MgicTwnger
June 17th, 2005, 07:06 PM
We had a mixed bag of newbies and experienced divers heading out of Waukegan last Saturday. Happily, Capt. Dale chose dives to make everyone happy: one on the Lady Elgin, up to Chitown for two on the Straits of Macinac, and back for one more on the Lady Elgin before heading in.
Lady Elgin: Side wheel passenger steamer built in 1851, sank after a collision in 1860(!). She was carrying a group of Irish politicians back to Milwaukee after hearing a speech by Stephen Douglas in Chicago. There was a loss of over 300 people, one of the worst disasters ever on the lakes. The story goes that this enabled German pols to take over Milwaukee. Depth was 40-50 feet.
We saw two long lenths of keel with ribs and planking attached, two anchors, chains, and a lot of debris.
Straits of Macinac: A 200 foot steam powered steel passenger/car ferry. Intentionally sank as a dive site at a depth of 73 feet in an upright position. The Chi area dive clubs have done a terrific job of cutting away deck plating, making for easy and safe swim-throughs into the below deck areas.
The viz at both sites was terrific (for Lake Michigan), and the weather topside was cooperative. Capt. Dale's boat is large, comfy, and slow, making for a long and plesant day on the water. The subs he supplied hit the spot.
But here's the kicker: going between the Elgin and the Straits DM Dave spotted something in the water and threw in a marker bouy. He checked it out on the way back with one of our divers, and it turned out to be an undiscovered wreck: three paddlewheels on an axle. How cool is that!
Lady Elgin: Side wheel passenger steamer built in 1851, sank after a collision in 1860(!). She was carrying a group of Irish politicians back to Milwaukee after hearing a speech by Stephen Douglas in Chicago. There was a loss of over 300 people, one of the worst disasters ever on the lakes. The story goes that this enabled German pols to take over Milwaukee. Depth was 40-50 feet.
We saw two long lenths of keel with ribs and planking attached, two anchors, chains, and a lot of debris.
Straits of Macinac: A 200 foot steam powered steel passenger/car ferry. Intentionally sank as a dive site at a depth of 73 feet in an upright position. The Chi area dive clubs have done a terrific job of cutting away deck plating, making for easy and safe swim-throughs into the below deck areas.
The viz at both sites was terrific (for Lake Michigan), and the weather topside was cooperative. Capt. Dale's boat is large, comfy, and slow, making for a long and plesant day on the water. The subs he supplied hit the spot.
But here's the kicker: going between the Elgin and the Straits DM Dave spotted something in the water and threw in a marker bouy. He checked it out on the way back with one of our divers, and it turned out to be an undiscovered wreck: three paddlewheels on an axle. How cool is that!