Silver Spray

Silver Spray was a 109-foot (33 m) wooden double-decked passenger steamer that ran aground near Chicago, Illinois on Lake Michigan's Morgan Shoal on July 15, 1914, under the command of Captain James D. Higgins.[1] She was on a voyage to pick up 200 University of Chicago students to take them on a site-seeing tour of steel mills in Gary, Indiana.[2] Salvage attempts failed and the vessel ultimately caught fire and broke apart before finally sinking on July 18, 1914. The wreck of the vessel is visible from 49th Street Beach, with the vessel's propeller roughly 200 yards (180 m) from the beach. She was in service for 30 years before her sinking.[3]

Background

The 106-foot (32 m) vessel was launched in 1894 and was constructed of wood and iron and was configured as a multi-deck steam-powered ferry.[4] The vessel was operated by a private tour company in Chicago who specialized in excursions for large groups, primarily along Lake Michigan's southern shoreline. Around the turn of the century, daily and weekend excursions had grown in popularity.[4] The only remaining parts visible of the ship's wreck are her iron boiler, drive shaft, and propeller. Along with the captain, the vessel had a complement of six to seven crew.[3]

Sinking

On July 15, 1914, the vessel departed the city southward to pick up a large group of college students when it struck the Morgan Shoal shortly after departing under dense fog.[5] The large dolomite shoal is located just a few hundred feet off Hyde Park. Initially stable after grounding, the crew continued to operate the vessel's systems in an attempt to keep the ship salvageable while unloading their 13 tons of coal. For three days, Mineral City tried to pull the vessel free, but these efforts only caused the hull to suffer greater damage.[6] At approximately 4 p.m. on July 18, the crew (other than two crew who has row boated to shore to alert the students of the cancellation) finally evacuated the stricken vessel with the help of the United States Life-Saving Service out of Jackson Park Station.[7] The boilers eventually caught fire and exploded, igniting the remains of the ship. Debris subsequently washed ashore and was collected by onlookers as a memento of the spectacle, with some burning the planks as a final pyre to the vessel. No lives were lost in the incident.[7]

Into the 21st century, dive expeditions and tours have taken place to the wrecked vessel.[8] Community activists conduct regular guided tours.[9] Preservationists have advocated for Morgan Shoal and the wreck to be designated as a historic site.[5] The wreck site continues to educate the public on maritime safety and local history.[2]

References

  1. ^ "Ferry That Sunk Off the Shore of Hyde Park Remembered 100 Years Later". DNAinfo Chicago. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  2. ^ a b Grundhauser, Eric. "Shipwreck of the Silver Spray". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  3. ^ a b Thiel, Julia (February 27, 2013). "What lies at the bottom of Lake Michigan". Chicago Reader. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  4. ^ a b "The Shipwrecks of Lake Michigan". WTTW Chicago. February 28, 2025. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  5. ^ a b Thiel, Julia (February 27, 2013). "An endangered piece of history beneath Lake Michigan's surface". Chicago Reader. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  6. ^ "Uncovering the 100-Year-Old Sunken Shipwreck off Chicago's Coast". NewsBreak. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  7. ^ a b "The last days of the Silver Spray". mag.uchicago.edu. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  8. ^ artresort (April 17, 2015). "Shipwreck of the Silver Spray in Chicago, Illinois". the art resort. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  9. ^ Kaner, David. "Sunken treasure: a ship and a shoal off 49th Street". Chicago Maroon. Retrieved August 5, 2025.

1894 ships

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