Hennepin (shipwreck)
Encyclopedia
The Hennepin is a shipwreck
off the east coast of Lake Michigan
, west of South Haven, Michigan
. The ship was originally built in October 1888 and sank on August 18, 1927. Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates
found the ship in 2006 and conducted several dives to assess the condition of the wreck. The wreck was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on February 1, 2008. It is significant as the first self-unloading bulk carrier
.
. It was equipped with a steam engine at the time. The ship changed owners a few times, and in 1898, it was later the Hennepin, after Louis Hennepin
, an explorer of the Great Lakes
.
On June 27, 1901, the ship caught fire in Buffalo, New York
. The fire damaged most of the upper deck and most of the machinery. The ship was sold to the Lake Shore Stone Company, who fitted it with a conveyor belt and made it a self-unloading ship. This was the world's first self-unloading ship, and it provided the paradigm for the many self-unloading vessels in use today. The ship had a 1600 ton capacity. It was put to work loading stone from a quarry
in Stone Haven, Wisconsin.
Later, in 1923, it was purchased by Construction Materials Corporation and put to use hauling construction aggregate
from a quarry on the Grand River
to Chicago
. The hull was wearing out and becoming unstable, so the ship was converted to a barge by removing its engine. It was hauled by the tugboat
s Ufasco in 1926 and Lotus in 1927.
in the middle of Lake Michigan. The vessel had sprung a leak, and although the crew worked to save the ship, the pumps could not keep up with the volume of water coming in. The crew worked until 2:30 PM that afternoon, but they were unsuccessful, and the crew abandoned ship for the safety of the tugboat Lotus. The Hennepin finally sank around 6:00 PM. Upon the return to port, Captain Ole Hansen said, "She died a hard death."
to explore the wreck, which was in about 200 feet (61 m) of water. The team examined a capstan
and discovered the name "G.H. Dyer" stamped onto the cover, which confirmed it as the Hennepin. The pilothouse had been blown off when it sank, but the wheel was still in place and intact. The ship had hit stern
-first as identified by the wreckage. The conveyor belts and the A-frame crane structure were still in place and further identified the ship as the Hennepin.
Shipwreck
A shipwreck is what remains of a ship that has wrecked, either sunk or beached. Whatever the cause, a sunken ship or a wrecked ship is a physical example of the event: this explains why the two concepts are often overlapping in English....
off the east coast of 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...
, west of South Haven, Michigan
South Haven, Michigan
South Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Most of the city is in Van Buren County, although a small portion extends into Allegan County. The population was 5,021 at the 2000 census....
. The ship was originally built in October 1888 and sank on August 18, 1927. Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates
Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates
MSRA is a 501 non-profit corporation based in Holland, Michigan. Their stated purpose is to “Preserve Michigan’s Submerged Maritime History.”...
found the ship in 2006 and conducted several dives to assess the condition of the wreck. The wreck was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on February 1, 2008. It is significant as the first self-unloading bulk carrier
Bulk carrier
A bulk carrier, bulk freighter, or bulker is a merchant ship specially designed to transport unpackaged bulk cargo, such as grains, coal, ore, and cement in its cargo holds. Since the first specialized bulk carrier was built in 1852, economic forces have fueled the development of these ships,...
.
Career
The ship was originally built as the George H. Dyer by the firm of Wolf and Davidson in Milwaukee, WisconsinMilwaukee, 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...
. It was equipped with a steam engine at the time. The ship changed owners a few times, and in 1898, it was later the Hennepin, after Louis Hennepin
Louis Hennepin
Father Louis Hennepin, O.F.M. baptized Antoine, was a Catholic priest and missionary of the Franciscan Recollect order and an explorer of the interior of North America....
, an explorer of the Great Lakes
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...
.
On June 27, 1901, the ship caught fire in 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...
. The fire damaged most of the upper deck and most of the machinery. The ship was sold to the Lake Shore Stone Company, who fitted it with a conveyor belt and made it a self-unloading ship. This was the world's first self-unloading ship, and it provided the paradigm for the many self-unloading vessels in use today. The ship had a 1600 ton capacity. It was put to work loading stone from a quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
in Stone Haven, Wisconsin.
Later, in 1923, it was purchased by Construction Materials Corporation and put to use hauling construction aggregate
Construction Aggregate
Construction aggregate, or simply "aggregate", is a broad category of coarse particulate material used in construction, including sand, gravel, crushed stone, slag, recycled concrete and geosynthetic aggregates. Aggregates are the most mined material in the world...
from a quarry on the Grand River
Grand River (Michigan)
The Grand River is the longest river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It runs through the cities of Jackson, Eaton Rapids, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Grand Haven.-Description:...
to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. The hull was wearing out and becoming unstable, so the ship was converted to a barge by removing its engine. It was hauled by the tugboat
Tugboat
A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
s Ufasco in 1926 and Lotus in 1927.
Wreck event
On August 18, 1927, around 10:30 AM, the Hennepin ran into a squallSquall
A squall is a sudden, sharp increase in wind speed which is usually associated with active weather, such as rain showers, thunderstorms, or heavy snow. Squalls refer to an increase in the sustained winds over a short time interval, as there may be higher gusts during a squall event...
in the middle of Lake Michigan. The vessel had sprung a leak, and although the crew worked to save the ship, the pumps could not keep up with the volume of water coming in. The crew worked until 2:30 PM that afternoon, but they were unsuccessful, and the crew abandoned ship for the safety of the tugboat Lotus. The Hennepin finally sank around 6:00 PM. Upon the return to port, Captain Ole Hansen said, "She died a hard death."
Discovery
Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates members were searching for the wreck of Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 2501 in 2006. In the process of mapping out sections of the lake, they discovered debris on the bottom that appeared to be a wreck. At first, they identified a small structure that they nicknamed a "rib cage", but more searching revealed a ship. They sent a team of technical diversTechnical diving
Technical diving is a form of scuba diving that exceeds the scope of recreational diving...
to explore the wreck, which was in about 200 feet (61 m) of water. The team examined a capstan
Capstan (nautical)
A capstan is a vertical-axled rotating machine developed for use on sailing ships to apply force to ropes, cables, and hawsers. The principle is similar to that of the windlass, which has a horizontal axle.- History :...
and discovered the name "G.H. Dyer" stamped onto the cover, which confirmed it as the Hennepin. The pilothouse had been blown off when it sank, but the wheel was still in place and intact. The ship had hit 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...
-first as identified by the wreckage. The conveyor belts and the A-frame crane structure were still in place and further identified the ship as the Hennepin.