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Sinking of the Grecian, Thunder Bay, Lake Huron |
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Sinking of the Grecian, Thunder Bay, Lake Huron |
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| The Grecian was built in 1891 as an all steel freighter of 296 feet. Her lines followed the most modern for a Great Lakes Freighter of her day. On June 7, 1906 she struck a shoal several miles south of the DeTour Passage, while en route delivering a load of coal to a Lake Superior port. Two days later the cargo was taken off, the Grecian refloated and some temporary repairs were made to the damaged bottom in DeTour. Four of her cargo compartments were leaking, but it was thought she could survive the tow to Detroit, where permanent repairs were to be made. | The hatches were securely bolted shut and sealed to keep the cargo holds full of air. A large tug got hold of the Grecian and they headed down Lake Huron. When abreast of Thunder Bay Island, she started to settle and the hatches blew off. As the ship began to founder, the steamer Bessemer came to the rescue, got a line onboard and attempted to tow her to shallow water or Alpena. After two hours, the Grecian filled completely and sank south of Thunder Bay Island, on an even keel. Her crew was taken aboard the Bessemer, of the same shipping line, and transported to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. |
Take a dive on the Grecian
GPS Numbers for the Grecian - 445798/831193 - Courtesy of Captain Lee Barnhill, Alpena.
| Here is one of the cargo holds on the Grecian. They are dark and a bit intimidating to penetrate with all the loose gear dangling off the typical Scuba outfit. There are many parts to explore on the shipwreck. |
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| A typical wheel type valve control found on many ships. There was always a maze of steam and hot water pipes on the older coal fired steamers from the turn of the century. Divers must use caution in swimming around all these exposed parts, with the best approach being always have a buddy in view in case of entanglement. |
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The diver is peering over the
top of a fairlead, which provided a smooth, contained
port for the dock lines. The diver on the right inspects
one of the bilge pumps still on the wreck. The Grecian foundered with all her deck gear and machinery aboard. |
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More levers and valves and pipes. |
All these artifacts make for an interesting dive. |
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Here is the Captain's bath tub.
There was never a lack of hot water. This capstan is on the stern deck. It was used primarily for handling dock lines. |
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On the left, we see the old
style bilge pump on the stern deck, and the wooden rail. These bollards (right) were used to secure the dock and towing lines. When she went down, the tow lines were cut and can be seen here still attached. |
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This snatch block on the left
passed many a line fairly until the end. It is huge,
about 2 feet long.. Here is another valve and pump arrangement of the engine room. |
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A Propeller to grab the attention of any diver. The Grecian was a single screw, three cylinder engine, driving this four bladed prop.
* New Web Page, the Schooner F. T. Barney, fully intact, excellent photos *
Credits, Notes and Links
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