Defiance
Vessel Type: Sail: wooden two-masted schooner
GPS Location: N45° 14.058' W83° 16.707'
Depth: 185 feet
Wreck Length: 115 feet
Beam: 26 feet
Gross Tonnage: 253
Cargo: Grain (corn, wheat)
Built: 1848 by Captain Roby at Perrysburg, Ohio
Wrecked: October 20, 1854
Description: During the 1850s, the push for speed on the Great Lakes led to more wrecks than ever before. In the fall of 1854, ship owners and sailors reeled from the most costly season to date: 119 lives, 70 ships, and $2 million in property losses. Defiance and John J. Audubon were victims of that dangerous year.
On October 20, 1854, Audubon sailed north for Chicago with a load of iron railroad track. At 1:30 a.m., the southbound Defiance emerged from the darkness and fog, striking Audubon's mid-section. The collision cut a hole deep in Audubon's hull and fatally damaged Defiance. Audubon sank quickly. Defiance struggled on, finally sinking a few miles away. Miraculously, both crews survived.
Today, Defiance and Audubon rest intact in more than 170 feet of water. Dr. Robert Ballard and Jean-Michel Cousteau have studied the pair of wrecks, helping to bring national attention to these underwater treasures.
Great Lakes Maritime Collection digital archive: http://greatlakeships.org/2900640/data?n=1
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