This recently discovered 1891 shipwreck included a ‘rare’ find, Michigan museum says

A schooner-barge recently discovered at the bottom of Lake Superior is “wonderfully preserved” even 130 years after it wrecked and sat in 650 feet of water, officials say.

The ship, named the Atlanta, sunk May 4, 1891, while hauling a load of coal, according to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society. The vessel had gotten caught in a storm’s strong wind when its towline snapped.

“The storm was too much” for the Atlanta, the society says, and the ship was “soon at the mercy of the lake.”

The crew escaped on a lifeboat, though after it overturned, only two members made it out safely, according to the Shipwreck Museum.

Hunting for shipwrecks can be “tedious,” the historical society says, and though it’s estimated that there are 550 shipwrecks in Lake Superior, most have not been found.

That makes this summer 2021 find about 35 miles off Deer Park an exciting discovery, the museum says, but it’s even more special and rare seeing how well preserved the ship is.

“It is rare that we find a shipwreck that so clearly announces what it is and the name-board of the Atlanta really stands out,” Executive Director Bruce Lynn said in a statement. “It is truly ornate, and still beautiful after 130 years on the bottom of Lake Superior.”

Video captured of the underwater ship’s nameboard shows letters carved out alongside intricate detail.

Other findings included the ship’s bow, broken mast, capstan, wheel, toilet and pump, photos show.

“No one has to ask where the Atlanta is anymore,” Darryl Ertel, director of marine operations, said in a statement.

Deer Park is a township along the Lake Superior shore in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

This story was originally published March 3, 2022 at 10:50 AM with the headline "This recently discovered 1891 shipwreck included a ‘rare’ find, Michigan museum says."