Straits of Mackinac · United States · Wreck · Freshwater
William H. Barnum
Bow still open for penetration on a mid-depth Lake Huron wreck
Area photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region · Public domain
The William H. Barnum is a wooden steamer built in Detroit in 1873 that took on water in heavy weather and grinding ice and sank in the Straits on April 3, 1894. She lies upright with a mostly intact hull in 15 to 23 m (50 to 75 ft) of Lake Huron water, 9 km (5.5 miles) south-east of the bridge, with her boilers and engine open to view.
Also known as Barnum.
Where it is and how deep
45.7451° N, 84.6311° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
Bow and stern moorings mark the wreck, which faces due east on the bottom. The hull is upright and mostly intact, with the bottom beside it at 23 m (75 ft) and the highest parts of the ship near 15 m (50 ft). The decks have fallen in along most of her length, leaving the bow as the one section where the deck still stands over the hull.
At the bow, where the deck remains, there are penetration opportunities for divers trained for it. Further aft the boilers and engine are open for inspection. The stern is jumbled because her rudder was removed with dynamite in 1969, though the propeller is still visible through the wreckage. In this shipping channel every ascent goes up a buoy line rather than free in open water.
The wreck
- Vessel
- William H. Barnum
- Type
- Wooden steamer
- Built
- 1873
- Sunk
- 1894
- Cause
- Damaged by heavy weather and grinding ice in the Straits
- Lies
- Upright, hull mostly intact, facing due east, in 23 m (74 ft)
Built in 1873 in Detroit, the wood steamer William H. Barnum worked the Great Lakes for more than 20 years. In early April 1894 the heavy weather and grinding ice in the Straits proved too much for her and she started taking on water. The tug Crusader took off her crew, who watched her vanish beneath the ice and waves on the morning of April 3, 1894.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season |
Season follows Straits of Mackinac: Charters run from mid-May and the season is June through September, with most preserve moorings in from late May to mid-September; early dives bring spawning whitefish and perch.
Dive videos
Mackinac Shipwreck William H Barnum · Rob Knolle on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is the William H. Barnum wreck?+
The wreck lies in 15 to 23 m (50 to 75 ft) of water in Lake Huron, upright and facing due east, 9 km (5.5 miles) south-east of the Mackinac Bridge.
Sources
- William H. Barnum — Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Preserve
- Mackinac Straits 2 Tank Diving — Nautical North Family Adventures
- St. Ignace SCUBA — St. Ignace Scuba
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