(TheLastPatriotNews.com) – A stunning discovery has been made after a piece of American technological ingenuity from over a century ago was unearthed in Lake Superior.
Specifically, explorers have uncovered the wreckage of the Western Reserve, one of the first all-steel cargo ships on the Great Lakes.
Watch the video down below.
The legendary vessel sank in 1892, claimed 27 American lives, and remained hidden for 132 years until dedicated historical preservationists finally located it using modern technology.
The Western Reserve was a marvel of its time. Launched 20 years before the Titanic, it was nicknamed “the inland greyhound” for its impressive speed and supposed safety.
This 300-foot technological wonder represented American industrial might and innovation during an era when wooden ships still dominated maritime transportation.
On August 30, 1892, tragedy struck when the ship sank during a storm in Lake Superior’s Whitefish Bay.
The disaster killed 27 people, including owner Peter Minch and his family. Only wheelsman Harry W. Stewart survived by swimming a mile to shore after his lifeboat capsized.
The wreckage remained hidden in the depths until July 2023, when members of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society finally located it off Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Their discovery was just announced at the Ghost Ships Festival in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and is considered one of the society’s most significant finds.
The search was conducted by father-son team Darryl and Dan Ertel, who used side-scanning sonar technology to locate the ship about 60 miles northwest of Whitefish Point.
Their persistence paid off when they found the Western Reserve broken in two, with the bow resting on the stern, in 600 feet of water.
“Knowing how the 300-foot Western Reserve was caught in a storm this far from shore made an uneasy feeling in the back of my neck,” Darryl Ertel stated. “A squall can come up unexpectedly…anywhere and anytime.”
A submersible drone confirmed the ship’s identity by capturing images of a portside running light that matched an artifact previously recovered from the wreck site.
The Western Reserve’s sinking is often compared to the Edmund Fitzgerald, another notable Great Lakes shipwreck that sank in 1975 near the same area.
Experts note that the Great Lakes can be more dangerous than oceans due to their size, making it difficult for ships to maneuver during storms.
What is particularly interesting about the Western Reserve’s sinking is that it occurred during what historians describe as a “relatively minor gale,” a type of storm rare in August.
One theory points to the brittle nature of steel used at that time, similar to the material used in the Titanic.
Bruce Lynn of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society said:
“There’s a number of concurrent stories that make this important. Most ships were still wooden. It was a technologically advanced ship. They were kind of a famous family at the time. You have this new ship, considered one of the safest on the lake, new tech, a big, big ship. (The discovery) is another way for us to keep this history alive.”
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