Great Lakes Shipwrecks

 beginning with the letter

 R

The Great Lakes Shipwreck File

©1999-2007, David D. Swayze, Lake Isabella, MI, all rights reserved

 

Click Here for Source List

 


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  LUCY RAAB

Other names   : ?

Official no.     :  none

Type at loss    :  schooner, wood,2-mast

Build info       :  1858, P. R. Beaupre, Sheboygan, Wis.

Specs               :  114x26x10,  (ca. 250 t.) 14,000 bu capacity

Date of loss    :  1862, Nov 1(?)

Place of loss   :  Middle Island Reef

Lake                : Huron

Type of loss    :  storm

Loss of life      : none

Carrying         :  (grain)

Detail              : She drove ashore on the reef  in a storm. The big wrecking tug WINSLOW was sent from Detroit to rescue her, but by the time she arrived, there was little except  her outfit left.

Built at Sheboygan, WI, as other "Raab" vessels were

Sources            :   slh,hgl,nsp,bb


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  JOHN RABER

Other names   :  built as brig GENERAL WORTH. Renamed after 1871

Official no.     :  10150

Type at loss    :  schooner, wood

Build info       :  1848, Wm. Treat, Euclid, OH (or Cleveland) as a brig

Specs               :  118x25x10, 224g  212n

Date of loss    :  1895, Sep 29

Place of loss   :  near Whiting, Ind [Dane Park]

Lake                : Michigan

Type of loss    :  storm

Loss of life      :  1

Carrying         :  Lumber

Detail              :  Caught in a storm while approaching Chicago, the old. Worn-out schooner began to go to pieces. Her crew worked the pumps until she went into the shallows, but her skipper was still drowned while going ashore to get a tug to try to save her. The balance of her crew was rescued by U.S. Lifesavers. Master: Capt. Andrew Johnson (d).

On the 10th of the same month, while bound Pine Lake [Charlevoix, MI] for Milwaukee, she ran aground in dense fog and a SE gale, 1 mi from shore and 4 mi S of Ahnapee. Her crew abandoned and the schooner later reportedly broke up, but apparently not, as she was wrecked later the same month.

She was heavily damaged and expected to be a total loss in a storm of Dunkirk, NY, in November, 1867. Seven lives lost.

Sources            :  hgl,mv,nsp,h,wb,rsl,wmn


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  RACER

Other names   :  none

Official no.     :  21189

Type at loss    :  brig, wood, 2-mast

Build info       :  1856, B.B. Jones, Buffalo

Specs               :  258 t.

Date of loss    :  1869, Nov 17

Place of loss   :  Hammond Bay, Straits

Lake                : Huron

Type of loss    :  storm

Loss of life      : ?

Carrying         :  iron ore

Detail              : Bound Marquette for Cleveland, she stranded and broke up in a terrific gale. Valued at about $13,000.

Homeport: Cleveland, owned by J. Lundy and Capt. G Hearnes.

Major repair in 1863

Sources            :   mv,slh,nsp,hgl,rsl,mdwl


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  RACINE - See also ALGOMA


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  RACINE

Other names   :  none

Official no.     :  none

Type at loss    :  schooner, wood, 2-mast

Build info       :  1844, (S. Doolittle), Oswego, NY as a propeller

Specs               :   95x20x10,  175 t. (as a prop)

Date of loss    :  1849

Place of loss   :  near Rondeau, Ont.

Lake                : Erie

Type of loss    :  storm

Loss of life      : ?

Carrying         :  ?

Detail              : Capsized and lost in a light gale.

She was considered top-heavy as a propeller and was converted to a schooner in 1846. After the conversion she was still known as a “tender” boat.

Sources            :   lhl, nsp,wl,hgl


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  RACINE

Other names   :  none

Official no.     :  none

Type at loss    :  propeller, wood, freighter

Build info       :  1856, Luther Moses, Cleveland OH as a passenger steamer

Specs               :  193x30x13, 715 t.

Date of loss    :  1864, Aug 10

Place of loss   :  off Rondeau, Ont.

Lake                : Erie

Type of loss    :  fire

Loss of life      :  8

Carrying         :  flour, passengers

Detail              : Fire on board, originating near her boiler, quickly destroyed the ship. One crewman was killed during the lowering of a lifeboat and 7 others died when that boat swamped. The propeller AVON and the smallboat from the bark J. S. Austin, becalmed five miles distant, saved the rest of the passengers and crew. The AVON towed the burning wreck into shallow water, where she was consumed to the water line.  Owned by the Western Transportation Co.

The hull was raised in fall, 1866 and rebuilt to a bark [US#21708]. Rebuilt to a barge after another accident, 1873. Not abandoned until 1908 or 9.

Stranded in the Straits in the fall of 1863 following a collision, and off the mouth of the Sheboygan R. the same November.

Major repairs in 1862

Sources            :   msv,hgl,osdo,lhl,gsgl,ledc,nsp,mpl,rsl,nsp,eas


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   RACINE

Other names   :  none

Official no.     :  21183

Type at loss    :  schooner, wood, 2-mast

Build info       :  1853, Justice Bailey, Racine, WI as a brig

Specs               :  214 t.

Date of loss    :  1868, Oct 30

Place of loss   :  off Port Austin, MI

Lake                :  Huron

Type of loss    :  storm

Loss of life      :  (none)

Carrying         :  grain

Detail              :  She was driven into the shallows in a gale. The wrecking tug DISPATCH was sent from Detroit to rescue her, but came back a few days later with just her rigging and outfit.

Out of Chicago.

Also wrecked near Racine in 1855.

Sources            :   nsp,mpl,mv,hgl


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  RACINE

Other names   :  none

Official no.     :  21184

Type at loss    :  schooner, wood, 2-mast

Build info       :  1844, Sanford & Moses, Cleveland

Specs               :  106x24x10,  168g  160n

Date of loss    :  1892, Jul 3

Place of loss   :  Whiskey Harbor Reef, NW of Port Hope, MI

Lake                : Huron

Type of loss    :  storm

Loss of life      :  none

Carrying         :  lumber

Detail              : She was downbound when reported stranded and lost. US Lifesavers rowed out through a gale and brought in her crew, later salvaging much of her outfit and cargo as well.

Rebuilt, 1872

Ashore with heavy damage near Madison, OH, in Nov. 1846.

Probably the vessel reported capsized and lost in a storm NE of Milwaukee Oct 19, 1855, and later spotted 25 mi SW of Grand Haven, MI.

Major repair in 1862

Sources            :   mv,slh,mv,lhdc,wb,hgl,usls,nsp


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  RACINE

Other names   :  none

Official no.     :  21708

Type at loss    :  scow or scow-schooner, wood

Build info       :  1867, Tonawanda, NY

Specs               :  195x30x12,  534g  508n

Date of loss    :  1893, Aug 19

Place of loss   :  near the harbor entrance at Two Rivers, WI

Lake                : Michigan

Type of loss    :  (storm)

Loss of life      : ?

Carrying         :  stone

Detail              : Sank, no detail.

Out of Port Huron

Sources            :   mv,h                 not in mmgl


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  RADIENT or RADIANT

Other names   :  none

Official no.     :  none

Type at loss    :  schooner, wood

Build info       :  ca. 1856 [described as “new” in articles reporting her loss]

Specs               :  ? [described as “not of the largest class,” meaning she was probably less than 130 feet in length]

Date of loss    :  1857, Nov 20?

Place of loss   :  unknown

Lake                : Erie

Type of loss    :  storm

Loss of life      :  10 [all]

Carrying         :  wheat

Detail              : Left Toledo for Oswego on the 18th, she never arrived at the Welland canal. She was presumed to have foundered in a general gale that swept the lake on the 20th. Master: Capt. Carey(d).

Sources            :  hgl,gs,nsp                 not in mmgl


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  JOHN RAE - See DUNCAN CITY


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  R.H. RAE

Other names   :  none

Official no.     : C  none

Type at loss    :  bark, wood, 3-mast

Build info       :  1857, Donaldson &Andrews, St. Catharines

Specs               :  136x23x11,  344 t.

Date of loss    :  1858, Aug 3 or 4

Place of loss   :  S of Pt. Traverse

Lake                : Ontario

Type of loss    :  storm

Loss of life      :  none

Carrying         :  wheat

Detail              : She capsized and sank in a "white squall" off Duck's Creek. She went down slowly enough for her people to abandon in her smallboat. They were later picked up by the propeller COLONIST. There was a big effort to salvage her the next summer, but to no avail. She was a total loss of $20,000. Owned by Rae Bros. & Co., Hamilton, Ont. Master: Capt. Bowman.

She was reportedly built for the trans-Atlantic trade and looked more like a seagoing schooner.

Named after and owned by a well-known arctic navigator of the time.

Wreck is in very good condition. The famed Cousteau organization lost a diver on her in 1980.

Sources            :  is,hgl,do2,sol,sagl,pdw,rnc ,wl   


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  RAINBOW

Other names   : ?

Official no.     :  none

Type at loss    :  schooner, wood

Build info       :  ?

Specs               :  “small”

Date of loss    :  1837, Aug 21

Place of loss   :  near Put-in-Bay, S. Bass Isl.

Lake                : Erie

Type of loss    : storm

Loss of life      : none

Carrying         :  ?

Detail              : She was driven ashore and wrecked, but her crew made it to shore.

A 2-mast schooner of this name existed at this time out of Cleveland: 51x16x5, 33 t.

but she was still extant in 1841. Built 1834, Avon, OH

Sources            :   ledc,hgl,wl     not in mmgl


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  RAINBOW

Other names   :  none

Official no.     :  21300

Type at loss    :  schooner, wood

Build info       :  1855, F.N. & B.B. Jones, Buffalo

Specs               :  125x27x10,  257g  244n

Date of loss    :  1894, May 18

Place of loss   :  off the mouth of the Chicago River

Lake                : Michigan

Type of loss    :  storm

Loss of life      :  none

Carrying         :  lumber

Detail              : Her sails ripped out by a terrific storm, she was driven along the beach until she finally capsized and broke up. Four of her crew were rescued by the tug MOLLIE SPENCER. 3 others, adrift on a hatchcover raft, were saved by brave bystanders from shore. Master: Capt. John Pugh, Out of Milwaukee.

Rebuilt in 1875-6

Sources            :   mv,is(2-92),h,lmdc,nsp,wbm,hgl,rsl


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  RAINBOW

Other names   :  none

Official no.     :  111064

Type at loss    :  propeller steam tug, wood

Build info       :  1894, Erie, PA

Specs               :  47x12x5, 15g  7n

Date of loss    :  1927, Jun 10

Place of loss   :  Peche Isl.

Lake                : Detroit R

Type of loss    :  fire

Loss of life      : ?

Carrying         :  none

Detail              : She caught fire in the river, was beached on the island to save her crew, and burned to the waterline.

Built as fish tug.

Sources            :   mv,ledc


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  RALEIGH

Other names   :  none

Official no.     :  21138

Type at loss    :  schooner, wood

Build info       :  1848, Sandford & Moses, Cleveland

Specs               :  212 t.

Date of loss    :  1869, Oct 31

Place of loss   :  Portage Bay, N of Manitous

Lake                : Michigan

Type of loss    :  storm

Loss of life      :  (none)

Carrying         :  wheat

Detail              : Bound Milwaukee for Oswego, she drove ashore in gale and was reported a total loss. However, she was pulled off the next spring and reportedly repaired at Milwaukee.

Owned by McElligott & Richardson, Chicago, Capt. McElligott being her skipper.

Also reported as a Canadian lost near Manitoulin Isl., Lake Huron.     

Major repairs in 1861, 66 and 70.

Sources            :  hgl,slh,nsp,mdwl


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  RALEIGH

Other names   :  none

Official no.     :  110154

Type at loss    :  propeller, wood, bulk freight

Build info       :  1871, Quayle & Martin, Cleveland

Specs               :  227x34x15, 1206g  1105n

Date of loss    :  1911, Nov 30

Place of loss   :  5 mi E of Port Colborne, Ont.

Lake                : Erie

Type of loss    :  storm

Loss of life      :  3

Carrying         :  pulpwood

Detail              : She broke her rudder in a gale. Helpless, she was driven ashore and pounded to pieces on Schisler Point. Out of Detroit, Owned by Henry Wineman, Jr. Master: Capt. Harry Beauvias.

Sources            :   ns2,h,mv,ledc,win,mpl,do,eas,ewe


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  RALPH - See   E.H. MILLER    


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  P.J. RALPH

Other names   :  none

Official no.     :  150460

Type at loss    :  propeller, wood, bulk freight<