John B. Merrill

DATE OF LAUNCH: 1873

DATE AND LOCATION OF LOSS: October 14, 1893, Lake Huron, near Drummond Island

DATE LOCATED: October 14, 1893

SHIP DETAILS: The John B. Merrill was built in Milwaukee in 1873 by Allen, McClelland and Co., and named for a prominent Milwaukee businessman. Her dimensions were length, 189 feet; beam, 34 feet; hull depth, 13.3 feet; and gross tonnage, 640 tons. The assessed value of the vessel when new was $57,000.

CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE LOSS: In early October 1893, the Merrill left Buffalo with a load of hard coal, bound for Marquette, MI in tow of the steamer F.E. Spinner, along with an unnamed schooner barge. Her master was Captain Hawley M. Boyce.

Somewhere on northern Lake Huron, the Spinner and her two consorts encountered a severe gale. As they were approaching the safety of DeTour Passage, the towlines parted. Captain Boyce decided to steer the Merrill down wind, heading east in hopes of finding shelter in False DeTour Passage. Before they could reach False DeTour, the vessel went aground on Holdridge Shoal, which was unnamed at the time. The crew of 9 was rescued by fishermen from DeTour. The Merrill and her cargo of coal was a total loss.

DISCOVERY AND FINDINGS: The Merrill lies in depths of between 35 and 85 feet of water. One of the wreck’s anchors lies in 35 feet of water near the top of Holdridge Shoal. The anchor chain leads to the main wreckage which begins in 60-65 feet of water. The large debris field covers an area of approximately 200 square feet.

INTERESTING FACTS: On November 1, 1883, the Merrill went ashore at Cleveland while trying to enter the harbor in rough weather. Her crew of nine men and one woman were rescued by the U. S. Life Saving Service. The Merrill was refloated and put back into service.

The Merrill was known for her large cargo capacity and for her fast sailing. In July of 1886, she defeated the schooners Moonlight and Marengo in a race from Buffalo to Milwaukee.

In April of 1892, the Merrill was sunk in a collision with the steamer Fred Mercur at Bar Point, near the mouth of the Detroit River. Once again, the Merrill was raised and put back into service.