Comet (steamboat)
Encyclopedia
The SS Comet was a steamship that operated on the Great Lakes
. The Comet was built in 1857 as a wooden-hulled propeller
-driven cargo vessel that was soon adapted to carry passengers. She suffered a series of maritime accidents prior to her final sinking in 1875 causing the loss of ten lives. She became known as the only treasure ship of Lake Superior
because she carried 70 tons of Montana silver ore when she sank. The first attempts to salvage
her cargo
in 1876 and 1938 were unsuccessful. The Comet was finally salvaged in the 1980s when artifacts from the wreck were illegally removed. The artifacts are now the property of the State of Michigan and are on display as a loan to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum
. The fate of her silver ore cargo is unknown. Her wreck is now protected by the Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve
as part of an underwater museum.
. Her direct-acting vertical engine was manufactured by Cuyahoga Steam Furnace of Cleveland. The Comet was originally built as a pure workhorse. Upper deck cabins for passenger accommodations were not added until the winter layup of 1859–60.
The Comet went through a variety of owners. She was first owned by Dean Richmond (New York Central Railroad
). Her last owners were W.M. Hanna and George W. Chapin of Cleveland. The Comet was involved in a series of maritime accidents prior to her final sinking in 1875. In 1863, she sank another boat in a collision on Lake Erie
. She was run aground on a reef off Port Washington, Wisconsin
in Lake Michigan
in 1865. In August 1869, she rammed and sank the sidewheeler Silver Spray. The Comet sank for the first time in 1869 after a collision with the propeller Hunter below Detroit, Michigan
. Both vessels sank, were raised, and returned to service.
on 23 August 1875 downbound for Buffalo, New York
with intermediate stops on Lake Superior
. After rounding Whitefish Point Light on a clear, starlit night about 8:05 PM of 26 August 1875 and heading on the usual southeast course to Point Iroquois Light, her lookout
spotted a white light in the dusk right on their course. Fifteen minutes later, after the lookout spotted a red light, Captain Dugat altered course a point to port
, heading southeast half south. Just moments later the green lights of an approaching vessel appeared. When Captain Dugat realized he had swung across the bow
of a steamer
, he blew one blast on the whistle and ordered a hard turn, but it was too late. Shipwreck historian Janice Gerred reported that the "Canadian steamer Manitoba struck the Comet stem
on about 20 foot, forward the stern
on the port side right down to the water’s edge." The Toronto Globe reported an eye witness account that the Comet’s hull parted and sank almost immediately and the upper works crumbled and sank within one minute. Two men were crushed when the steamers collided. One man was hanging from a window sash of the Manitoba, lost his grip, and was heard exclaiming, “Oh Lord, I am gone” as he was pulled down in the suction of the wreck. Ten men, including those below deck, did not survive. Six men jumped from the wreck to the decks of the Manitoba whose boats picked up four more survivors. Captain Dugat, the master
, two mates, two wheelsmen, one fireman, one lookout, and one porter
survived.
The Manitoba made every effort to save everyone possible. She took the rescued to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
where they were given passage to Cleveland.
The United States maritime investigation absolved Comet’s Captain Dugat of any blame for the collision in 1876. The Canadians absolved the Manitoba’s Captain Symes of any blame.
announced in 1980 that the Comet was the “only known treasure ship on the bottom of the lake” when interviewing Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society [GLSHS] spokesperson Tom Farnquist. The Comet carried 500 tons of pig iron, some copper ore, 54 sacks of wool, and 70 tons of Montana silver ore picked up at Duluth and consigned to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. Efforts to salvage the Comet’s cargo failed in 1876 and again in 1938 when the wreck could not be found. The Comet’s wreck was extensively filmed and salvaged by the GLSHS in the 1980s.
diver Kent Bellrichard of Milwaukee, Wisconsin
. Bob Nicholls and Tom Farnquist of the GLSHS relocated the Comet on 6 June 1980. In July 1980, Farnquist announced "divers will attempt to salvage as much of the silver as well as other salvageable material or artifacts. All of the process will be filmed. Proceeds will be used by the Shipwreck Society for further exploration and for the Society’s museum work."
Michigan’s Antiquities Act of 1980 prohibited the removal of artifacts from shipwrecks on the Great Lakes bottomlands. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) 1992 raid on the GLSHS offices and Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum included seizure of artifacts that were illegally removed from the Comet, but her cargo of Montana silver ore was not accounted for in the Affidavit of Search Warrant & Investigation Report.
The Comet lies in 230 feet (70.1 m) of water at 46°43.02′N 84°52.00′W in Whitefish Bay
of Lake Superior
. Scuba diving
to the Comet wreck requires advanced technical diving skills. Great Lakes diver Steve Harrington reported that "divers will find much of the hull intact with twin standing arches." The Comet wreck is protected for future generations by the Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve as part of an underwater museum.
(1814), and another that broke apart in 1812 after a few runs.
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
. The Comet was built in 1857 as a wooden-hulled propeller
Propeller
A propeller is a type of fan that transmits power by converting rotational motion into thrust. A pressure difference is produced between the forward and rear surfaces of the airfoil-shaped blade, and a fluid is accelerated behind the blade. Propeller dynamics can be modeled by both Bernoulli's...
-driven cargo vessel that was soon adapted to carry passengers. She suffered a series of maritime accidents prior to her final sinking in 1875 causing the loss of ten lives. She became known as the only treasure ship of Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
because she carried 70 tons of Montana silver ore when she sank. The first attempts to salvage
Marine salvage
Marine salvage is the process of rescuing a ship, its cargo, or other property from peril. Salvage encompasses rescue towing, refloating a sunken or grounded vessel, or patching or repairing a ship...
her cargo
Cargo
Cargo is goods or produce transported, generally for commercial gain, by ship, aircraft, train, van or truck. In modern times, containers are used in most intermodal long-haul cargo transport.-Marine:...
in 1876 and 1938 were unsuccessful. The Comet was finally salvaged in the 1980s when artifacts from the wreck were illegally removed. The artifacts are now the property of the State of Michigan and are on display as a loan to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum
Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum is located at the Whitefish Point Light Station north of Paradise in Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The light station property was transferred to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society , the Michigan Audubon Society , and the United States...
. The fate of her silver ore cargo is unknown. Her wreck is now protected by the Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve
Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve
The Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve was established in 1987 to protect and conserve shipwrecks and historical resources on of Lake Superior bottomlands in Whitefish Bay and around Whitefish Point, Michigan. The formation of the Michigan Underwater Preserves helped stop controversy over...
as part of an underwater museum.
History
The 181 feet (55 m), 744-ton wooden propeller ship Comet, along with her sister ship, the Rocket, was launched in 1857 by Peak and Masters of Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
. Her direct-acting vertical engine was manufactured by Cuyahoga Steam Furnace of Cleveland. The Comet was originally built as a pure workhorse. Upper deck cabins for passenger accommodations were not added until the winter layup of 1859–60.
The Comet went through a variety of owners. She was first owned by Dean Richmond (New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
). Her last owners were W.M. Hanna and George W. Chapin of Cleveland. The Comet was involved in a series of maritime accidents prior to her final sinking in 1875. In 1863, she sank another boat in a collision on Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
. She was run aground on a reef off Port Washington, Wisconsin
Port Washington, Wisconsin
Port Washington is the county seat of Ozaukee County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The city is about 25 miles north of Milwaukee and 110 miles north of Chicago. In the 2000 census Port Washington had a population of 10,467...
in Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
in 1865. In August 1869, she rammed and sank the sidewheeler Silver Spray. The Comet sank for the first time in 1869 after a collision with the propeller Hunter below Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. Both vessels sank, were raised, and returned to service.
Final voyage
The Comet cleared Duluth, MinnesotaDuluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
on 23 August 1875 downbound for Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
with intermediate stops on Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
. After rounding Whitefish Point Light on a clear, starlit night about 8:05 PM of 26 August 1875 and heading on the usual southeast course to Point Iroquois Light, her lookout
Lookout
A lookout or look-out is a person on a ship in charge of the observation of the sea for hazards, other ships, land, etc. Lookouts report anything they see and or hear. When reporting contacts, lookouts give information such as, bearing of the object, which way the object is headed, target angles...
spotted a white light in the dusk right on their course. Fifteen minutes later, after the lookout spotted a red light, Captain Dugat altered course a point to port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
, heading southeast half south. Just moments later the green lights of an approaching vessel appeared. When Captain Dugat realized he had swung across the bow
Bow (ship)
The bow is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow...
of a steamer
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
, he blew one blast on the whistle and ordered a hard turn, but it was too late. Shipwreck historian Janice Gerred reported that the "Canadian steamer Manitoba struck the Comet stem
Stem (ship)
The stem is the very most forward part of a boat or ship's bow and is an extension of the keel itself and curves up to the wale of the boat. The stem is more often found on wooden boats or ships, but not exclusively...
on about 20 foot, forward the stern
Stern
The stern is the rear or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite of the bow, the foremost part of a ship. Originally, the term only referred to the aft port section...
on the port side right down to the water’s edge." The Toronto Globe reported an eye witness account that the Comet’s hull parted and sank almost immediately and the upper works crumbled and sank within one minute. Two men were crushed when the steamers collided. One man was hanging from a window sash of the Manitoba, lost his grip, and was heard exclaiming, “Oh Lord, I am gone” as he was pulled down in the suction of the wreck. Ten men, including those below deck, did not survive. Six men jumped from the wreck to the decks of the Manitoba whose boats picked up four more survivors. Captain Dugat, the master
Master (naval)
The master, or sailing master, was a historic term for a naval officer trained in and responsible for the navigation of a sailing vessel...
, two mates, two wheelsmen, one fireman, one lookout, and one porter
Porter (carrier)
A porter, also called a bearer, is a person who shifts objects for others.-Historical meaning:Human adaptability and flexibility early led to the use of humans for shifting gear...
survived.
The Manitoba made every effort to save everyone possible. She took the rescued to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
Sault Ste. Marie is a city in and the county seat of Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is in the north-eastern end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, on the Canadian border, separated from its twin city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, by the St. Marys River...
where they were given passage to Cleveland.
The United States maritime investigation absolved Comet’s Captain Dugat of any blame for the collision in 1876. The Canadians absolved the Manitoba’s Captain Symes of any blame.
Treasure ship
The Comet was first dubbed a "true treasure ship" by shipwreck historian Frederick Stonehouse in 1973. When she sank, her vessel was valued at $45,000 and the cargo at $50,000. The Sault Evening News of Sault Ste. Marie, MichiganSault Ste. Marie, Michigan
Sault Ste. Marie is a city in and the county seat of Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is in the north-eastern end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, on the Canadian border, separated from its twin city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, by the St. Marys River...
announced in 1980 that the Comet was the “only known treasure ship on the bottom of the lake” when interviewing Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society [GLSHS] spokesperson Tom Farnquist. The Comet carried 500 tons of pig iron, some copper ore, 54 sacks of wool, and 70 tons of Montana silver ore picked up at Duluth and consigned to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. Efforts to salvage the Comet’s cargo failed in 1876 and again in 1938 when the wreck could not be found. The Comet’s wreck was extensively filmed and salvaged by the GLSHS in the 1980s.
Wreck discovery and artifacts
The Comet was first located in the 1970s by Great LakesGreat Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
diver Kent Bellrichard of Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
. Bob Nicholls and Tom Farnquist of the GLSHS relocated the Comet on 6 June 1980. In July 1980, Farnquist announced "divers will attempt to salvage as much of the silver as well as other salvageable material or artifacts. All of the process will be filmed. Proceeds will be used by the Shipwreck Society for further exploration and for the Society’s museum work."
Michigan’s Antiquities Act of 1980 prohibited the removal of artifacts from shipwrecks on the Great Lakes bottomlands. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) 1992 raid on the GLSHS offices and Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum included seizure of artifacts that were illegally removed from the Comet, but her cargo of Montana silver ore was not accounted for in the Affidavit of Search Warrant & Investigation Report.
Wreck today
Artifacts from the Comet's wreck are on display in the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum as a loan from the State of Michigan by a 1993 settlement agreement with the GLSHS following the DNRE raid on the museum in 1992.The Comet lies in 230 feet (70.1 m) of water at 46°43.02′N 84°52.00′W in Whitefish Bay
Whitefish Bay
Whitefish Bay is a large bay on the eastern end of the southern shore of Lake Superior between Michigan and Ontario. It begins in the north and west at Whitefish Point in Michigan, about 10 miles north of Paradise, Michigan and ends at the St. Marys River at Sault Ste. Marie on the southeast...
of Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
. Scuba diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
to the Comet wreck requires advanced technical diving skills. Great Lakes diver Steve Harrington reported that "divers will find much of the hull intact with twin standing arches." The Comet wreck is protected for future generations by the Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve as part of an underwater museum.
Other vessels
Several other ships have borne the name "Comet" including the PS CometPS Comet
The paddle steamer PS Comet was built for Henry Bell, hotel and baths owner in Helensburgh, and began a passenger service in 1812 on the River Clyde between Glasgow and Greenock, the first commercially successful steamboat service in Europe.-History:...
(1814), and another that broke apart in 1812 after a few runs.