Langham

The Langham as she looked at the time of her loss
Location:  Keweenaw Underwater Preserve, Bete Grise Bay, Michigan
Date of Wreck:  October 23, 1910
Type of Vessel:  Wooden Steamer
Size:  294.6 ft. x 41 x 22 ft., 1810 gt
DMS:  47 22. 37' by 87 55. 53'
Depth:  90 - 105 ft.

Originally christened as the Tom Adams in 1888, the Langham was caught in a vicious storm off of the Keweenaw Peninsula while upbound to Port Arthur with a load of coal. She sought shelter in Bete Grise Bay on the South shore of the Keweenaw Peninsula, but the next morning, she was found to be on fire. The fire occurred under the forward deck of an unknown cause. The crew abandoned ship and reached shore only to watch the Langham burn to the waters edge and slip beneath the waves.

The Langham is bouyed in the Summer months as she is now part of the Keweenaw Underwater Preserve. Although her decks are burned off, the hull is intact and all her machinery is present. Divers will find her engine, boilers, drive shaft, propeller, rudder and anchors.

Visibility on the Langham is usually about 20-40 ft., but the depth reduces contrast. The water off the Keweenaw is never very warm, so a dry suit is not a bad idea. Bottom temperature was about 40 degrees Farenheit in September of 1995, and I saw some Lake Trout around the wreck. The Langham makes a nice dive because it lies in relatively sheltered waters. Boats can be launched very nearby at Lac La Belle marina. The Langham makes a nice companion dive to the Mesquite. Dive charters are also available locally.

References: Dr. Julius F. Wolff Jr.'s Lake Superior Shipwrecks, Keweenaw Shipwrecks by Fred Stonehouse, Divers Guide to Michigan by Steve Harrington, Greenwood's Namesakes, James Jackman, Brendon Baillod

The Langham as she now appears


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