Shipwreck Society Finds the 'Wonderfully Preserved' Atlanta at Bottom of Lake Superior

A shipwreck from the 1890s has been discovered by the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS) under 650 feet of water in Lake Superior. The 172-foot schooner-barge "Atlanta" was found 35 miles off of Deer Park in Michigan, 130 years after sinking.

In the summer of 2021, GLSHS partnered with Marine Sonic Technology (MST) to map over 2,500 miles of Lake Superior through the use of Side Scan Sonar-Marine Sonic Technology. That same tech has been used by first responders, the US Coast Guard, as well as archaeologists and treasure hunters.

The Shipwreck "Atlanta"

© GLShipwreckSociety

The Atlanta sunk during a storm on 4 May 1891. The ship was carrying a load of coal when it was caught in a northwest gale, breaking all three masts, and forcing its crew members to flee the doomed ship in a lifeboat. Only two survived trying to reach the Crisp Point Life-Saving Station.

Lake Superior is the coldest of the Great Lakes, with an average temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit. The team that found the Atlanta says that the lake's cold temperatures helped to preserve the shipwreck.

"It is rare that we find a shipwreck that so clearly announces what it is and the name-board of the Atlanta really stands out", said Bruce Lynn, executive director of the GLSHS. "It is truly ornate, and still beautiful after 130 years on the bottom of Lake Superior".

The Shipwreck "Atlanta"

© GLShipwreckSociety

Various parts of the ship are clearly visible including its name "Atlanta" in shining gold letters, and its wheel.

"It is truly ornate and still beautiful after 130 years on the bottom of Lake Superior", Lynn said.

In October of last year, GLSHS also discovered three other shipwrecks in Lake Superior, which date back to the 1800s. Those include "The Dot", "The Frank W. Wheeler", and "The Michigan".

"This has been a great year for us at the Shipwreck Museum, and we have never located so many new wrecks in one season", Lynn said. "Each shipwreck has its own story…and the drama of the Drake and the Michigan, and the rescue of both crews…These are fantastic, true stories that we can tell in the museum someday".

The Shipwreck "Atlanta"

© GLShipwreckSociety

The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society was founded in 1978 by educators and divers. The society researches and documents historic shipwrecks every year during the diving season, and provides newsletters, booklets, and commissioned maritime artworks.