WHITEFISH POINT, Mich. (WWJ) - The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society announced on Wednesday the discovery of one of the oldest ships to sink along Lake Superior’s Shipwreck Coast after it was lost in a storm over 150 years ago.
According to the GLSHS, crews found the wreckage of the 144-foot Barquentine Nucleus in under 600 feet of water around 40 miles northwest of Vermilion point on Lake Superior.
The Nucleus sank in 1869, making it one of the oldest shipwrecks along the Shipwreck Coast, authorities said. The infamous coastline stretches roughly 200 miles between Grand Marais and Whitefish Point where hundreds of ships lie in watery graves at the southern end of Lake Superior.
It also goes by another name "Graveyard Coast", and most of the wrecks discovered here are almost perfectly preserved.
Crews say the discovery of the Nucleus is no exception.
GLSHS Director of Marine Operations, Darryl Ertel Jr., said the said was found in "surprisingly good condition."
"The stern was intact. It had a straight back stern and then the port side also was intact," Ertek stated. "And so, I was more excited about it because at first, I thought it was totally in pieces on the bottom.”
According to the society, the Nucleus went down on 153 years ago on September 14th, as it was downbound from Marquette carrying a load of iron ore. One of Lake's Superior's infamous storms blew in, causing the ship to take on water.
Eventually the ship was overcome and the crew were left no choice but to abandon the Nucleus on their lifeboat. The ship sank shortly after the last crewmember was safely off.
"After a few hours in their yawl, the Nucleus crew spotted, and hailed the S.S. Union. The officers reportedly spotted the Nucleus crew struggling in the storm… but chose to keep on steaming, leaving them behind," the society said. " Fortunately, they were soon picked up by the schooner Worthington, with no loss of life."
The ordeal of the crew is one story of many strange accidents to befall the Nucleus before its eventual sinking. By the time it shipwrecked on Lake Superior, It had already sunk twice, and in 1854, rammed and sank the side-wheeler S.S. Detroit in Lake Huron.
Nevertheless, its discovery is significant to researchers.
"Considering its age, the fact that it is a barquentine and we can’t overlook the vessel’s checkered past," Shipwreck Society Executive Director, Bruce Lynn said. "The wreck site is littered with shovels too…and a few dinner plates, which speaks to their work and shipboard life.”
The GLSHS said the Nucleus was found using a Marine Sonic Technology side-scan sonar in the summer of 2021. Crews were able to positively identify the wreck in 2022 using the organization’s ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle).
