Craig Bergeoketter joins the submerged team to explore the bow of the 171 foot vessel.
The Osborne was only two years old and held an A-1 rating at the time of her sinking. She was valued at $65,000.
She left Marquette, Michigan on July 27th, 1884 and was down bound with two barges in tow. As she approached Whitefish Point the captain methodically signaled their position by sounding the ship's fog horn. Suddenly, and unexpectedly a loud whistle was heard in reply. But before evasive actions could be carried out the fast moving steel ship Alberta lunged out of the fog and into the side of the John M. Osborne, cutting nearly in half.
collision site
The incident occurred 12 miles west of Whitefish Point. In order to plug the large hole and prevent her sinking the Alberta kept her bow into the Osborne's side. This gave the passengers and crew precious minutes to escape onto the Alberta by climbing over a downed mast.
A passenger from the Alberta climbed onto the Osborne and saved the captain's daughters before loosing his own life in a third trip to the doomed ship.
bow anchors
After documenting the ship's twin anchors winched to the bow and witnessing the tremendous damage inflicted by the Alberta the team surveys the engine. They discover the engine was laminated with a jacket of wood.
wooden jacket around engine
Another camera team spots an interesting object on the wooden jacket. Upon looking closer the team determines the object is a china plate. As the ship went down a trapped pocket of air vacuum sealed the plate to the boiler.
A matching cup is discovered near the ascent line (amidships). After examining it Craig returns it to the deck for others to see and photograph.
The Osborne's assailant gave time schedules priority over safety. Her reckless speed resulted in four additional collisions. The Alberta was often regarded as a menace on the lakes.
caused Comet to sink
In the twilight of the evening, August 26th, 1875 the captain of the Comet saw the white light of another ship approaching.
I think she looked like this vessel
Shortly thereafter he saw a red lantern was sighted and the helmsman was ordered to make a slight course correction to widen the gap between the two vessels. Surprisingly a green lantern came into view. Which alerted the captain to the fact that he was broadside to the fast approaching Manitoba. The Comet, signaling in vain to the Manitoba, was hit twenty feet aft of her bow. Within minutes the Comet with her heavy cargo of silver ore and general merchandise fell to the bottom 230 feet below. The slightly damaged Manitoba immediately lowered her life boats. They picked up ten survivors which included mostly officers. The rest of the crew was pulled under with her cargo and perished.
Hand trucks
Hand trucks
After recovering a video camera lost 150' off the wreck in 250' of water Charlie and I didn't have much time left but managed a grand tour of the wreck before calling it a day. I shot some good video and felt remarkably clear (on air ) that day. On other dives I've taken still photos of small artifacts. A milk pitcher that I encountered on nearly all my dives was discovered broken this year. Finding damage to previously undamaged artifacts makes for a sad dive. Who knows how it happened, maybe someone tried to hook the wreck?
Charlie looks around the wreck
bow anchors
bow anchors
You never realize how plastered you are on air at those depths until you get underwater communications (diver to diver and diver to surface). But I prefer doing this dive on air because it makes the dive operation so much simpler and the decompression shorter.
Condenser
Condenser
Visibility is between 10 and 80 feet. I didn't dive her much last year but a dive I made in the fall had very good visibility. That's good because two of my three lights failed and my buddy had no lights. We managed to make a 15 min. dive anyway (just to make all that mixing worth it).
This davit hangs off the arch.
The line is tied at the arch
This large anchor stands proud
Please send me your comments and suggestions
