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MILWAUKEE MARINE AND SHIPPING
SHIPWRECKS AND DISASTERS

The following ships were listed in various sources, newspapers 
and publications as having a Milwaukee connection.
This list includes information collected by David D. Swayze, Lake Isabella, MI

GALLINIPPER

Type at Loss: schooner, wood
Official No.: none
Built: 1846, H. Gibson, Milwaukee
Specs: 95x22x7, 145 t.
Enrollment: Detroit, also Chicago
Date of Loss: July 7, 1851
Place of Loss: near Sheboygan
Lake Lost: Michigan
Type/Cause: storm/sunk/lost
Lives Lost: unknown
Cargo: unknown
Details: She capsized and foundered in a white squall, then drifted to a point about 10 mi SSE of Manitowoc, where she sank. Not recovered.. She also capsized on Lake Michigan in 1848, but was recovered

1851 The schooner GALLINIPPER was sunk, at the mouth of the harbor, on May 13. (Source History of Milwaukee County 1881)

1851 July 7, schooner GALLINIPPER capsized ten miles out on the lake, and proved a total loss.(Source History of Milwaukee County 1881)

See article written by Brendon Baillod

Owned by Michael Dousman
Ships named after his children:
NANCY DOUSMAN
MICHAEL DOUSMAN (built 1843 Milw)
ROSE DOUSMAN (built 1856 Milw)
GEORGE D. DOUSMAN (built 1857 Cleveland)

G. ELLEN

Official No: 10194
Type of Ship: scow-schooner, wood, 2-mast
Place of Loss:
Type/Cause: Type of loss: storm
Cargo: unknown
More details: The crew lashed themselves to the cabin roof to keep from being washed away. Big steamer NYACK spotted them, and rescued the crew.
Date Built: 1854
Builder:
Where Built: Detroit
Size: Specs: 92x22x6, 86gt

GENERAL J. FRANKLIN BELL

Specs: 172x32x17; 704gt 138nt
Enrollment:
Date of Loss:
Place of Loss:
Lake Lost:
Type/Cause:
Lives Lost:
Cargo:
Details: Commissioned Fort Worden WA 1919-1947; Washington, D.C. 1947-1948, scrapped by Boston Metals Co., 1948

GENERAL JOHN P. STORY

Specs: 172x32x17; 704gt 138nt
Enrollment:
Date of Loss: March 15, 1942
Place of Loss:
Lake Lost: Caribbean Sea
Type/Cause: sunk
Lives Lost:
Cargo:
Details: ACADIA 1924-1942, Sunk by German sub, U-161

GENERAL ROCHESTER

Specs: 123x28x12; 535gt
Enrollment:
Date of Loss:
Place of Loss:
Lake Lost:
Type/Cause:
Lives Lost:
Cargo:
Details: Scrapped in 1961

GEORGE BARBER

Specs: 99t
Enrollment: Milwaukee, also Chicago
Owner: George Barber
Date of Loss:
Place of Loss:
Lake Lost:
Type/Cause:
Lives Lost:
Cargo:
Details:

GEORGE BARBER:
See Saveland Bio

GEORGE C. MARKAM

Specs: 141x28x10, 309gt 250nt
Enrollment: Milwaukee
Date of Loss:
Place of Loss:
Lake Lost:
Type/Cause:
Lives Lost:
Cargo:
Details: abandoned in 1933

GEORGE G. HOUGHTON

Type at Loss: schooner, wood, 3-mast
Official No.: 85374
Built: 1873, Wolf & Davidson, Milwaukee
Specs: 137x26x12 333g 316n
Enrollment: Milwaukee, also Oswego
Date of Loss: Sept 10 1907
Place of Loss: North North West of Bar Point Light
Lake Lost: Erie
Type/Cause: storm/Foundered
Lives Lost: none
Cargo: coal
Details: Sprung a leak and sank. Was in tow of tug AMERICAN EAGLE. Lay in relatively shallow water, obstructing the edge of the channel, so she was removed the next year.

See also Jamison Bio in Marriage section

GEORGE H. DYER

Specs: 209x35x22, 1372gt 1086nt
Enrollment: Milwaukee
Date of Loss:
Place of Loss:
Lake Lost:
Type/Cause:
Lives Lost:
Cargo:
Details: Abandoned 1926, Name changed April 2, 1898

GEORGE LAWRENCE

Type at Loss: schooner, wood, 2-mast
Official No.: none
Built: 1847, D. Merrill, Milwaukee
Specs: 120ft 284 ton
Enrollment:
Date of Loss: Apr. 10, 1850
Place of Loss: Straits of Mackinac, 1 mi W of St. Helena Isl.
Lake Lost: Michigan
Type/Cause: ice
Lives Lost: none
Cargo: 11,000 bu wheet
Details: Bound Milwakee for Buffalo, she was cut by ice and sank in 48 feet of water. Out of Milwaukee, she was a loss of $17,500. The wreck may have been salvaged in 1880's.

GEORGE W. FORD

Type at Loss: schooner, wood
Official No.: 10322
Built: 1852, Geo. Barber, Milwaukee
Specs: 85x24x6, 100g 89n [127 t. om]
Owner: George Barber
Date of Loss: Aug 12 1870
Place of Loss: near Eagle Harbor, MI, Keweenaw
Lake Lost: Superior
Type/Cause: storm
Lives Lost: unknown
Cargo: unknown
Details: Struck a reef in gale and sank quickly. Salvage was not attempted due to her age and condition. She had been portaged around the Soo in 1853. *80 t. also given. Refastened, etc., in 1860; Tonnage shown is from mv. Rebuilt and enlarged at Port Huron in 1866.

GOLDEN

Specs: 63x18x8, 44gt, 22nt
Enrollment:
Date of Loss:
Place of Loss:
Lake Lost:
Type/Cause:
Lives Lost:
Cargo:
Details: Abandoned in 1922

GOLDEN WEST

Type at Loss: schooner, wood
Official No.: 10199
Built: 1861, Jones, Milwaukee
Specs: 456g 434n 616t
Enrollment:
Date of Loss: Oct. 21 1884
Place of Loss:
Lake Lost: Huron
Type/Cause: storm
Lives Lost: none
Cargo: Corn
Details: Bound Chicago for Midland, Ont., she went ashore in a blizzard and gale. Not intially wrecked too badly, the swelling of her cargo lifted her decks and burst her seams and she became a total loss. She was abandoned by Nov 7.Owned out of Chicago. Major repair in 1883 after stranding on N. Manitou, L. Michigan in July of that year.

GOLD HUNTER

Specs: 272t
Enrollment:
Date of Loss:
Place of Loss:
Lake Lost:
Type/Cause:
Lives Lost:
Cargo:
Details:

GRACE A. CHANNON

Official No: 85309
Type of Ship: schooner, wood, 3-mast
Place of Loss: 12 mi S of Milwaukee
Type/Cause: collision
Cargo: light or coal
More details: The young son of the owner of the schooner was lost.
Out of Chicago
Date Built: 1873
Builder: W. Ellinwood
Where Built: E. Saginaw, MI
Size: 141x26x12, 266 g

G.R. GREEN

Type at Loss: propeller steam tug, wood
Official No.: 85390
Built: 1874, Penny, Milwaukee
Specs: 48x11x5 18g 12n
Enrollment: Milwaukee, also Chicago, Marquette
Date of Loss: Jun 7 1915
Place of Loss: off the lighthouse at Detour, MI
Lake Lost: Huron
Type/Cause: foundered
Lives Lost: none
Cargo: none
Details: Foundered, no other detail. Built as a fishing tug, not known if she still was at time of loss.

GUIDING STAR

Official No: 85006
Type of Ship: schooner, wood, 3-mast
Place of Loss: 12 mi north of Milwaukee
Type/Cause: storm
Cargo: coal
More details: Four crew made it to shore in her yawl, but was wrecked in the process. It was unable to return for the other 4 crew members. Milwaukee Lifesaves finally rescued the remaining 4. The schooner broke up in storms later in November. About 2/3 of her cargo
Date Built: 1869
Builder: Goble
Where Built: Oswego, NY
Size: 139x26x11 324 t.

Detroit Free Press, 9 Dec, 1873
July
Propeller City of Detroit and barge Guiding Star, ashore
in a fog at Oak Creek, south of Milwaukee; got off, damage slight.