SHALLOW WATER WRECKS- BURNT CABIN POINT

THE BERLIN

BERLIN's remains on Burnt Cabin Shoal- Google Earth Image

While flying for the Michigan DNR on survey trips around Michigan's thumb I began to spot wrecks in the shallows along Lake Huron's shore. Eventually I took my camera along and photographed a few, but was never able to record the "exact" locations other than making some scribbles on my aeronautical chart. This one I found to be a real stunner. Now, 28 years after the DNR furloughed me, (Okay they said that I was still employed, but they simply were no longer flying the routes I was on... that way they didn't have to take the hit for un-employing someone. It was a furlough, no matter how you looked at it.), we have the wonder of Google Earth and by way of their latest high resolution satellite imagery and I've been able to locate several of my shallow water wrecks from my DNR days.

My 1988 photo of the BERLIN wreck.

In 1877 Captain A.M. Johnson was the owner and master of the 112 foot long wooden schooner BERLIN. The boat was his family small business and carrying whatever he could find as a paying cargo was how he fed his family. To economize the operation Captain Johnson had his son aboard functioning as a crewman. In f the first week of November, 1877 Captain Johnson had booked a cargo of limestone to be hauled from Marblehead, Ohio to Bay City, Michigan knowing full well that the weather would be rough, but that the profit from this cargo would likely help get his family through the long winter ahead when ice blocked the lakes and the sailing season came to an end. Unfortunately, on this trip, all that came to an end was Captain Johnson and the BERLIN. 

Click HERE and Wes will autograph and personalize your books

While attempting to round the upper tip of Michigan's thumb the BERLIN was running in a strong northeast blow with heavy rain. Her only source of navigation was the Point aux Barques (pronounced Aw- Bach) lighthouse which stood right next to the newly established US Life-Saving Station of the same name. Oddly, Point aux Barques itself is located nearly 8.8 miles, as the crow flies, and 10.1 sailing miles to the northwest of the lighthouse for which it is named. Captain Johnson managed to sail 8 miles beyond the light, but running in the pitch black of the November night he had gotten himself too far to the south of his course and ran aground on Burnt Cabin shoal, one of a series of rocky fangs that jut out from the thumb and look to spear any mariner who ventures too near.

Almost immediately the waves began to take the BERLIN apart as two of her masts fell and the seas shoved her along the shoal. Captain Johnson was one of the first to be washed over the side and parish in the bitter cold water. Next the ship's cook was washed overboard and as the captain's son was overcome with despair at losing his father to Lake Huron, the lake came and easily plucked him overboard to a frozen death. Of course Lake Huron could not let such a prize simply be swallowed- no indeed. Instead the waved entangled the Johnson boy's body in the fallen rigging of the vessel and displayed it there for the other three survivors to gaze upon and ponder own their fate.

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The original 1877 Point aux Barques life-saving station, now on display at Huron City, MI.- author's photo

Local residents discovered the wreck at daybreak and notified the Point aux Barques life-savers by telegraph. The wreck itself was well outside of the USLSS beach patrol area and was completely out of sight of the station's watch tower. Due to the distance and sea conditions the life-savers had to move their surfboat by horse and carriage in order to get to the wreck site and the trek took several hours. During that time, the ice water seas claimed a fourth crewman. By the time that the life-savers reached the wreck only part of the bow and one mast remained above the waves with two benumbed crewmen clinging to it. They were both rescued and the body of the captain's son was also recovered. The BERLIN herself was soon flattened by the winter ice, but small pieces of her occasionally come ashore to this day.

The entire thrilling story of the BERLIN can be found in this book of mine. BTW- I once saw Keepers of Valor being sold here for one PENNY! I had to buy that copy myself.

Keepers of Valor

SHALLOW WATER WRECKS: THE SCHOONER-BARGES MIDNIGHT & MEARS

I

THE MIDNIGHT AND MEARS

In 2016 Google Earth published some images of the lakes where the shoreline and shallow waters showed a great deal more detail than in previous publications. The above image is that of either the schoonerbarge MIDNIGHT or MEARS. The two were wrecked together on November 27th 1889 and have been scattering their pieces south of AuSable Point near Oscoda, Michigan ever since. Their story is detailed in my book, "True Tales of Ghosts and Gales" as in 2000 I was invited by Dr. John O'Shea, who has a cottage near the wreck site, to survey the wreck.

In 1999 I'd been asked to come to a fellow's cottage south of the wreck site where a large chunk of one of the vessel's beam ends had washed up near his dock. Yes, these pieces tend to travel. That find inspired me to research the the area and I uncovered the wrecks of the MIDNIGHT AND MEARS. So, when I visited the site with Dr. O'Shea, I already knew the whole story.

For generations local home owners have believed that the keelson was "just an old dock" and as we were surveying the site one lady came down to the beach and informed us that this was just an old dock. I asked her how she knew that? She said that he father had told her that. I then pointed out aspects of the wrecks site that showed otherwise and then told her the true story of the MIDNIGHT and MEARS. You could see her eyes turn from a look of dismissal to one of of wonder. Suddenly she went for casual observer to a protector of the site! No one was going to mess with these remains as long as she was residing nearby.

There is no way to actually tell exactly which of the two boats has left these bones as measurement is somewhat inconclusive.

Here's a great book on the study of wrecks along this shore

Much more of the wreck is hidden just beneath the sand and farther off shore. In fact some wreck-strippers from out of state began systematically stripping subsurface wood and transporting it across state lines in order to use it to make furniture. They were caught in the act in a soft-core sting conducted by the Michigan DNR and local law enforcement. Their operation was shut down in a very big way, property was reportedly seized and fins issued.

Of course pieces of the wreck that happen to wash up, "high and dry" can be lawfully collected. This piece, which may be from the wrecks, was used as decoration at a local resort.

Yet other pieces that come ashore are often dragged off by local residents who have no knowledge of the wrecks and burned in beach bonfires. Of course, you have to actually be able to lift them first.

SHALLOW WATER WRECKS: THE MARQUIS

THE MARQUIS- TOUGH ROCKS

Author's note: I first saw this wreck when I was flying for the Michigan DNR on lakeshore surveys of fishermen. The job was my first one in my aviation career and consisted of me flying a Cessna 152 at 1,000 feet and along the shoreline as the guy sitting next to me sat there with a clicker and counted people fishing below. In other words- I had nothing to do other than look down at the lake. When I spotted this wreck, I shouted "Just a minute!" to the counter-guy and banked sharply to go back and get a good look. "Wow! it's a shipwreck!" I exclaimed as we circled, oops... I was unaware that the guy siting next to me had never been in a 60 degree bank and a two-G turn before... he was white as a sheet.

Library of Congress collection

The Canadian Lock at Sault Saint Marie

With the vessel traffic on the Great Lakes booming and the need for Canadian vessels to transit between the lower lakes and Lake Superior, the government of Canada decided that they needed their own locks at the Soo. Of course the 1870 CHICORA "incident" helped the project more than anything as the British frigate, loaded with arms and troops bound for Hudson Bay, was denied passage through the American Soo locks for political reasons. When construction began in 1888 huge quantities of cut stone were needed. Those were cut in the southern part of Ontario and shipped by vessel up to the Canadian Soo. That activity turned into a cash boon for many a small vessel owner or operator. Captain Crawford of the three masted Canadian schooner MARQUIS was one such person who picked up some handy cash by hauling the cut stones for the locks. Although it took days to carefully load the cut blocks of stone at the Amherstburg, Ontario dock and the time needed to unload the stone at the Soo would take far longer, this load would likely cap off the 148 foot long schooner's 1892 sailing season. The value attached to the stone cargo was $8,000 and a good chunk of that would go into the the schooner's till as well as the captain's wallet. 

  

 While sailing up Lake Huron on the night of November 11th the MARQUIS encountered a classic late autumn gale with high winds and heavy snow. Although the storm as a true gagger, the boat was holding her own helped in great part by the stable and heavy cargo in her hold. Built in 1872, her hull was in good shape and she was doing well against the high seas. Unfortunately, Captain Crawford found that his boat had strayed from her course as her wooden keel suddenly felt the bite of the boulder-garnished bottom of Michigan's thumb. Immediately he knew that there was no way for him to get his boat off of the rocks and so he ordered he sea cocks opens had the schooner scuttled to prevent her from pounding herself to pieces on the bottom. It was a correct, but futile move as the waves quickly began to dismantle the schooner. She rests there today, just south of Hardwood Point in shallow water along with her entire cargo of cut stone.

 The lifesavers at the Sand Beach Station (now called Harbor Beach) were alerted to the wreck at four o'clock in the morning on November 12th and launched their lifeboat. The enlisted the aid of a steam tug to tow them the "four miles west, northwest of the station" to the wreck site. Three of the schooner's crew had gone ashore by way of the vessel's yawlboat, and it is likely that they were the ones who called for the lifesavers. The surf, however, was too high for them to return to the stranded wind-grabber and so the lifesavers used their lifeboat to shuttle the remaining four crewmen to the tugboat and then returned to the station. Meanwhile, as the days and weeks passed, Lake Huron simply chewed away at the MARQUIS until there was little left other than her bottom and lots of cut stone. The lost schooner's load was hardly missed and the Canadian locks opened in 1895.

SHALLOW WATER WRECKS: THE EUGENE

THOSE FORGOTTEN BONES ON PORT AUSTIN REEF

Basic scow-schooner.   Chicago Maritime Museum

Thanks to the high resolution imagery of the shore line of the Great Lakes taken in 2013 and released by Google Earth in 2016, we can now sit at home and scan the lakes for forgotten shipwrecks. This article will cover the wreck of a little scow-schooner that has been long forgotten- the EUGENE.

Built in 1865 at Fair Haven, Michigan, the EUGENE was just 64 feet long and only 16 feet in beam. Her flat bottom scow hull drew just 4 feet 4 inches of water meaning that she could operate in shallow backwaters where larger boats would normally go aground. On October 22nd, 1890 she was bound from Grindstone City , Michigan to Au Sable, Michigan with a cargo of oats in her hold and her deck stacked high with bales of hay when she was caught in a sudden gale and stripped of her sales and upper masts. Her captain raised a signal of distress as the crew simply waited for the wallowing and overloaded little scow-schooner to be consumed by mighty Lake Huron. Their luck, however, was not that bad as the big passenger steamer INDIA came hissing out of the storm and discovered the EUGENE some 25 miles north of Michigan's thumb. Pulling along side the EUGENE, the INDIA's crew opened a side port and rescued all of the EUGENE's people. No record exists as to how many were aboard the little scow-schooner, but normally it was a crew of between two and four people. The INDIA then resumed her course upbound to Sault Saint Marie where the castaways were put safely ashore.

Meanwhile, the little EUGENE just drifted with the storm until the winds swung around and blew her back toward land. She fetched up on the south end of a spit of land known as the Port Austin Reef. There the little laker broke up in the waves and was later ground to bits by the winter's ice. Today a scan of the Google Earth images shows pieces of her scattered along the reef. Her keel is jack-knifed in two pieces and a large section of her beam lays upon the bottom. There she rests totally forgotten... until now.

More information can be had HERE

Book 17 being finished

UPDATE: Book 17 is on the shelves! 

Wooden Ships and Deadly Seas

Get "Wooden Ships and Deadly Seas" now!

No... I did not title it

The new book is out!

This was the first that I have seen the cover.

I saw the proof of the text, and said that I thought it was a bit too much "Wes" for my taste.

Avery gently said, "tough rocks." My wife agreed with Avery.

Anyhow, I really hope that my readers will like the collection of stories.

http://averycolorstudios.com/Books/Wes-Oleszewski.html

LOOKS LIKE MY 16th TITLE WILL BE OUT EARLY

Well folks, my publisher misunderstood an e-mail and as a result, a project that we were just thinking about is going to become a reality... in a big hurry!

Back in September I got a message from my publisher, Avery Color Studios, asking when my next book would be received. I normally do a book every two years and am currently working on my 16th manuscript, so I replied to Avery that they would receive the text for the next book on my normal deadline date- October 31... 2014. Unfortunately, Avery was asking about the items for their 2014 catalogue and mis-read the date. Thus, they have been going along for a few months thinking that I had a manuscript ready for delivery last October.

Yesterday, November, 13th, 2013 I got another message asking where the manuscript was? It was a bit awkward when I gave them the bad news and we both came to the conclusion that there had been a misunderstanding. Now there was a huge problem; they have been holding a space in their 2014 catalogue for my new book that won't be out until 2015.

The solution came from a communication that I had with Avery last summer when they suggested that we should consider doing something with all of the material that I have which is now out of print. I choked at the idea of taking OOP books and re-covering and re-titling them... NO WAY! What I suggested instead was a "The Best Of" book. Avery liked that idea, but we let it rest. Now, that was the answer to this little dilemma.

So, what I've been calling "Book 16" will now become "Book 17" and my 16th title will have the words "The Best Of" in there someplace. Watch for it in the spring of 2014.

Book #15 is out!

Shipwrecks!!

Factual Accounts of Obscure Great Lakes Shipwrecks

True, factual stories of obscure Great Lakes shipwrecks. Put yourself, the reader, in the shoes of the sailors written about in these stories. Huge waves, frigid weather and terrifying situations. Relieve it all in this exciting book.

Softbound, 5-1/2" x 8-1/2", 176 pages. Item No. AB683,

ISBN: 978-1-892384-68-3

http://averycolorstudios.com/Books/Wes-Oleszewski.html

BOOK 15 IS IN THE CAN!

It's official... the text for book #15 is in the can! Of course there is still the artwork to do, but all of the words will be on their way to Avery tomorrow, Nov. 2nd. Just two days tardy thanks to Hurricane Sandy. Still, all of the words are now done! There are 14 chapters and plenty of  surprises. Several times while constructing the stories I was simply blown away by the way that things twisted and turned out. After doing this for so long- I'm not easily impressed, but this time some of the stuff really knocked me for a loop. The book should be out in the spring!

Just wrote the last chapter for book #15

I counted the chapters for Book #15 and the total came out to 13. Hummmmm- okay, so I'm a bit superstitious- I needed one more chapter, can't turn in a book with 13 chapters in it (Just ask Jim Lovell the commander of Apollo 13). So, I went looking for a new chapter and while researching I stumbled across a story of lakeboats working their way through the ice on Lake Superior in the 1800s.

What makes that so special?

It takes place in JULY!

No foolin' folks.

Wes is working on book #15!

That's right folks, author Wes Oleszewski has been working on his 15th book of Great Lakes maritime historical narratives. The book will consist of true Great Lakes shipwreck tales and the deadline for the manuscript to be delivered to Avery Color Studios is the end of October 2012. The release for the book will be the spring of 2013. Watch for your copy here: http://averycolorstudios.com/Books/Wes-Oleszewski.html

While you're at it- visit my publisher's Facebook Page! Cool stuff to be found there.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Avery-Color-Studios-Inc/207548405951632

ALL HANDS ON DECK

ALL HANDS ON DECK is Wes' 14th book on true Great Lakes adventures. The text includes the tales of the steamer VERNON, and Cops... in old time Oswego, the wreck of the schooner GOLD HUNTER, plus the daring rescue of two schooners and a steamer outside of Milwaukee, and some updated chapters from his now out-of-print books. There is also the story of a would-be thief and his late night plunder of a stranded schooner that did not go as planned. Included in the book is the modern day story of a new born little lady of the lakes and her Christening aboard the newest Coast Guard cutter on the fresh water seas. At length the book takes you into an 1835 mystery and lets you, the reader decide the final outcome. Like all of Wes' books, this one is highly researched and detailed with historical facts- there is no fiction. There is, instead, historical narrative that will put you the reader right there- at that point in time. The book is 180 pages long and rich in photos, drawings and maps.

You can purchase your own copy here:
www.authorwes.com

SHIPWRECKS & RESCUES

SHIPWRECKS & RESCUES is Wes' triskaidekaphobic book in that it comes after his 12th. Released in 2008, the book details the wreck of the OHIO in 1859 on Lake Erie as well as the 1879 distress of the Wm. B. PHELPS on Lake Michigan. It also includes the 1879 Lake Huron saga of the JACOB BERTSCHY plus the 1895 chiller of the crew of the MISSOULA on Lake Superior. As an added bonus the book contains several updated stories from Wes's out-of-print earlier books such as the solution to the mystery of recently discovered HOMER WARREN wreck in Lake Ontario. But that is not all, this book is garnished with short stories as well. The book runs 182 pages long and is peppered with drawings and historical photos that blend with the historical narrative. As is Wes' trademark- this book contains no fiction, the details are documented and cross-checked and if there is no firm documentation, the author tells you so.

You can get your copy here:
http://averycolorstudios.com/Books/Wes-Oleszewski.html

GREAT LAKES GHOST STORIES

GREAT LAKES GHOST STORIES is the only book that Wes ever wrote that does not contain fully documented historical facts- primarily because it is nearly impossible to document a ghost story! The publisher specifically asked for the ghost "stories" that people had shared with Wes at his book signings, speaking engagements and visits to sites around the lakes. Thus, these tales are hear-say, yet chilling all the same. These are good stories to read around the camp fire, or while on a vacation road-trip to the lakes. Just don't read it when you are home alone, in the dark, on a stormy night... we cannot be responsible for the chills. The book contains 11ghostly tales and runs 167 pages long with drawings and maps.

You can get your copy here:

http://averycolorstudios.com/Books/Wes-Oleszewski.html

TRUE TALES OF GHOSTS AND GALES

TRUE TALES OF GHOSTS AND GALES is Wes' 2003 production of Great Lakes maritime historical narratives. The book begins with the haunting tale of the IRONSIDES wreck on Lake Michigan in 1873 and the haunting voice that is heard crying out across the lake in the same area to this day. There is also the story and photos of two wooden shipwrecks that rest on the beach of Lake Huron right now. A look into the past finds the saga of a female cook who was left behind on a Lake Ontario shipwreck in 1878, and why. In all there are198 pages and 11 true tales garnished with photos of shallow water wrecks from the past and maps of where to find the adventures that Wes documents.

You can find your copy here:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=wes+oleszewski#

STORMY DISASTERS

By 2001 Wes' first two books, STORMY SEAS and SOUNDS OF DISASTER that were published in the first years of the 1990s had gone out of print. The publisher decided to allow Wes to up-date the material then they combined the two texts into this book; STORMY DISASTERS. The book contains 29 historical narratives of Great Lakes maritime adventures. There is no fiction here- every story is documented and true. The book runs 200 pages long and contains maps and historical drawings and photos.

You can find your copy here:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=wes+oleszewski#

KEEPERS OF VALOR

KEEPERS OF VALOR was released in 2000. It contains 252 pages of stories documenting shipwrecks and the heroic actions of people who "kept the valor." The book is rich in the actions of the United States Life-Saving Service on the lakes as well as ordinary citizens who took it upon themselves to act and save the lives of others. The book contains historic photos and accurate maps of the events.

In 2003 the publisher decided to re-cover, re-title and re-release the book as GREAT LAKES SHIPWRECKS & LIGHTHOUSES.

You can find your copy here:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_5?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=wes+oleszewski&sprefix=wes+o%2Cstripbooks%2C208

LIGHTHOUSE ADVENTURES

While Wes was assembling and researching his best-selling book GREAT LAKES LIGHTHOUSES AMERICAN AND CANADIAN he came across a large number of adventure stories that were related to lighthouses. He placed those stories in among the listings of lighthouses. When the publisher heard that they said "Take 'em out, we only want a listings book." So, Wes took the stories out and when the publisher asked to have the stories put back in, Wes said "No way, they're going to be in another book,"  and LIGHTHOUSE ADVENTURES is that book. Published in 1999 the book is 208 pages long and contains 15 historical narrative stories that are all factual- there is no fiction here. The book is very rich in historical photos and highly detailed line drawings from historic Federal records as well as maps. It is a must-have for any person who is interested in lighthouses on, or off the Great Lakes.

You can find yours here:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=wes+oleszewski#

GREAT LAKES LIGHTHOUSES AMERICAN AND CANADIAN

Originally published in 1998 this book was fully up-dated in 2010. GREAT LAKES LIGHTHOUSES AMERICAN AND CANADIAN is Wes' first best-seller. The book contains a complete listing of every lighthouse on the Great Lakes. The text is laid out in journal style so that you can check off and denote each lighthouse when you visit it. Each listing tells the year the light was established, a photo of it, its status, its location, its type, its accessibility, facts about the light and instructions on how to get to it. The lights are listed by lake. As a bonus, each chapter has a short informational story about some aspect of one of its lights. The book has three lights per page and is more than 200 pages long.

You can get your copy here:
http://averycolorstudios.com/Books/Wes-Oleszewski.html

Or here...

MYSTERIES AND HISTORIES

 MYSTERIES AND HISTORIES was Wes' final book in the 1990s. Released in 1997 the book contains 17 historical narratives of true adventures on the Great Lakes. The text focuses largely on the era of wooden lakeboats with a peppering of the Victorian era steel giants. Containing 295 pages as well as rare and never before published photos and drawings it is Wes' longest book to date.

You can find your copy here:

http://averycolorstudios.com/Books/Wes-Oleszewski.html

GHOST SHIPS, GALES AND FORGOTTEN TALES

GHOST SHIPS, GALES AND FORGOTTEN TALES is Wes' fourth book and came out in 1995. Running 212 pages the book details the famed Great Lakes "whaleback" vessels as well as wrecks of sand-suckers, passenger vessels and the huge steel giants of the Victorian era. If you are traveling to Whitefish Point and see the massive wooden rudder on display there, you will find its story here- in the greatest of detail. As is Wes' trademark, you will find that there is no fiction in this book- all of the stories are true, highly documented and researched. There are 11 historical narratives in this book along with rare photos, drawings and maps.

You may find your copy here:
http://averycolorstudios.com/Books/Wes-Oleszewski.html

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=wes+oleszewski

ICE WATER MUSEUM

ICE WATER MUSEUM was released in 1993 and was Wes' third book in three years. In its 180 pages it contains 11 highly researched historcial narratives of true Great Lakes adventures and shipwrecks as well as previously un-published artwork and photographs along with maps. The stories run from as early as 1875 to 1992.

This book is currently out of print, but you may still be able to find a copy here:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_5?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=wes+oleszewski&sprefix=wes+o%2Cstripbooks%2C208

SOUNDS OF DISASTER

SOUNDS OF DISASTER, released in 1993 is Wes' second book. It contains one dozen true tales of lakeboat disasters and the people involved. It runs 134 pages long with maps, photos and drawings.

This book is currently out of print, but your copy may be found here:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_5?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=wes+oleszewski&sprefix=wes+o%2Cstripbooks%2C208

STORMY SEAS

STORMY SEAS was Wes Oleszewski's first book and it was released in 1991. It contains 17 true tales of the lakeboats and their crews as well as maps and drawings.

The book was reprinted twice and finally combines with the text of SOUNDS OF DISASTER and re-titled STORMY DISASTERS.

This book is currently out of print and a rare find. You may try and find it either on e-bay or here:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_5?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=wes+oleszewski&sprefix=wes+o%2Cstripbooks%2C208