SS New Orleans was a wooden Great Lakes bulk freighter built in 1885. She sank in Lake Huron following a collision with another steamer on June 30, 1906. She is a popular site for divers due to her intact machinery and accessible depth.
Description New Orleans measured in overall length, had a beam of , and a depth of . Her registered dimensions were long, in beam, and in draft. She had a gross register tonnage of 1,457 tons and was powered by a coal-fired boiler and a fore-and-aft compound steam engine rated at . She was enrolled at Port Huron, Michigan, on May 8, 1885.
History New Orleans was constructed by Morley & Hill in Marine City, Michigan, and entered service in 1885. She was initially owned by W. B. Morley before being sold in 1888 to Frank B. Wallace, James J. Wallace, and Ed Cunningham of Detroit. In 1892, the vessel was transferred to the Wallace & Cunningham Transit Co. and later sold in 1900 to Capt. John B. Hall of Hall & Root of Buffalo, New York.
On October 15, 1903, the New Orleans stranded on a reef in Sturgeon Bay, Lake Michigan. Declared a constructive total loss and abandoned to insurers, she was later released, repaired, and returned to service under the same ownership.
Sinking On June 30, 1906, while heading upbound with a cargo of anthracite coal for Milwaukee, the New Orleans collided with the steamer William R. Linn in a dense fog between Middle Island and Thunder Bay Island. The impact caused the New Orleans to sink, though no lives were lost as her crew was rescued by William R. Linn. Her enrollment was surrendered on July 3, 1906.
The wreck The wreck lies in approximately of water at coordinates . The shipwreck site is relatively intact, and machinery like the winch can still be seen on the deck. Divers frequently visit the site, which features an orthomosaic survey of the wreck. Notable elements include the length of the hull (about 231 feet) and intact deck structures.
See also List of shipwrecks in the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
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