Explore Shipwrecks: Queen of the West |
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Ship Information
| Ship Name: |
Queen of the West |
| Also Known As: |
None |
| Type of Ship: |
Steamer, Propeller, Wooden Hull, Oak
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| Ship Size: |
215' x 32.50' x 16.33' |
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| Ship Owner: |
C.L. Hutchinson and other partners, Cleveland, Ohio |
| Gross Tonnage: |
818.84 |
| Net Tonnage: |
625 |
| Typical Cargo: |
Bulk Freight, Iron Ore, Coal, Grain |
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| Year Built: |
1881 - West Bay City, MI by William Crosthwaite Shipyards
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| Official Wreck Number: |
20584 |
| Wreck Location: |
41 50.750 N 81 23.160 W (Alchem) |
| Type of Ship at Loss: |
Same |
| Cargo on Ship at Loss: |
Iron Ore |
| Captain of Ship at Loss: |
Captain Massey |
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| The Shipwreck Today: |
Approximately 8 miles north of Fairport Harbor, Ohio This wreck is rather deep (71 feet) and is recommended for advanced divers. Much of the wooden hull and timbers are gone, with the bow being the most intact structure. The stern area is either gone or fallen to the bottom. The most impressive remains of this wreck are the huge engine, boiler, winches, chain and the bow windlass. The midsection decking of the wreck is gone, leaving the hull open. This popular shipwreck is scheduled for mooring buoy placement by MAST in the near future. ( C. Kohl, Vitas Kijaskas- Discovery Dive Charters)
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According to an article in the Buffalo Evening News August 21, 1903, the Queen of the West was headed for Erie Pennsylvania from Escanaba, Michigan, with a load of iron ore. She stopped briefly in Cleveland to leave an accompanying vessel, the Sage, and then proceeded on her journey into building seas. At approximately 4 AM, the oak hull was found to have sprung a rather serious leak. The pumps were not able to keep up with the flow pouring into the hull, and with the seas building and washing over the deck, she began sinking. A distress signal was sent out, and the crew attempted to launch a lifeboat, only to have it overturned in the high waves. As the crew had almost lost all hope, another vessel, the steamer Codorus, appeared on the site and took the crew off the sinking ship. The rescue was quite precarious in the heavy seas, with some of the crew being injured during the transfer. Two passengers, the daughters of the Chief Engineer, were noted to have been almost swept overboard in the heavy seas while waiting to be rescued. Just minutes after the last of the crew had been taken onboard the Codorus, the Queen of the West slipped beneath the surface to her final resting place 70 feet below on Lake Erie's muddy bottom. Fortunately, no lives were lost in this mishap.
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The Queen of the West was rebuilt in 1901 at Cleveland, Ohio, resulting in a change in her tonnage capabilities (818 gross, 625 net to 876 gross, 588 net).
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Great Lakes Historical Society, Peachman Lake Erie Shipwreck Research Center, Vermilion, Ohio Buffalo Evening News, Friday, August 21, 1903; Saturday, August 22, 1903 Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Great Lakes Vessels Online Index - University Libraries / Bowling Green State University Maritime History of the Great Lakes: Shipwrecks: - http://www.hhpl.on.ca/GreatLakes/Wrecks/Details The Great Lakes Diving Guide, Chris Kohl, 2001, Seawolf Communications, Chicago Great Lakes Guide to Sunken Ships, Karl. E. Heden, 1993, Branden Books Boston, Mass Vitas Kijaskas- Discovery Dive Charters, Euclid, Ohio Alchem.inc, http://www.alcheminc.com/ash
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POSITION STATEMENT:
The Ohio Sea Grant College Program is located within The Ohio State University. <Ohio Sea Grant Extension is part of Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Sea Grant College Program>. Ohio Sea Grant is one of 32 programs in the National Sea Grant College Program, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce, all of which are dedicated to the protection and sustainable use of marine and Great Lakes resources. Ohio Sea Grant uses a combination of research, education and outreach projects to address critical environmental, economic and education issues affecting Ohio, the Great Lakes region and the nation. Sea Grant is a true partnership between universities, government and the private sector. Each year the program supports projects at a number of Ohio colleges, universities and agencies. Also part of Ohio Sea Grant is the university's F.T. Stone Laboratory, located on Gibraltar Island at Put-in-Bay, Referred to as Ohio's Lake Erie Laboratory . Stone Lab was created in 1895, and is the oldest freshwater biological field station in the country. The Laboratory is administered by the School of Environment and Natural Resources in the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at Ohio State University.
SHIPWRECK LOCATIONS:
The latitude/longitude locations provided within are to the best of our knowledge, yet approximate. Our sources include file data from GLHS/PLESRC, The Great Lakes Diving Guide by Chris Kohl ,MAST publicly published coordinates dive centers, private divers and scuba clubs. However, these coordinates should NOT to be used for navigation. The reason for this is coordinates may vary slightly between each information source; due specifically to the fact that individual GPS instruments may perform slightly different from each other, for a variety of reasons.
If you plan to visit one of the shipwreck sites specifically for scuba diving purposes, we advise you contact one of the following for more up-to-date, exact locations and any new wreck information which may be available:
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