Ships and Shipwrecks: Stories from the Great Lakes
From the day that French explorer Robert Cavelier de La Salle launched the Griffin in 1679 to the 1975 sinking of the celebrated Edmund Fitzgerald, thousands of commercial ships have sailed on the vast and perilous waters of the Great Lakes. In a harbinger of things to come, on the return leg of its first trip in late summer 1679, the Griffin disappeared and has never been seen again. In the centuries since then, the records show that an alarming number of shipwrecks have occurred on the Great Lakes. If vessels that wrecked but were later repaired and returned to service are included, the number certainly swells into the thousands. Most did not mysteriously vanish like the Griffin. Instead, they suffered the occupational hazards of every lake boat: collisions, groundings, strands, fires, boiler explosions, and capsizes. Many of these disasters took the lives of crews and passengers. The fearsome wrath of the storms that brew over the Great Lakes has challenged and defeated some of the staunchest vessels constructed in the shipyards of port cities along the U.S. and Canadian lakeshores. Here Richard Gebhart tells the tales of some of these ships and their captains and crews, from their launches to their sad demises—or sometimes, their celebrated retirements. This volume is a must-read for anyone intrigued by the maritime history of the Great Lakes.
"1139444337"
Ships and Shipwrecks: Stories from the Great Lakes
From the day that French explorer Robert Cavelier de La Salle launched the Griffin in 1679 to the 1975 sinking of the celebrated Edmund Fitzgerald, thousands of commercial ships have sailed on the vast and perilous waters of the Great Lakes. In a harbinger of things to come, on the return leg of its first trip in late summer 1679, the Griffin disappeared and has never been seen again. In the centuries since then, the records show that an alarming number of shipwrecks have occurred on the Great Lakes. If vessels that wrecked but were later repaired and returned to service are included, the number certainly swells into the thousands. Most did not mysteriously vanish like the Griffin. Instead, they suffered the occupational hazards of every lake boat: collisions, groundings, strands, fires, boiler explosions, and capsizes. Many of these disasters took the lives of crews and passengers. The fearsome wrath of the storms that brew over the Great Lakes has challenged and defeated some of the staunchest vessels constructed in the shipyards of port cities along the U.S. and Canadian lakeshores. Here Richard Gebhart tells the tales of some of these ships and their captains and crews, from their launches to their sad demises—or sometimes, their celebrated retirements. This volume is a must-read for anyone intrigued by the maritime history of the Great Lakes.
29.95 In Stock
Ships and Shipwrecks: Stories from the Great Lakes

Ships and Shipwrecks: Stories from the Great Lakes

by Richard Gebhart
Ships and Shipwrecks: Stories from the Great Lakes

Ships and Shipwrecks: Stories from the Great Lakes

by Richard Gebhart

Paperback

$29.95 
  • SHIP THIS ITEM
    Qualifies for Free Shipping
  • PICK UP IN STORE
    Check Availability at Nearby Stores

Related collections and offers


Overview

From the day that French explorer Robert Cavelier de La Salle launched the Griffin in 1679 to the 1975 sinking of the celebrated Edmund Fitzgerald, thousands of commercial ships have sailed on the vast and perilous waters of the Great Lakes. In a harbinger of things to come, on the return leg of its first trip in late summer 1679, the Griffin disappeared and has never been seen again. In the centuries since then, the records show that an alarming number of shipwrecks have occurred on the Great Lakes. If vessels that wrecked but were later repaired and returned to service are included, the number certainly swells into the thousands. Most did not mysteriously vanish like the Griffin. Instead, they suffered the occupational hazards of every lake boat: collisions, groundings, strands, fires, boiler explosions, and capsizes. Many of these disasters took the lives of crews and passengers. The fearsome wrath of the storms that brew over the Great Lakes has challenged and defeated some of the staunchest vessels constructed in the shipyards of port cities along the U.S. and Canadian lakeshores. Here Richard Gebhart tells the tales of some of these ships and their captains and crews, from their launches to their sad demises—or sometimes, their celebrated retirements. This volume is a must-read for anyone intrigued by the maritime history of the Great Lakes.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781948314091
Publisher: Michigan State University Press
Publication date: 12/01/2021
Series: Greenstone Books
Pages: 182
Sales rank: 1,037,266
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

RICHARD GEBHART was director of the White River Light Station lighthouse museum from 1975 to 1980. He has authored numerous articles of historical interest and essays for journals and newsletters of Great Lakes historical societies.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Acknowledgments xv

Havana, California, City of Green Bay, Linked in Coincidence 1

The Immaculate Disappearance of the Thomas Hume 13

The Life of the Hattie A. Estelle 21

The W.H. Gilcher Goes Missing 31

A Detestable Day Along the Chicago Lakefront 39

The Saga of the Red, White & Blue 51

The Eastland Sets Sail 61

The Coming of the Yellow Monster 67

The Reluctant Acceptance of Wireless Use on the Great Lakes 73

The Remarkable Remnants of the Lost Sevona 79

Hard Bark Harry May and the Mournful Arcadia 89

A Longer Look at the Ungainly Choctaw 99

Mr. Plimsoll Finally Leaves His Mark on the Great Lakes 107

Brotherhood of the Muskegon Breakwater 113

The Ghosts of Philo Parsons 127

The Blue Waters of the Juniata River 135

Welland Good 145

Glossary 149

Bibliography 153

Index 167

From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews