Great Lakes Shipwrecks

 beginning with the letter

 V

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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  WALTER VAIL - See   HERMAN H. HETTLER    


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  VALENTINE

Other names   :  none?

Official no.     :  25732

Type at loss    :  schooner, wood, 3-mast

Build info       :  1867, White, Conneaut, OH

Specs               :  128x26x10, 270 t.

Date of loss    :  1877, Oct 10

Place of loss   :  15 mi off Fairport, OH

Lake                : Erie

Type of loss    :  storm

Loss of life      :  none of 8

Carrying         :  coal

Detail              : Bound Ashtabula for Detroit with 485 t. coal. She came to anchor off Fairport and was waterlogged and abandoned in the storm.  Her crew abandoned her in her yawl, and, after sixteen hours battling the weather they made it to shore 6 mi W of Fairport. As late as Nov 23, the vessel  was still making herself a hazard to navigation. Owned out of Conneaut by Capt. M. Capron. Master: Capt. Graves.

Also wrecked on Port Austin reef in 1873.

Sources            :   mv,slh,hgl,nsp,ew


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   VALETTA

Other names   :  none

Official no.     :  C  ?

Type at loss    :  bark, wood, 3-mast*

Build info       :  1864, L. Shickluna, St. Catharines

Specs               :  407 t.

Date of loss    :  1871, Oct 8

Place of loss   :  Chicago, inner harbor

Lake                :  Michigan

Type of loss    :  fire

Loss of life      :  none

Carrying         :  ?

Detail              :  Burned to the waterline and sunk during the great Chicago Fire.

Owned and sailed  by Capt. P. Larkin of St. Catharines, Ont.

*May have been a schooner at the time of her loss.

Sources            :    nsp,hgl,is,clu,mpl,rsl  not in mmgl


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   A. C. VAN RAALTE

Other names   :  also seen as just VAN RAALTE

Official no.     :  none

Type at loss    : scow-schooner, wood

Build info       :  1850, Marine City, Mich

Specs               :  44x12x4, 50 t.

Date of loss    :  1860,  a few days before Mar 23

Place of loss   :  East Bay of Grand Traverse Bay

Lake                :  Michigan

Type of loss    :  ice

Loss of life      :  none

Carrying         :  ?

Detail              :  Crushed by the Spring breakup of ice in the bay. “Total loss except the rigging.” Capt. O Evans.

Probably out of Chicago

Sources            : nsp,’54 tonnage list,is(4-99)


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 VAN STRAUBENZIE- See SIR C.T. VAN STRAUBENZIE


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   D. A. VAN VALKENBURG

Other names   :  none

Official no.     :  6318

Type at loss    :  bark, wood, 3-mast

Build info       :  1866, Albert Little, Tonawanda, NY*

Specs               :  167x34x12, 539 t.

Date of loss    :  1881, Sep 15

Place of loss   :  between Jacksonport and Whitefish Bay, WI

Lake                :  Michigan

Type of loss    :  storm

Loss of life      :  7 of 8

Carrying         :  30,000 bu. corn

Detail              :  Bound Chicago for Buffalo, she went on the rocks in a gale and pounded to pieces. Her crew took to her boats, but only one of them made it to shore. The single survivor stated that the vessel went ashore because her compass went wild. Master: Capt. Andrew Kieth(d).

*Also given as Toledo

Sources            :    usls,mv,wl,nsp,bb,wgts


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  LUCINDA VAN VALKENBURG

Other names   :  none

Official no.     :  14614

Type at loss    :  schooner, wood

Build info       :  1862, Albert Little, Tonawanda, NY

Specs               :  129x26x13,  302g   286n

Date of loss    :  1887, Jun 1

Place of loss   :  near Thunder Bay Island light, MI

Lake                : Huron

Type of loss    :  collision

Loss of life      :  none

Carrying         :  coal

Detail              : Collided with the iron steamer LEHIGH in fog & storm and sank. Bound for Chicago with coal.

Out of Chicago, owned by Thos. Hood.

Major repairs in 1880 & 82

Sources            :   mv,stb,eas,polk,nsp,slh,lhdc,wb,hgl,sb,rsl


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  GEORGE H. VAN VLECK

Other names   :  built as PORTAGE, renamed in 1910

Official no.     :  150042

Type at loss    :  propeller, wood, bulk freight

Build info       :  1875, Union Dry Dock, Buffalo  hull# 15 as a package freighter

Specs               :  238x35x13,  1020g   940n

Date of loss    :  1918, Dec 4

Place of loss   :  Detroit R

Lake                : Detroit R

Type of loss    :  storm

Loss of life      :  none

Carrying         :  ?

Detail              : Blown off her moorings and into the channel, then driven aground by strong current. Wrecked and later abandoned.

Also burned at Duluth, 8/3/14 (eas & lss). Wrecked in 1903, 1907 & July, 1914 also.

Rebuilt to bulker in 1907

Sources            :   mv,ns2,eas,lss,mpl


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  WILLIAM VANATTA

Other names   :  none   also seen as VENNETTA, VENETTA

Official no.     :  26164

Type at loss    :  barge or schooner-barge, wood

Build info       :  1862, Hayes, Erie, PA 

Specs               :  119x25x8, 159 t.

Date of loss    :  1886, Apr 1

Place of loss   :  Point Pelee

Lake                : Erie

Type of loss    : storm

Loss of life      : none

Carrying         :  lumber

Detail              : Tow of the prop BURLINGTON and bound from Detroit [where she had lain all winter with her cargo from Saginaw] for Cleveland, she broke loose in a gale. She drove ashore and went to pieces. Her crew was rescued by Canadian fishermen. Her anchor and chains were removed by the Canadian tug PILOT a few weeks later. Her owner later sued the skipper of the BURLINGTON, stating that the prop had not followed the safer south passage on Lake Erie, as promised, but had instead taken the more dangerous Pelee Passage.

Reg. out of E. Saginaw, owned by her skipper, Capt. Chas. Ford.

Converted from a schooner to an unrigged barge in 1876

Sources            :   win,phr,h,mv,es,wl,rsl,nsp


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   DAVID VANCE

Other names   :  none

Official no.     :  6855

Type at loss    :  schooner, wood, 3-mast

Build info       :  1874, J. Butler, Manitowoc, Wis

Specs               :  207x34x14,  775g  736n

Date of loss    :  1893, Jul 20

Place of loss   :  SW of Pt Pelee

Lake                :  Erie

Type of loss    :  collision

Loss of life      :  none

Carrying         :  1,500 tons hard coal

Detail              :  In tow of the steamer SAMOA and bound Erie, Pa. for Chicago, she collided at night with the towed barge LIZZIE A. LAW (qv) behind the EGYPTIAN, and both sank. The LAW had inexplicably taken a sheer and plowed into the side of the VANCE during passing. The captain, his wife and three young daughters, as well as the crew all escaped in the VANCE's lifeboat and were picked up by SAMOA. The VANCE went down in 40 feet of water, 2 miles west of the "Dummy."  Owned by McKenzie & Co, Buffalo. Master: Capt. Mason.

Also sunk near Amherstburg, Ont., in 1886.

Sources            :  hgl,ew,mv,polk,mpl,nsp

 

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  FRANK L. VANCE

Other names   :  none

Official no.     :  120697

Type at loss    :  propeller, wood, bulk freight

Build info       :  1887, W. Radcliffe, Cleveland, OH

Specs               :  258x40x24,  1952g  1642n

Date of loss    :  1910, Oct 4

Place of loss   :  25 mi SW of Ludington, MI

Lake                : Michigan

Type of loss    :  fire

Loss of life      :  none

Carrying         :  coal

Detail              : Caught fire offshore and destroyed. Crew rescued without casualty by steamer MAGGIE MARSHALL.

Sources            :   mv,ns2,eas,mpl


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   VANDALIA

Other names   :  some sources say she was named MILWAUKEE after 1846

Official no.     :  none

Type at loss    :  propeller, wood, passenger & package freight

Build info       :  1841,  (Doolittle or Bronson & Crocker), Oswego, NY

Specs               :  127x20x8,  248 t. om

Date of loss    :  1851, Oct 27

Place of loss   :  near Pt. Pelee

Lake                :  Erie

Type of loss    :  collision

Loss of life      :  none

Carrying         :  general merchandise

Detail              :  She collided with the schooner FASHION and sank. She had on board the crew of the wrecked schooner PRINCE ALBERT, which she had rescued the same day. Master: Capt. John Trowell.

She was the first propeller-driven vessel in use on the Great Lakes.

Rebuilt, 1846. Sold Canadian in 1850.

Sources            :   wl,is(1-88),hgl,lhl,rp,do2,rnc


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  VANDERBILT

Other names   :  none   also seen as VANDERBUILT

Official no.     : C

Type at loss    :  propeller, wood, steambarge with some passenger accommodations*

Build info       :  1873, J. Simpson, Chatham, Ont.

Specs               :  92x22 ft., 188 gc, 107 nc

Date of loss    :  1882, Jun 10

Place of loss   :  near Serpent Isl., Meldrum Bay, N Channel

Lake                : Huron

Type of loss    :  fire

Loss of life      :  none of 30

Carrying         :  ?

Detail              : Discovered ablaze, beached and burned to a total loss while bound Midalnd, Ont. to Mamainse, Lake Superior.

Out of Chatham, owned by Appleton & Co.

Not lost on Thunder Bay, MI as sometimes stated

*one source calls her a schooner-barge. Her oscillating engine and boiler came from the prop ADELAIDE HORTON, lost at Kincardine in 1871.

Sources            :   polk,csv,mmgl,clu,slh,win,rp,es,rb


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  WILLIAM H. VANDERBILT

Other names   :  none  often seen as W. H. VANDERBILT

Official no.     :  26842

Type at loss    :  bark, wood, 3-mast

Build info       :  1867, S. Tripp, Bay City

Specs               :  169x35x12, 520n

Date of loss    :  1883, Sep 24

Place of loss   :  E side of Long Point

Lake                : Erie

Type of loss    :  storm

Loss of life      :  none of 10

Carrying         :  iron ore

Detail              : Bound Escanaba for Buffalo, she was driven into shallows and wrecked, later pushed off into deep water. Long Pt. Canadian Lifesaving Service  rescued crew from rigging.  Wrecking schooner LOUISE removed much of her cargo in 1887. Reg. out of Buffalo, owned by S.L. Watson, Buffalo. Master: Capt. Mullen.

Rebuilt, 1871

Sources            :   vbs,polk,phr,nsp,h,ledc,eas,win,hgl,es


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  VARADA

Other names   : ?

Official no.     : ?

Type at loss    :  steamer

Build info       :  ?

Specs               :  ?

Date of loss    :  1915

Place of loss   :  Mineral Rock

Lake                : Superior

Type of loss    :  fire

Loss of life      : ?

Carrying         :  ?

Detail              : Burned and sunk, no detail.

Sources            :  gwgl             not in mmgl


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  VEGA

Other names   :  none

Official no.     :  161706

Type at loss    :  propeller, steel, bulk freight

Build info       :  1893, Globe Iron Works, Cleveland, OH  hull# 52

Specs               :  301X39x25,  2144g  1735n

Date of loss    :  1905, Nov 29

Place of loss   :  Fox Islands

Lake                : Michigan

Type of loss    :  storm

Loss of life      :  none of 19

Carrying         :  iron ore

Detail              : Bound for Gary, Ind., caught in the "Big Blow" of 1905 and hurled onto the rocks of South (North?) Fox Island, where she broke in two and was pounded to pieces. Master: Capt. A. M. Williams. Owner: Gilchrist Transportation Co., Cleveland.

Sources            :   mv,ns1,eas,mol,lmdc,nsp,mpl


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  VEGA

Other names   :  built as ST. PAUL, renamed A.J. COVILL in 1881, last name in 1886

Official no.     :  22418

Type at loss    :  schooner, wood, 2-mast, lumber

Build info       :  1856, Lent, Erie, PA

Specs               :  118x26x9,  200g  190n

Date of loss    :  1905, Oct 20

Place of loss   :  at Ludington, MI

Lake                : Michigan

Type of loss    :  storm

Loss of life      :  none

Carrying         :  cordwood and slabs

Detail              : Bound Cecil Bay for Milwaukee, thrown against pier and  wrecked in the greatest storm of this decade. Ludington Lifesaving Service    saved her crew. Her master, Capt. Jorgensen, was also part owner.

Sources            :   ns1,mv,nsp,eas,h,mpl


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   VELOCIPEDE

Other names   :  none

Official no.     :  25848

Type at loss    :  schooner, wood, 2-mast

Build info       :  1869, J. Dickie, Menominee, MI as a sloop

Specs               :  40x11x4, 10 t.

Date of loss    :  1877, Apr 27

Place of loss   :  off Racine, WI

Lake                :  Michigan

Type of loss    :  storm

Loss of life      :  2 [all]

Carrying         :  light

Detail              :  Left Racine, WI for Muskegon in fair weather, but a severe squall blew up shortly after, and it developed into a big storm. After the sytorm had blown out, the shattered remains of this vessel were found 8 miles off Racine. No trace of her crew was ever found.  She probably carried no lifeboat. Master: Capt. John Davis(d).

Rebuilt in 1876

Sources            :    usls,hgl,bb


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  VELOCITY - See  W.A. GLOVER      


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  VENICE

Other names   :  (none)

Official no.     :  (25556)

Type at loss    :  schooner, wood

Build info       :  (1869 or earlier, maybe built at Rochester by Bagnall, as 253 t. brig in 1847)

Specs               :  (217 t.)

Date of loss    :  1879, Aug 16

Place of loss   :  Off Pelee Island Lighthouse

Lake                : Erie

Type of loss    : stranded

Loss of life      : ?

Carrying         :  ?

Detail              : Stranded and wrecked. Reported “high and dry” by a passing skipper, who also reported 98 other vessel sheltering in the vicinity.

Out of Toledo

Recovered. Vessel shown appears as schooner in '69  mvus and barge in '84 mvus

Sources            :  (mv),win,h,es,rsl


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