DATE OF LAUNCH: 1884
DATE AND LOCATION OF LOSS: September 29, 1885, Lake Superior, near Grand Marais, Michigan
DATE LOCATED: July 2021
SHIP DETAILS: The Frank W. Wheeler was built at the West Bay City Shipbuilding Company in West Bay City (now Bay City), Michigan in 1884 and measured 775 net tons. The ship was named for the founder of the West Bay City Shipbuilding Company.
CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE LOSS: The schooner-barge Frank W. Wheeler was being towed by the Kittie M. Forbes on Sept. 29, 1885, when a gale swept across the lake. The ships struggled in worsening conditions for hours and, soon, the Wheeler’s crew realized its ship was sinking.
Capt. William Forbes, owner and captain of the Frank W. Wheeler, signaled his predicament to the Kittie M. Forbes, and the pair of vessels then tried to reach the safety of Grand Island, near present-day Munising.
Forbes soon ordered his men into the lifeboat, and 15 minutes later, his ship sank, bow first. A number of explosions were heard as the ship slipped beneath the waves.
DISCOVERY AND FINDINGS: On October 28, 2021, researchers announced the discovery of the Dot, the Frank W. Wheeler, and the Michigan during the summer. The Wheeler lies in more than 600 feet of water.
INTERESTING FACTS: The West Bay City Shipbuilding Company was founded in 1876 and closed in 1908. The most well-known ship built by the West Bay City Shipbuilding Company was the SS Daniel J. Morrell.
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