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Divers find 85-year-old shipwreck in Lake Michigan off Sheboygan, Wis.
May 19, 2008
FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS
SHEBOYGAN, Wis. A maritime historian from Sheboygan and his group of divers have located an 85-year-old shipwreck in Lake Michigan.
The 101-foot wooden tugboat steamer named Robert C. Pringle sank about six miles off the Sheboygan shore on July 19, 1922. The crew got into lifeboats and was saved.
The wreck has been undisturbed for more than 85 years. This month, maritime historian Steve Radovan and his group of divers found the wreck and videotaped it.
Radovan, 61, has been searching for the Pringle since the 1970s. He found the wrecks of two other schooners, the Floretta and the Home, both of which sank in the 1800s, while searching for the Pringle.
Hes happy to have finally found the shipwreck.
Its a thrill, it really is, Radovan said.
The wreck was found undisturbed 300 feet below the surface in 38-degree water. A six-minute video shows the ships wheel, the bell, the engine housing and even some open cabinet drawers in the captains quarters.
The Pringle was built in 1903 in Manitowoc. The steamer carried passengers on Lake Superior near Ashland for the Chequamegon Bay Transportation Co. that first year. A year later, it was acquired by Benson Transit to travel between Milwaukee and St. Joseph, Mich.
The Pabst Brewing Co.
operated the ship from 1905 to 1908 with runs between Milwaukee and the suburb of Whitefish Bay, where the brewery owned a resort.
Other owners took it on passenger runs on the Michigan side of the lake before the
Pringle line bought it in 1918 and converted it into a tugboat. The exciting thing about this one is that its a steamer that was very ornate, Radovan said. It was originally in the passenger excursion trade, so its got a lot of interesting accouterments on it. When the divers went down they said, Theres a big triple expansion engine sitting there and theres all gold leaf lettering on it.
News reports from 1922 said the Pringle sank about 12 miles offshore from Manitowoc.
Its still not clear why the ship sank.
I dont think the sailors knew where they were, Radovan said. They were a little bit wrong.
He and his crew plan another dive to get better quality video and hope to have the wreckage considered for status as a national historic site.
Copyright 2008 Associated Press.
May 19, 2008
FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS
SHEBOYGAN, Wis. A maritime historian from Sheboygan and his group of divers have located an 85-year-old shipwreck in Lake Michigan.
The 101-foot wooden tugboat steamer named Robert C. Pringle sank about six miles off the Sheboygan shore on July 19, 1922. The crew got into lifeboats and was saved.
The wreck has been undisturbed for more than 85 years. This month, maritime historian Steve Radovan and his group of divers found the wreck and videotaped it.
Radovan, 61, has been searching for the Pringle since the 1970s. He found the wrecks of two other schooners, the Floretta and the Home, both of which sank in the 1800s, while searching for the Pringle.
Hes happy to have finally found the shipwreck.
Its a thrill, it really is, Radovan said.
The wreck was found undisturbed 300 feet below the surface in 38-degree water. A six-minute video shows the ships wheel, the bell, the engine housing and even some open cabinet drawers in the captains quarters.
The Pringle was built in 1903 in Manitowoc. The steamer carried passengers on Lake Superior near Ashland for the Chequamegon Bay Transportation Co. that first year. A year later, it was acquired by Benson Transit to travel between Milwaukee and St. Joseph, Mich.
The Pabst Brewing Co.
operated the ship from 1905 to 1908 with runs between Milwaukee and the suburb of Whitefish Bay, where the brewery owned a resort.Other owners took it on passenger runs on the Michigan side of the lake before the
Pringle line bought it in 1918 and converted it into a tugboat. The exciting thing about this one is that its a steamer that was very ornate, Radovan said. It was originally in the passenger excursion trade, so its got a lot of interesting accouterments on it. When the divers went down they said, Theres a big triple expansion engine sitting there and theres all gold leaf lettering on it.
News reports from 1922 said the Pringle sank about 12 miles offshore from Manitowoc.
Its still not clear why the ship sank.
I dont think the sailors knew where they were, Radovan said. They were a little bit wrong.
He and his crew plan another dive to get better quality video and hope to have the wreckage considered for status as a national historic site.
Copyright 2008 Associated Press.
