D.M.WILSON

Date Built: 1873
Builders: S. Langell at St. Clair, MI
Construction: Wooden 2 masted, bulk freight propeller "steambarge" Owners:
Dimensions: 179x33x12, 758gt 592nt Cargo: Coal, barge MANITOWOC in tow

Condition: Laying on a clay bottom her iron rudder and propeller are almost completely covered. Most of her sidewalls, cargo, deck beams and supports are intact but decking is missing. Her bow stands proud of the bottom with hand operated windlass on board. On her port side what appears to be her stack lays almost burried in clay. A swim under her boiler pan reveals a very interesting space.

Location: approx. 2-2.75 mi north-northeast of north end of Thunder Bay Island.

Depth: 45'

Date of Loss: October 27, 1894

GPS: N45 03.920 W83 10.922

Type of Loss: Foundered Crew rescued by freighter SYLVANUS J. MACY. Flotsam was strewn all the way to Tawas.

Loss of Life: None

Co-ordinates are informational only, they maybe inaccurate and should
NOT BE USED FOR NAVIGATIONAL PURPOSES!

She opened her seams in a gale and foundered. Her crew was rescued by the freighter SYLVANUS J. MACY. She broke up in another gale Nov 10, even though her wreckage was in 40 feet of water. Flotsam was strewn all the way to Tawas. Major repairs in 1878
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THUNDER BAY ISLAND LIFE STATION REPORT

About 1:20 P.M. surfman [Sunlee] reported to No. 1 that a steamer and others were acting very strangely and thought that one of the vessels was sinking as the yawl boats were passing around the boats. The surf boat was manned although no signals had been made, and started out to see if our assistance was needed. When [we] were ready to the vessels I saw that one of them had sunk and the steamer S.J. Macey was coming towards us moving alongside us took off the crew of the sinking steamer D.M. Wilson, and brought them ashore where they were cared for until the arrival of the owner Monday. The steamer had sunk in about 40 feet of water and her spars were out of water, so Sunday morning went out to the wreck in surf boat and "Florence C." and saved all the tackle that we could and put lights on the wreck, keeping them lighted Saturday, Sunday, and Monday and Tuesday nights to keep vessels from colliding with the wreck. Monday the crew were taken to Alpena in 'Florence C.' and Tuesday morning took the owner out to see the wreck. One of the crew being destute of clothing I furnished him with a suit from the [??] relief stores at this station.

John Person

October 30, 1894 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SOURCE: Swayze; Sobczak