New Orleans Wreck Site

 shipwreck, interesting place

The wooden sidewheel steamer NEW ORLEANS was built at Detroit, Michigan in 1844 by B.F. Goodsell, reportedly on the bottom of the burned steamer Vermilion. This reconstruction of badly damaged lake vessels was not unusual during this period, when calamities were frequent and iron fasteners and engineering equipment were extremely expensive and difficult to obtain. The vessel was first enrolled at Buffalo, New York on September 13, 1844 with the following dimensions: 185'4" x 26'8" x 12'10" and 610 gross tons. The engine was of the cross-head variety and the wheels were thirty-two feet in diameter.


The NEW ORLEANS was a sidewheel steamer lost in 1849. This is a lithograph depicting the vessel. Courtesy John McConnell
The NEW ORLEANS was first owned by Samuel F. Gelston of Buffalo (who served as managing owner), Jeremiah Northrop of Rochester, Erastus Prosser of Albany, and Stephen Card of New York City. James C. Evans and Samuel Gelston purchased the vessel in 1845, and Evans became the managing owner.
Throughout its career, the NEW ORLEANS was used to run from Lake Erie to ports on the west shore of Lake Michigan. This service was connected to the immigrant and package freight trade. The NEW ORLEANS made bimonthly trips westward, taking immigrants and travelers west with their belongings and such freight as was available. On the return trip, the vessel carried travelers on their way east, condensed products of agriculture like whiskey, and such manufactured goods and other freight that the west offered. The NEW ORLEANS had a U.S. Postal Service contract for at least part of its career.

The NEW ORLEANS had at least one early mishap. In September 1845, the vessel was upbound in the Detroit River near Malden with a large load of passengers and freight when it struck an obstruction and was run ashore to keep it from sinking. The passengers were taken to Detroit by the steamer London. Most of the cargo was later recovered and the vessel was repaired.

In late May 1847, the NEW ORLEANS suffered one of the many accidents endemic to steam navigation. While downbound on Lake Erie, a cylinder head blew out and the vessel had to be towed by the Rochester back to Cleveland for repairs.

While upbound in a heavy fog early on June 13, 1847, the NEW ORLEANS grounded on a reef between North Point and Sugar Island. The passengers and crew were removed to Thunder Bay Island by local fishermen and cared for by the lighthouse keeper. Strong winds on June 14 broke the vesseI's back and it sank, becoming a total loss. The cross-head steam engine was removed and transported to Detroit on the Albany. The NEW ORLEANS was valued at $30,000, but was insured for only half that amount. The location of the wreck remained forgotten until it was located by RuthAnn Beck and John McConnell on May 4, 1992, during an aerial survey of the area.

Depth: 15 feet LORAN C: 30836.2 / 48673.1 Latitude/Longitude: 45 02 47 / 83 14 24