Divers find 1893 Erie wreck 'in remarkable condition'
- On 05/11/2008
- In Wreck Diving
- 0 comments
By Molly Kavanaugh
A ship sunk by a fierce autumn storm 115 years ago has been discovered in Lake Erie, 25 miles north of Cleveland.
The 133-foot schooner Riverside was among a dozen sunken vessels and more than 50 deaths left in the wake of the storm, which blew across the Great Lakes in 1893.
"It's in remarkable condition," said Tom Kowalczk, a diver with Cleveland Underwater Explorers Inc.
The nonprofit group, in collaboration with the Great Lakes Historical Society, found the shipwreck last year. Members delayed announcing their find until they could photograph the site.
An estimated 1,700 shipwrecks lie at the bottom of Lake Erie; fewer than 300 have been found.
Riverside, built in 1870, left Kelleys Island with 670 tons of stone on Friday, Oct. 13, 1893, headed for Tonawanda, N.Y.
Great Lakes wreck schooner America
Add a comment