Tying on a safety line Bob Ducrow and I dropped into the wreckage at the stern. Her galley cabin and decking washed off in the sinking. Some of this wreckage washed ashore on Bois Blanc Island but the heavy objects fell down near her keel and stayed with the ship.
Near her keel Bob and I found numerous artifacts including these pots, pans and crocks.
Swimming forward, into her hold, I found her cargo of corn covered with mold.
The mechanized loading of the Charles and Newell Eddy boats at the port of Chicago was completed only hours after it began. Each captain was responsible for the loading of his boat and would oversee the operation. Captain Jenkins of the Charles A. Eddy would oversee the loading of both boats. Careful loading would prevent shifting. A shifting cargo could cause a boat to list. The sea could add to the list and capsize a boat. If Captain Jenkins' tow capsized it could pull his boat under before an ax could part the towline.
Once the loading was completed Captain Jenkins turned his attention to the weather.
Conferring with the officers from both boats Captain Jenkins ordered the steamer Charles A. Eddy to depart the port of Chicago with the Newell A. Eddy in tow. They headed for their destination, Buffalo, New York.
As they chugged up Lake Michigan the weather made a turn for the worse. A storm was brewing in the East and the wind became severe. As the sea became rougher the day grew longer for the crew. Other merchant vessels in the area became stranded while seeking to find shelter in normally protected waters. Was Captain Jenkins reading the sea conditions properly or just ignoring them.
By 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 19, 1893, the Eddy vessels entered the Straits of Mackinac (pronounced Mack-in-aw) only to have their bows pounded by heavy seas that had run the length of northern Lake Huron. They continued their journey along the northern route and followed the icy shores of the upper peninsula.
Due to a time lapse in the log entries it appears the two boats held up for several hours; possibly behind Bois Blanc (Bob lo) Island. After eight hours they continued their journey. At 3:00 a.m. Thursday, April 20, 1893, the two boats turned south and continued down Lake Huron. An hour later there was nowhere to hide. "A storm burst upon the two boats with a furry unequaled by any easterly gale for many years."
The boats were faring well until they reached a point approximately six miles off Spectacle Reef when the steering gear of the steamer broke. The crew of the steamer Charles Eddy managed to gain control of her with block and tackle. Gale force wind can be very loud. It will also produce tremendous force on sails and rudders. Getting a crew synchronized with captain's orders (to pull or ease-up on ropes) in order to steer her must have been a real challenge.
The storm continued with utmost furry and the tow line between the two boats gave way under great stain. The schooner Newell Eddy fell off into the trough of the sea. At that moment the crew knew this would be a long and demanding night.
As our dive team explores the area from the center mast to the stern we discover many blocks and tackles used by the crew to gain mechanical advantage needed to raise the heavy canvas sails.
Further examination at the stern reveals two wood stoves; one for heating, the other for cooking.
The Newell A. Eddy was a staunch boat in good condition, capable enough to ride out even a big storm. So what happened. Documents show she held an A-1 rating with Lloyds of London.
Numerous ship builders bid and were contracted to build boats for the Eddy Brothers. All boats were named after a family member. In 1890 F. W. Wheeler ship yards of west Bay City, Michigan built the schooner barge Newell A. Eddy as hull no. 71. This boat must have had many sister ships. She had a 16 foot draft, was 242 feet long and nearly 40 feet wide. She had a cargo capacity of 1207.27 net tons.
The Wheeler ship yard built the NAE at the end of the wooden ship building age. Wheeler's yard had already produced several steel hulled vessels. In 1890 the Wheeler shipyard was nearly twice as big as it closest competitor, the Davis shipyard. The Wheeler shipyard employed 1000 men and had a payroll of approximately $20,000 per month.
By 1895 Wheeler's yard had built their last wooden boat. However, steel boat construction and Wheeler's fine reputation carried his company into the twentieth century. No matter how good Wheeler's boats were it would not keep the Newell A. Eddy and her crew out of harms way on that ill fated night.
As we swim over her deck on our way to the bow we encounter more blocks and a small stove the crew probably used to warm themselves on cold spring days.
Passing over the windlass for one last look we discover a cleat the crew used to secure a line while docked. There is a small brine plug next to the cleat. The salt brine would prevent micro organisms from living in the wood (an always damp place). Left unchecked these organisms would breed and break down the wood (this is known as dry rot).
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