Identification Card (Site Style)

Description

The *W. C. Richardson* was a steel-hulled, single-Deck bulk freighter built in 1902 by American Ship Building Company (Hull #411) for use on the Great Lakes. The vessel featured one Deck, hold beams, hatches spaced at 24 ft, powered by coal-fired boilers and a triple-expansion steam engine (1,450 IHP). At 374 ft overall length, 50 ft beam, and 28 ft depth, she was classed at 3,818 gross tons. :contentReference[oaicite:16]{index=16}

History

Launched and enrolled in 1902 at Cleveland, Ohio (US #81816), the *W. C. Richardson* served in bulk cargo transport under Richardson Transportation Co., with home port Cleveland (later Rockport, Ohio).

On 8 December 1909, during a storm on Lake Erie, the vessel Foundered off Waverly Shoal, roughly 1½ miles from the Buffalo Breakwater. Five crew members were lost; the ship did not survive the storm and sank. Her enrollment was officially surrendered at the end of December 1909.

Final Disposition

The *W. C. Richardson* was declared a Total Loss following her sinking in the December 1909 storm. No recorded attempts to salvage the vessel’s remains have been noted in accessible sources.

Located By & Date Found

The wreck site is known in local diver and wreck mapping resources as lying in approximately 40 ft (12.2 m) of water, roughly 1½ miles off the Buffalo harbor wall near Waverly Shoal.

NOTMARs & Advisories

None formally documented in Notices to Mariners; local maritime historians and dive operators may note the wreck as a navigational hazard during periods of low Visibility or ice—though official notices are not publicly cited.

Dive Information

Access: Boat dive from Buffalo
Entry Point: Buffalo east harbor or Breakwater area
Conditions: Lake Erie storm-affected waters; Visibility varies
Depth Range: ~35–45 ft (10–14 m)
Emergency Contacts: U.S. Coast Guard Buffalo, NY district; local dive operators
Permits: Likely not required for recreational diving in state waters, but verification with NYS DEC or local authorities recommended
Dive Support: Local dive charters and shops in Buffalo area offer support for wreck diving

Crew & Casualty Memorials

Names of the five crew members lost in the sinking have not been located in accessible records; local newspapers from Buffalo or the Richardson company archives may hold the names. A deeper search in Buffalo newspapers of December 1909 (e.g., *Buffalo Courier*, *Buffalo Morning Express*) is recommended.

Documented Statements & Extracts

“The *Richardson* Foundered in a storm off Waverly Shoal, about 1½ miles from the Buffalo Breakwater. Five lives were lost.”
— Great Lakes Vessel History (General summary)

Registry, Enrollment & Insurance Trails

– Enrolled at Cleveland, OH, 3 June 1902; enrollment surrendered 31 December 1909. :contentReference[oaicite:22]{index=22}
– Owned by Richardson Transportation Co., manager listed as *W. C. Richardson*. Insurance records not found in reviewed online sources; further research is needed in marine insurance archives or local shipping company records (e.g., Cleveland or Buffalo marine insurance registries).

Site Documentation & Imaging

Diver reports and wreck mapping (Shipwreckworld.com) indicate the site remains partially visible under ~40 ft of water. No NOAA VR, 3D imaging, or formal survey documented in open online sources. A team dive survey or remote sensing (side-scan sonar) could produce data.

Image Gallery

Resources & Links

• Great Lakes Vessel History – W. C. Richardson
• ShipwreckWorld: W C Richardson Wreck Location Map
• Great Lakes Vessels Database (BGSU/HCGL) — general reference
• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• Chronicling America (Library of Congress) — for newspaper searches
• Newspapers.com — Buffalo newspapers December 1909
• Find A Grave — possible memorials for crew
• “Richardson, W.C. 1.” Great Lakes Vessel History, detailing build and loss.
• “W C Richardson freighter – Shipwreckworld.com,” location, depth, year built/sank.
• “The W S Richardson Was Bound from Duluth to Buffalo …” *Champaign Daily Gazette*, 9 December 1909 (partial context, confirms loss of flaxseed freighter).

NOAA/WHS Shipwreck Record Card