Shipwrecks of the Great Lakes: Tragedies and Legacies from the Inland Seas

by Anna Lardinois

Submerged stories from the inland seas The newest addition to Globe Pequot's Shipwrecks series covers the sensational wrecks and maritime disasters from each of the five Great Lakes. It is estimated that over 30,000 sailors have lost their lives in Great Lakes wrecks. For many, these icy, inland seas have become their final resting place, but their last moments live on as a part of maritime history. The tales, all true and well-documented, feature some of the most notable tragedies on each of the lakes. Included in many of these tales are legends of ghost ship sighting, ghostly shipwreck victims still struggling to get to shore, and other chilling lore. Sailors are a superstitious group, and the stories are sprinkled with omens and maritime protocols that guide decisions made on the water.

Lake Erie --
The Infamous Prison Ship: Success (1840-1946) --
A Rare June Gale: Margaret Olwill (1887-1899) --
A Century-­Long Saga: Atlantic (1849-1852) --
Erie's Greatest Tragedy: G. P. Griffith (1849-1850) --
The Call of the Whistle: SS Clarion (1881-1909) --

Lake Huron --
The Struggle to Survive: SS Asia (1873-1882) --
White Cloud Island's Restless Souls: SS Jane Miller (1879-1881) --
A Warning Unheeded: Waubuno (1865-1879) --
The Sole Survivor: Daniel J. Morrell (1906-1966) --

Lake Michigan--
Lake Michigan's Bleak Week: SS Milwaukee, SS Wisconsin, and SS Senator --
Rogers City Wept: SS Carl D. Bradley (1927-1958) --
Devastation on the Chicago River: The SS Eastland (1903-1915) --
Beware the Breakers: Lady Elgin (1851-1860) --
The Unknown End of Lydia Dale: J. Hazard Hartzell (1863-1880) --
An Eternal Cry for Help: Ironsides (1864-1873) --
The Legendary Christmas Tree Boat: Rouse Simmons (1868-1912) --

Lake Ontario --
The Elusive Historic Treasure: HMS Ontario (1780-1780) --
The Legend Endures: HMS Speedy (1798-1804) The Mysterious Disappearance of the Masonic Skipper: George A. Marsh (1882-1917) --
Gone in a Flash: John B. King (1863-1930) --
The Queen of the Lakes Goes up in Flames: SS Noronic (1913-1949) --

Lake Superior --
A Fate Foretold: SS Western Reserve (1890-1892) --
Lake Superior's Flying Dutchman: SS Bannockburn (1893-1902) --
The Long Weekend: SS Monarch (1890-1906) --
The Steep Price of Cutting Costs: Gunilda (1897-1911) --
A Blizzard's Icy Embrace: SS Kamloops (1924-1927) --
Cox's Unlucky Year: SS George M. Cox (1901-1933) --
The Wrath of the November Witch: SS Edmund Fitzgerald (1958-1975)

Genres: Nonfiction, History

224 pages, Paperback

Published July 1, 2021

Reviews

[Kristen]

Brief but interesting summaries of notable shipwrecks on each of the Great Lakes. Very readable, and the reader is able to identify common similarities in the cause of wrecking as well as the location.

I was already familiar with the majority of the wrecks, and if you are, you don’t necessarily get new information, but a good summary if you ever want to refresh your memory about a specific ship. Lots of “standard” wrecks here - Carl D. Bradley, the Eastland, Kamloops, the Fitz, etc - but let’s be real; if the book focused on less-well-known ships, we’d be complaining about their absence

Would recommend to someone who is interested in but not overly familiar with Great Lakes history & wants to learn about shipwrecks that aren’t just the Fitz.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book written by someone who truly knows how to captivate folks with true storytelling. The book chronicles some of the most interesting shipwrecks on each of the Great Lakes in a way that the reader is completely drawn into the story, wondering how the tragedy happened, what happened to the passengers and crew and what type of an impact the wreck had on maritime laws. Yes, the stories are sad ... folks lost their lives but travel on the Great Lakes was made only safer by their heroic efforts. Lardinois begins each chapter with info on what makes each Great Lake unique for the mariner and traveler so that the reader fully understands the danger that the captains, crew and passengers were in as they ventured out on the inland seas. The saddest parts for me were the deaths on the immigrant ships; the dreams of a new life that vanished and the generations lost to the lakes.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

In anticipation of an upcoming cruise on the Great Lakes next year, I read the book to gain some knowledge of the shipwrecks and deaths. Fortunately, many of the disasters happened in the fall and winter months of the 19th century. We will be traveling in June, and the construction of ships is much improved and safer; otherwise it would have been a very disconcerting read rather than interesting history.

[Finuala · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good. The research is here even if the English is prosaic and clunky. (Seriously, people, look up elegant variation.) A lot of the usual suspects, but some new ones to me, which is nice. Not sure if I'll look up any more of the author's books, but this was interesting enough and a fast read if, like me, you don't really read fiction but you want a 'summer read'.

[Brent Darling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting book about how dangerous the Great Lakes can be. Sadly, a lot of these ships were lost for economic reasons (trying to get one more shipment in before the season was over), despite poor weather or the ship badly needing repairs.

[Kiernan McCormick · Rating 5 out of 5]

it was one of my favorite shipwreck books and I learned a lot from it. It was very interesting and held my attention. I would really recommend it if you like shipwrecks or just the great lakes themselves.

[Talia Scibetta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much I didn’t want it to ever end! The memorable stories I think back on are the G. P. Griffith, John B. King , and S. S Noronic. Also always interesting reading about the Fitz and the Eastland Disaster. Highly recommended! 😁 this is my favorite

[Susan Serra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gordon Lightfoot's The Edmund Fitzgerald first inspired me to look into its sinking. I discovered that so many ships and tens of thousands of people were doomed on the stormy Great Lakes. This book was excellent, heavily researched, and a great book to add to my non-fiction list.

[Phoebe Smythe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved the writing style! It was engaging but easy to read. I often find books about ships can be very information dense but this read as a series of short stories that kept me hooked. I didn't put it down all day!

[Justin D · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very informative recap of some of the most interesting events to ever take place on the Great Lakes; would definitely recommend to anyone who has a fascination with a history of shipwrecks, especially in the Great Lakes region.

[Owen Goodrich · Rating 5 out of 5]

crazy stuff.

[Madeline McCrae · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting book about shipwrecks from each of the Great Lakes! While I enjoyed their writing style, I found a few minor inaccuracies in some of the stories. Overall, a good read.