Posted by Scott on May 06, 19102 at 09:21:10:
In Reply to: Re: Marquette & Bessemer #2 posted by Tim on May 03, 19102 at 01:18:59:
Adding to the confusion . . . . .
Around 1995, Rob Cromwell, a diver from Port Dover, Ontario produced a side scan sonar image which he alleged to have made with the words Marquette & Bessemer #2? written across the bottom of a photo copy of the scan. The site was off Long Point Ontario.
He apparently shopped the image around and (believe it or not) managed to get the Canadian Navy vessel Cormorant with two small submarines on the site. (At the low, low, price of $86,000 a day to the tax payer). They did not dive the site but put a camera down on her. A hilarious article appeared in the Toronto Star in which some Canadian seaman poured out his heart about what he felt like to be over the long lost Marquette & Bessemer which they could clearly identify from the video images..
The following year I recieved a phone call from a well known Port Dover Commercial diver Mike Fletcher. Steve Blasco had was on the Cormorant and apparently Mr. Cromwell was having trouble relocating his find and had asked Mike for some help. I suspect Mike was laughing his ass off as he had already dove the site. It was the Persian a four masted wooden sailing vessel (it did have a small steam engine and a prop also) as I recall about seventy feet shorter than the M & B. The Persian had burned for nearly a day before it finally went to the bottom. I mixed up a couple of sets of doubles and Mike and I did a dive on the Persian it is 195 feet deep. She was a fairly large vessel with mast stumps nearly three feet across, but it has extensive fire damage. We tied off a line on the boiler so that the Cormorant might "discover" the Persian the following weekend.
After a little investigation it turned out that the side scan image Mr. Cromwell was in possession of was actually made by Gary Kozak years before in his efforts to find the Dean Richmond. Shipwreck madness and the quest for glory at it's best. I suppose the question, how could the Canadian Navy confuse a Steel Rail Car Ferry with a smaller burned wooden sailing vessel/early propellor should be asked. Look on the bright side at least it wasn't a Russian submarine.
If the M & B has been found I have not heard anything about it but I think this is one of the best M & B stories going. In reality part of the mystery is how come the vessel has not been found? The max depth of Lake Erie is 215' and a lot of people have done a lot of looking, but it is the 11 largest Lake in the world.
Kindest regards,
Scott McWilliam
: : : : My great uncles were the captain and first mates when she went down in 1909. Up to a few years ago the wreck had not been located. I was wondering if that is still the case, or with all the new technology someone had found her.
: : : I can't remember the exact details but I seem to recall that there was a side scan image or depth recorder image of a large wreck thought to be your ship located in very deep water in the middle of lake Michigan maybe Paul Ehorn could expand on this info good luck Tim
: : >
: : Tim,
: : >
: : The M&B#2 that went missing in 1909 sank in a blizzard in Lake Erie. I believe you are thinking of another vessel. There was a rumor going around last summer that the M&B#2 had been found off Port Stanley, Ontario, but that has apparently proved false.
: Thanks for the correct info Tim