128 Years Ago, This Ship Sank In Lake Huron, But Where It Actually Went Down Remained A Mystery Until Recently
The mysterious fate of a ship that sank 128 years ago in Lake Huron has finally been unraveled. Recently, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) discovered the long-lost vessel called the Ironton in the depths of the lake.
Even after an entire century, the 191-foot ship was well-preserved, and this was due to the frigid temperatures of the freshwater lake.
Per the report from the NOAA, the Ironton was found upright with its three masts still standing and with a lifeboat attached to the stern.
The Ironton sank in September 1894 after colliding with another ship, the Ohio. According to the NOAA, the Ohio was carrying about a thousand tons of grain and went down quickly,
By the time the Ironton’s seven-man crew realized they were in the path of the approaching Ohio, it was too late to change course.
The crew made it to the lifeboat but could not get it untied from the ship before it was dragged to the bottom of the lake. Sadly, only two members of the crew ended up surviving the collision.
On the other hand, all sixteen crew members of the Ohio managed to escape and were rescued by nearby ships. The two remaining survivors of the Ironton had unfortunately drifted out of sight of their rescuers and clung onto floating debris for hours until they were spotted.
The area where the boat sank was known as “Shipwreck Alley,” a treacherous expanse of waters where many vessels have been swallowed up by the waves and countless sailors have lost their lives.
Despite reports from the survivors and eyewitness accounts at the time, the Ironton’s location continued to puzzle experts.
ehrlif – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
In 2017, a team of researchers surveyed a zone of the lake that was previously unmapped. In doing so, they came across the Ohio in the process. Two years later, they finally discovered the Ironton.
NOAA’s Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary plans to develop educational exhibits to tell the tragic story of the shipwreck and connect residents with the history of the region they live in.
They also intend to keep exploring the Great Lakes to potentially dig up even more discoveries and expand humanity’s knowledge of the past.
“Using this cutting-edge technology, we have not only located a pristine shipwreck lost for over a century, we are also learning more about one of our nation’s most important natural resources–the Great Lakes,” said Thunder Bay’s superintendent, Jeff Gray.
“This research will help protect Lake Huron and its rich history.”
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