Wisconsin historians have found a ship that sank in Lake Michigan 142 years ago, still in near pristine condition and nearly fully intact.
The ship, Trinidad, was found 270 feet below the depths of Lake Michigan off the coast of Algoma, Wisconsin, by historians Brendon Baillod and Bob Jaeck, according to The Associated Press.
“The wreck is among the best-preserved shipwrecks in Wisconsin waters with her deck-house still intact, containing the crew’s possessions and her anchors and deck gear still present,” the historians shared in a statement.
The Trinidad sank in the lake in 1881, and thanks to survivor accounts and historical records, Baillod and Jaeck were able to find the ship using side-scan sonar and lock in on the vessel.
Even though it was below the water for more than a century, the ship was still in good condition, with the ship’s wheel being found fully intact.
The main portion of the boat was also together, with the poles detached. The historians shared that the deck house only had a nick in the roof, but the rest of the main structure was almost untouched.
The Trinidad was used in the grain trade between Milwaukee, Chicago, and Oswego, New York.
On its final journey, the ship was carrying coal to Milwaukee on May 11, 1881, when it suffered a leak and sank 10 miles off the coast of Algoma. The crash took “all the crew’s possessions and the captain’s pet Newfoundland dog with her,” according to the news release.
All nine passengers onboard the ship survived the crash, rowing eight hours in the yawl boat to shore.
The historians shared that when deciding whether or not they should search for the ship, its story “ticked all the boxes,” having a good description of where it went down and being that it sank slowly.
The two historians are working with the Wisconsin Historical Society to have the site nominated as a National Register of Historic Places.