Survey Reveals Lost Wreck of the Steamer SS Western Reserve
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS) has unveiled its latest wreck find: the remains of the steamer Western Reserve, which went down 132 years ago in Lake Superior.
Western Reserve was a historically significant ship. She entered service in 1890 and was among the earliest lakers ever built out of steel plate. Her novel design allowed her to carry heavier loads at higher speeds than competing wooden-hulled vessels.
On August 30, 1892, Western Reserve was under way on a ballast voyage to the port of Two Harbors to take on a load of iron ore. She had 32 crewmembers and passengers on board, including shipowner Capt. Peter Minch, his wife, his two children, his sister-in-law and her daughter.
When they reached Whitefish Bay, rough weather picked up and the captain ordered the anchor dropped to wait for calmer conditions. When the winds died down, they heaved anchor and headed out into Lake Superior. At 2100 hours that night, they were hit by a squall and the ship - which was just one and a half years old - began to break up.
The crew launched two lifeboats, and all got away. However, one of the lifeboats capsized as soon as the crew boarded, leaving just one boat afloat as the ship slipped below. Two crewmen from the lost lifeboat were pulled from the water by the survivors.
The second boat nearly made it to safety twice. A steamer passed in the night, but did not see the survivors. At about 0730 hours the next morning, the boat approached the Upper Peninsula's shores near the Deer Park Life-Saving station. The boat flipped in the surf, sending the shipowner, his family and the surviving crewmembers into the water.
The sole survivor, wheelman Harry Stewart, managed to make it to shore on an uninhabited beach. After making it to safety, he told investigators that the Western Reserve had begun to break apart in heavy seas; further inquiries revealed that the shipbuilder had used contaminated, brittle steel for the vessel's construction, leaving it vulnerable to cracking from metal fatigue. The sinking led to stronger standards for steel plate in U.S. vessel construction.
In late summer 2024, the GLSHS' research vessel David Boyd discovered the wreck site on sidescan sonar, right at the edge of detection range. A follow-up deployment with an ROV confirmed the identity of the wreck.
The survey revealed that the wreck had broken in half, and the stern section landed first in 600 feet of water. The bow section came down on top of the stern.
"Knowing how the 300-foot Western Reserve was caught in a storm this far from shore made a uneasy feeling in the back of my neck," said GLSHS director of marine operations Darryl Ertel.