historical investigations.