World
World War I: World War I-era ship that sank 100 years ago found at the bottom of Lake Superior
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NEW DELHI: Huronton, a 238-foot-long steel bulk freighter, that sank after being hit in World War I, has been discovered by the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLAHS), reported Michigan Live. The ship was hit by a 416-foot-long bulk freighter known as Cetus on October 11, 1923, before it sank to the bottom of Lake Superior.
The two ships were travelling too fast for conditions in opposite directions through heavy fog and smoke from forest fires when the bow of the Cetus ripped into the side of the Huronton, creating a massive hole in the port side of Huronton, Michigan Live reported quoting a press release from the GLSHS.
The impact of the collision resulted in a temporary fusion of the two vessels. The captain of the Cetus maintained engine power, cautiously nudging the ship further into the Huronton, effectively sealing the breach for a brief period. This strategic move afforded the crew of the Huronton the necessary window to safely transfer aboard the Cetus.
The GLSHS located the submerged wreckage at a depth of roughly 800 feet, thanks to the society’s sonar towfish, diligently scanning the lake’s bottom as it traversed the water. A specific spot was designated as a potential area of interest, and upon the crew’s subsequent investigation, they uncovered the remains of the Huronton.
“Finding any shipwreck is exciting. But to think that we’re the first human eyes to look at this vessel 100 years after it sank, not many people have the opportunity to do that,” Bruce Lynn, GLSHS executive director was quoted as saying by Michigan Live.
“I think about some of the more interesting aspects of what we do as an organization, but the searching for, discovery and documentation of shipwrecks … especially if it’s a vessel that sank a hundred years ago, is pretty exciting because, it’s truly a part of our past,” he added.
“The depth dropped on us from 300 feet to 800 feet. And for us to keep a good sonar image of the bottom, we would have to let out a lot more cable or slow down” Darryl Ertel, director of marine operations told Michigan Live.
“It was just a small 800-foot hole and there was a little sliver in there that was a straight line, but it looked like the size of a thread. And because it was a straight line, I marked it as a possible target, 4 hours later, we come back on our way home to check it. And sure enough, it was a shipwreck,” he said.
The two ships were travelling too fast for conditions in opposite directions through heavy fog and smoke from forest fires when the bow of the Cetus ripped into the side of the Huronton, creating a massive hole in the port side of Huronton, Michigan Live reported quoting a press release from the GLSHS.
The impact of the collision resulted in a temporary fusion of the two vessels. The captain of the Cetus maintained engine power, cautiously nudging the ship further into the Huronton, effectively sealing the breach for a brief period. This strategic move afforded the crew of the Huronton the necessary window to safely transfer aboard the Cetus.
The GLSHS located the submerged wreckage at a depth of roughly 800 feet, thanks to the society’s sonar towfish, diligently scanning the lake’s bottom as it traversed the water. A specific spot was designated as a potential area of interest, and upon the crew’s subsequent investigation, they uncovered the remains of the Huronton.
“Finding any shipwreck is exciting. But to think that we’re the first human eyes to look at this vessel 100 years after it sank, not many people have the opportunity to do that,” Bruce Lynn, GLSHS executive director was quoted as saying by Michigan Live.
“I think about some of the more interesting aspects of what we do as an organization, but the searching for, discovery and documentation of shipwrecks … especially if it’s a vessel that sank a hundred years ago, is pretty exciting because, it’s truly a part of our past,” he added.
“The depth dropped on us from 300 feet to 800 feet. And for us to keep a good sonar image of the bottom, we would have to let out a lot more cable or slow down” Darryl Ertel, director of marine operations told Michigan Live.
“It was just a small 800-foot hole and there was a little sliver in there that was a straight line, but it looked like the size of a thread. And because it was a straight line, I marked it as a possible target, 4 hours later, we come back on our way home to check it. And sure enough, it was a shipwreck,” he said.
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