Human Remains Great Lakes Shipwrecks - Stories From Below
The vast, fresh inland seas of North America, known as the Great Lakes, hold more than just water; they keep countless stories hidden beneath their cool surfaces, tales of vessels and the people aboard them, some of whom never made it back to shore. For generations, these enormous bodies of water, which truly seem like an ocean to some, have been a vital pathway for commerce and travel, connecting parts of the continent and, you know, seeing thousands upon thousands of ships pass through them since at least the 1600s.
Sadly, a great many of these ships have gone down, sometimes in sudden, powerful storms, and a good number of them, perhaps six thousand by some estimates, have never been found. So, the exact count of lost ships in these waters is, in a way, still a mystery. This sheer number of shipwrecks, with about thirty thousand lives thought to have been lost, paints a rather somber picture of the lakes' power, adding a compelling, if a little sad, background to Michigan's watery stretches, as a matter of fact.
What's really interesting, though, is how these deep, cold waters have a special way of holding onto what's lost. The lack of strong currents and the very low temperatures mean that both the sunken ships and, sometimes, the human remains of those who perished, stay relatively untouched for many, many decades. This incredible preservation offers a poignant look back into moments of sudden loss, giving us, you know, a direct connection to events from a long time ago.
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Table of Contents
- The Deep Waters' Quiet Keepers
- How Do We Find What's Lost - And the Human Remains?
- A Cold, Clear Preservation
- What Happens When Human Remains Are Found?
- Stories from the Lakebed
- Are All Shipwrecks the Same?
- The Human Connection to the Great Lakes Shipwrecks
- Why Do These Stories Matter So Much?
The Deep Waters' Quiet Keepers
The Great Lakes, a collection of five truly immense freshwater lakes located in North America, have been sailed upon for centuries. These lakes, which include Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, form the biggest group of freshwater lakes on our planet, covering an area of about ninety-four thousand, two hundred and fifty square miles. To put it simply, they are so large that you could easily mistake them for an ocean, and this sheer size, you know, really plays a big part in the number of ships that have met their end here.
Lake Superior, for instance, is the largest and deepest of these lakes. It has long served as a crucial passage for trade and travel, and its very cold, clear waters keep secrets and stories from centuries gone by. With an estimated five hundred and fifty shipwrecks resting below its surface, Lake Superior is, in a way, a silent burial ground of maritime history. Yet, only about half of these unfortunate vessels have been located, which, you know, just adds to the mystery.
One of the remarkable things about the shipwrecks in Lake Erie and the other Great Lakes is how well they are kept safe by the cold, fresh water. As a matter of fact, wrecks found in saltwater start to break down almost immediately. But in the Great Lakes, you can come across old wooden ships that are hundreds of years old, and they look, quite honestly, like they just sank yesterday. This unique environment helps preserve not only the ships themselves but also, sometimes, the delicate traces of human remains, keeping them intact for a very long time.
How Do We Find What's Lost - And the Human Remains?
For a long time, finding lost ships and any human remains on them was a matter of traditional searching methods, using sonar and underwater cameras. However, a nonprofit group that looks for Great Lakes shipwrecks recently made a discovery that some are calling the find of a lifetime. This group, along with others, is now using a rather new and very exciting approach to locate signs of people who perished on these sunken vessels: environmental DNA, or eDNA.
This study used environmental DNA, which is a truly groundbreaking way to help in the study of life on Earth. It allows scientists to uncover things that were previously hidden, like tiny bits of genetic material left behind by living things, or even those that once lived. For example, the Department of Defense and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute are using eDNA to find and identify human remains on shipwrecks in Lake Huron. This project is centered around the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, which has a rich collection of wrecks, each with a different story of lives lost, so it's a good place to start, basically.
The idea of looking for human remains on shipwrecks with environmental DNA is behind a featured image of a shipwreck found in Lake Michigan. This image, provided by the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society, shows the wreck of the bulk carrier Arlington, a merchant ship loaded with wheat that went down in Lake Superior during a storm on May 1, 1940. It shows how this new method can help bring stories to light, even from ships lost many decades ago, you know, giving us a clearer picture of what happened.
A Cold, Clear Preservation
The unique conditions of the Great Lakes, particularly the very cold temperatures and the absence of strong currents, mean that both human remains and sunken ships stay relatively undisturbed for decades, sometimes even for centuries. This is quite different from what happens in saltwater, where things tend to break down much faster. The freshwater environment acts like a natural time capsule, keeping these underwater sites in a remarkably good state, which is, in a way, both amazing and a little eerie.
For example, video footage shows the Ironton, a ship that went down a long time ago, sitting upright on the lake bottom, hundreds of feet down. It is remarkably preserved by the cold, fresh water, much like many other Great Lakes shipwrecks, as one expert, Mr. Gray, mentioned. While no human remains were seen on the Ironton, the lifeboat remains tied to the bigger vessel, a very touching confirmation of what witnesses said happened one hundred and twenty-eight years ago, you know, making the story feel very real.
After one hundred and thirty-two years, the final resting place of the three hundred-foot steel steamer Western Reserve was discovered roughly sixty miles northwest of Whitefish Point in Lake Superior. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society, using marine sonar, was able to pinpoint its location. This discovery, like many others, shows just how long these vessels can remain hidden and then, quite suddenly, reappear, still holding their secrets in the cold, dark depths, basically.
What Happens When Human Remains Are Found?
Should you happen to come across a shipwreck in any of the Great Lakes, it's very important to remember that it is against the law to disturb shipwrecks and anything they might contain. This rule is part of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act. Specifically, Section 76107(3) of Part 761 makes it illegal for any person to take away, move, damage, or disfigure any human remains found on the bottomlands of the Great Lakes. These actions are, quite simply, considered crimes, so you really have to be careful.
On the other hand, there's a different rule for law enforcement officials. They are permitted by law to recover individuals who have drowned. This distinction is quite important, as it separates the act of preserving historical sites and the solemn duty of helping families find closure. So, while you can't just go and pick things up, there are proper procedures for dealing with these very sensitive situations, you know, ensuring respect for both the past and the present.
The state, in fact, provides for the protection of human remains located in the Great Lakes. Instead of just saying no to filming shipwreck sites, the state could, perhaps, set up rules for this activity by creating guidelines and giving out permits, just like it's done at the federal level. This way, the public could still learn about these sites, and the important historical and human elements would still be looked after with care, which is, you know, a pretty good idea.
Stories from the Lakebed
The Great Lakes hold a rich and very detailed history of ships that sailed their vast waters, serving as a vital shipping route through the eastern North American continent, all the way from the Atlantic Ocean to Lake Superior. This long history means there are countless stories, some well-known, some still waiting to be told, resting on the lake bottoms. For example, the Griffon, which was the first European vessel to sail the Great Lakes, has parts of its structure still there, a very early piece of this grand maritime story.
One of the most popular and widely known shipwrecks in the history of Great Lakes shipping is, without a doubt, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. On November 10, 1975, this large freighter went down in Lake Superior during a storm, taking its entire crew with it. When it was first launched in 1958, it was the biggest boat on the Great Lakes, and it remains, to this day, the largest boat that has sunk there. Its fearsome tale has even been remembered in popular songs, with lyrics like "Superior, it's said, never gives up her dead" from Gordon Lightfoot's song, you know, making it a part of our shared culture.
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society has even shared some rather chilling video footage of the Edmund Fitzgerald, showing the vessel's remains, including its wheel and a smokestack that came off. This kind of footage, like the SS Arlington media video, gives us a very close look at these lost giants. Ken Merryman and Jerry Eliason, who have been looking for shipwrecks since the 1970s, say there's no shortage of them in the Great Lakes. They rarely find human remains, but, you know, that doesn't lessen the deep respect they have for these sites.
Are All Shipwrecks the Same?
While all shipwrecks tell a story of loss, they are certainly not all the same. Some are well-known, others are still a mystery. For instance, reports came out on April 23rd that shipwreck hunters might have found the parts of a schooner that went down in Lake Erie almost two hundred years ago. This shows that even after a very long time, new discoveries are still being made, adding more pieces to the Great Lakes' underwater puzzle, basically.
The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, for example, is believed to hold nearly two hundred shipwrecks within or very close to its boundaries. This area includes the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center in Alpena and covers about four thousand, three hundred square miles. This concentration of wrecks, each with its own story of a sudden end, highlights the varied reasons ships went down, from fierce storms to other accidents, you know, making each site a unique historical marker.
Sean Ley, a longtime diver and development director with the Great Lakes Shipwreck Society, once said that "The human race wants to be in control." He added, "People can't believe that mother nature still has" such power. This really speaks to the unpredictable nature of the lakes and how, despite all our advancements, the elements can still overcome even the strongest vessels. The approximate six thousand ships that have given in to raging storms truly show the immense power of the Great Lakes, and that's a very humbling thought, in a way.
The Human Connection to the Great Lakes Shipwrecks
The stories of Great Lakes shipwrecks are not just about old boats; they are deeply connected to the people who sailed on them, to the families who waited for them, and to the communities that depended on them. Each lost vessel represents a human drama, a moment of fear, and often, a profound loss of life. These underwater sites serve as quiet memorials to those who worked and traveled on these vast waters, reminding us of the human cost of maritime endeavors, you know, a very important part of our history.
The cold, preserving waters of the Great Lakes mean that sometimes, the most poignant reminders of these human stories are still present. While finding human remains is rare, as Ken Merryman and Jerry Eliason noted, the possibility is always there. This makes every discovery, whether of a ship or a personal item, a very powerful link to the past, allowing us to feel a connection to the lives that were lived and, in some cases, ended, on these waters, basically.
The legal protections for shipwrecks and human remains reflect a deep respect for these lost lives and their final resting places. It's a way of honoring the memory of those who perished and ensuring that these sites are treated with the dignity they deserve. The careful approach to studying and managing these underwater treasures, including the use of new methods like eDNA to find traces of human remains, shows a commitment to understanding our past while also protecting it for the future, which is, you know, a pretty good thing.
Why Do These Stories Matter So Much?
These stories matter a great deal because they are a part of our collective memory, a piece of the rich history of the Great Lakes region and, indeed, of North America. They teach us about the challenges faced by those who came before us, about the risks involved in early transportation and trade, and about the sheer power of nature. They also remind us of the courage and resilience of the people who built and sailed these ships, you know, making our history feel very real.
The ongoing efforts by groups like the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society, and the use of cutting-edge scientific methods like environmental DNA, mean that new discoveries are still being made. These discoveries not only add to our knowledge of past events but also help to tell the stories of individuals whose lives were intertwined with these waters. It's about bringing light to forgotten moments and, in a way, giving a voice to those who were lost, which is, you know, a very meaningful pursuit.
Ultimately, the shipwrecks and any human remains found in the Great Lakes are more than just historical artifacts; they are silent witnesses to a bygone era, holding lessons about our past and reminding us of the enduring power of these magnificent freshwater seas. They stand as a testament to the lives lived and lost, ensuring that the legend, as the song says, lives on from the Chippewa, and from all the other communities touched by these waters, basically.
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