DOWN IN THE DEPTHS

Other known shipwrecks located within the proposed national marine sanctuary :

Rouse Simmons: This three-masted schooner ended each year’s service by collecting pine trees harvested from the northern forests of Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and bringing them south for sale during the run-up to Christmas. In 1912, seven months after the sinking of the Titanic, the Rouse Simmons went down in rough weather 12 miles northeast of Two Rivers, taking the crew and a full load of Christmas trees.

Gallinipper: The oldest known commercial shipwreck vessel in the state, the Gallinipper began service in 1833 as the Nancy Dousman, delivering supplies to the Wisconsin territory and returning back east loaded with furs. Rechristened in 1846, it sank five years later after capsizing in a squall approximately 10 miles out between Manitowoc and Sheboygan.

Niagara: A side-wheeled steamship built in 1846, the Niagara operated as a passenger ferry for 10 years before catching fire a mile offshore from Belgium, Wisconsin. While most on board escaped, 60 people died in the fire or were drowned in Lake Michigan, including a former member of Congress.

Francis Hinton: This Manitowoc-built steam barge was trapped near the coast of its home port in November 1909 when storm-driven waves extinguished the fires that powered the engine. The vessel was helpless in the churning lake, and orders went out to abandon ship before it smashed to pieces against the shoreline.

Senator: This 400-foot steam-powered freighter first sank in 1909 after colliding with another boat in the St. Mary’s River. It was able to be salvaged and restored only to be submerged again 20 years later in 500 feet of water while carrying a load of 241 Kenosha-built Nash automobiles.