Vessel Type: Twin Screw Wooden Passenger and Freight Steamer
Location: Thunder Bay, MI
Vessel Build Info: 1863, Peck & Masters, Cleveland
Shipwreck Specs: 200 ft., 997 t.
Official Number: None
Names Other: None
Sinking Detail
The Pewabic ran from Cleveland to Lake Superior ports. It was two years old when it sank off Thunder Bay in a collision with the steamer Meteor. Steaming southward, it headed close enough to the Meteor to pass mail and news between the two ships, but the Pewabic unexplainably cut across the Meteor’s bow making a collision unavoidable.
Loss Date: 8/9/1865
Loss Place: off Thunder Bay, MI, 7 mi from Alpena
Loss Life: 75 to 100 (additionally, at least 10 divers have lost their lives on her)
Loss Reason: Collision
Vessel Cargo: Copper ingots, native copper, misc
Shipwreck Description
The ship suffered a large hole in the port bow and sank within minutes taking at least 33 passengers and crewmen. Several attempts were later made to retrieve the valuable copper cargo, using diving bells, clamshells and dynamite. They left the hull intact, but all of the cabins were destroyed.
Dive Type: Entry level technical
Depth Deck(ft): 155 ft
Depth Bottom(ft): 165 ft
Depth Deck(m): 47 m
Depth Bottom(m): 50 m
The Detroit times. (Detroit, Mich.), 22 July 1912.
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/...&proxValue=&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=388
[h=1]The sinking of the Civil War-era steamer Pewabic ranks as one of worst disasters in the history of the Great Lakes[/h]
The sinking of the Civil War-era steamer Pewabic ranks as one of worst disasters in the history of the Great Lakes - Professional Mariner - February 2007
[h=1][/h]
