Low water exposes century-old shipwreck on Grand Haven's Harbor Island

Michigan Live ^ | 12-12-12 | Eric Gaertner

[shove_it]

GRAND HAVEN, MI – The remains of a wooden steamer built 125 years ago recently were uncovered in the Grand River, a surprising benefit of the historically low water levels.

The wooden sections of the 290-foot steamer Aurora, which burned in 1932, and parts of at least four other shipwreck hulks were exposed by the receding water line near the edges of Harbor Island. West Michigan maritime researchers deemed the Aurora the most significant of the finds, as it was once the largest wooden steamer on the Great Lakes.

After being alerted to the wooden pieces by area residents, Holland-based Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates (MSRA) members and officials with the Tri-Cities Historical Museum in Grand Haven investigated and surveyed the larger wreck, featuring the hull, sides and the propeller shaft cradle at the stern. The bow appeared buried and a survey by MSRA east of the visible portion revealed a structure well over 200 feet long, verifying the wreck as that of the Aurora...

[cripplecreek]

Found a thread with some screen caps (including the pic you posted)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2202872/posts

[shove_it]

Hah. Thanks for the memories. We don’t get much in the way of ice floes down here in Melbourne Beach.

[TXnMA]

I was referring to the Aurora's "squatting" attitude -- bow waterline 'way up out of the water and the stern waterline nearly flush with it. For her to have floated level like the Fitzgerald, she must have been laden "weight forward".

Until I read she was "dragged" to her final position, I had envisioned her being run aground under power. Had she been empty, the bow would have been "high and dry" -- and would have burned clean to the ground

However, your account of her "dragged aground" demise (as a barge) simply means, "WYSIWYG": the bow would have to be excavated to determine its state...

[exnavy]

It is very cool to see this in person, worth the trip if you are nearby.

[exnavy]

The island has increased in size due to river sediment.

[TXnMA]

"The island has increased in size due to river sediment."

Apparently typical "delta ridge" growth that occurs where the current slows and sediment falls out...

That's why I was trying to model the initial bow conditions: what are you likely to find if you expend the effort to remove the silt overburden?

I'm working on a ferryboat wreck in the sulphur River in Texas where half of it is buried under as much as 9 feet of silt. Fortunately that (unexposed) buried section is far better preserved than the end that remained out in the water and was sometimes exposed to the air.

However any part of the Aurora that was on dry land probably burned to the ground before it was covered by silt. Not much to be seen or learned from excavating that part of the hull... OTOH, if the island was a submerged sandbar when it was grounded and burned, there might still be a lot there...

[TXnMA]

You might enjoy this one...

[DouglasKC]

While trapped in the ice in the Detroit River in 1898, she burned down to the water line. The owners refitted the hull as a barge and she was used that way until 1927. when the economy turned bad. She sat unused until 1932, when she was dragged to this spot and burned again. After that, sediment built up and it was basically buried, with scrub vegetation growing over it.

It's not generally known today, but Harbor Island used to be the town dump. Anything that anyone didn't want or need ended up at Harbor Island. That's why there's remnants of at least 4 other ship "wrecks" in that area. They're not wrecks..they were dragged there to be disposed of.

Quite a few years ago they brought in a bunch of fill dirt and basically covered up the junk. There's a bunch history buried there.

[exnavy]

There is actually trees and shrubs growing over the bow the article at “mlive.com explains it very well. It also has an overhead photo.

[TXnMA]

Thanks for the info! I apparently went directly to the photo gallery and missed the two (quite informative) articles.

So, if the Aurora was, indeed, grounded in shallow water when she burned the last time, there should still be parts of her bow remaining beneath the soil of the island - as well as the parts we still see in the water.

I note that the article's OHI (OverHead Image) obscures the wreck with graphics -- so my effort creating the OHI that shows the actual hull wasn't totally wasted... '-)

Glad the folks in MI are treating these wrecks as the historical treasures they are! If any of you see additional articles on the wreck(s) and post them to FR, please ping me!!

Meanwhile, I have more than enough archaeological projects going here in Texas to keep me busier than a retired guy should be... ;-)

Thanks!

TXnMA

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

Interesting that it used to be the dump. I’ve driven over it many times on the bridge—my wife’s from Muskegon and I’ve spent a lot of summer days in Grand Haven—and it always struck me as a glorified mud bar.

[SunkenCiv]

GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach	join list or digest view topics view or post blog bookmark post a topic subscribe
Thanks shove_it, TXnMA, and cripplecreek. I'll have to check that out if I get a chance. Just adding to the catalog, not sending a general distribution. To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.