American researchers discover the wreck of a rare “whaleback” ship sunk by a storm while traversing the Great Lakes in 1902.
According to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS), the 90-meter-long wreck currently lies at the bottom of Lake Superior – the largest and deepest freshwater lake in the Great Lakes – approximately 56 km from the shore of Vermilion Point, Michigan. It has been confirmed as Barge 129, one of only 44 “whaleback” ships ever built in history, CNN reported on October 20.
As the name suggests, whaleback ships are a type of steam-powered cargo vessel with a unique design featuring continuous curves from the vertical to the horizontal, resembling the back of a whale surfacing from the water.
Barge 129 carrying coal in 1895. (Photo: GLSHS)
Barge 129 sank on October 13, 1902, while towing another vessel across the Great Lakes. A strong storm severed the towline, causing the two ships to collide. The crew aboard Barge 129 managed to evacuate in time before the ship sank into Lake Superior, where it has rested at a depth of 200 meters for the past 120 years.
“This is definitely one of the ships we wanted to find among the many wrecks out there because it is so unusual,” emphasized Bruce Lynn, Executive Director of GLSHS. “In fact, Barge 129 is the last whaleback ship to sink in the Great Lakes that had not been discovered. It is the ship we have wanted to find for a long time.”
First sonar image of the wreck of Barge 129. (Photo: GLSHS)
Researchers used sonar technology to locate Barge 129. The first sonar images of the ship were captured in 2021, but it took more than a year for them to confirm its identity using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) equipped with cameras and high-intensity lights.
“When the ROV approached the bow of the ship, there was no doubt. That bow is unmistakable. We knew what we had found, and it was truly exciting. We are the first people to see Barge 129 in over 120 years,” Lynn added.
Remains of Barge 129 captured by ROV. (Photo: GLSHS)
The images recorded by the ROV show a portion of the severed towline still threaded through the ship’s bow, revealing additional clues about what happened before Barge 129 sank.
GLSHS hopes to one day salvage the ship and display it at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, where they can continue to shed light on its story and its impact on Michigan’s history.
