Sunken History — A Diver’s Journal
Schooner William Shupe
by Captain Deb Biniecki

Volunteers Dan Lynn, Henry Little, Barney Mills, Angus King and William Lewis huddled against the remainder of the northeast gale that pummeled their yawl. The tug Thompson had just dropped them into the water below Lakeport about a mile away from where the stranded schooner William Shupe grounded yesterday afternoon. The five men, all from Port Huron, set about their work of rescuing the crew of the imperiled schooner, which was in danger of breaking apart and depositing the crew into the frigid turbulent water below. The lake was rolling heavily and sightseers on shore collectively held their breath as they watched the yawl rise up high on a swell only to be swallowed in the tough, disappearing time and time again.

As the volunteers approached the Shupe they could see the crew standing on the deck and in the rigging. When the yawl was alongside the disabled schooner a line was thrown to them and secured. The sea was rolling high. As the yawl mounted the roller, the line grew taut. In an instant the yawl overturned scattering the five would be rescuers. The observers watched in fascinated horror as the men struggled in the water. One by one they succumbed and disappeared below the surface of the angry lake. Only Dan Lynn swam toward shore. He did not accomplish much distance before either hypothermia or exhaustion rendered him unconscious. The crowd on shore could see his limp body being tossed in the waves like a cork. Two young men on shore, Mark Randall and Charley Conkey, reacted. They tied ropes around themselves and waded out into the surf toward the unconscious man. They succeeded in getting a hold of him and brought him ashore, where he was resuscitated and then taken to a farmhouse to recover.

Spring storms on the Great Lakes can rival those of November and this one was no exception. The Port Huron Daily Times on Saturday May 19, 1894, headlines spoke of the most disastrous storm on the Great Lakes in recent times. There were vessels wrecked and lives lost reported on Lake Michigan from Milwaukee to Chicago. The gale that reigned on for 48 hours also had devastating effects in lower Lake Huron.

On Friday afternoon the steamer Topeka arrived in Port Huron and reported that the schooner William Shupe was waterlogged and drifting near Lexington. The steamer attempted a rescue but could not get close to the schooner due to the high sea. Hearing this news, the tugs Thompson and Haight started toward the area in an attempt to rescue the crew but were turned back by the severe storm.

The next morning Captain Cox of the Thompson made another attempt at the rescue. By this time the Shupe had drifted down to a point below Lakeport. Since the wreck was near shore and the waves were still running high, he was forced to turn back again. Upon his return to Port Huron he secured a yawl and a crew of five volunteers. The yawl and volunteers were deposited over the side of the tug. As the crew pulled toward the disabled schooner, the tug steamed back toward Port Huron. The tragic events unfolded quickly, leaving four volunteers dead, one nearly drowned and exhausted, and the Shupe’s crew of five men and one woman alone again, watching helplessly from the deck of their disintegrating schooner.

Join me next time to find out what happened to the imperiled crew of the Shupe and how this tragic event changed the landscape of the shoreline.

If you would like to contact Capt. Deb with any ideas, feedback, or information regarding shipwreck stories, please contact her through Huron Explorations at 810-648-4638 or e-mail at captdeb@avci.net. SCUBA diving charters can also be arranged through the above contact information.