|Audubon| |Florida|
|Norman| |Windiate|
A Rough Site Rendering by Jack Papes.
| Norman
LOCATION: Lake Huron. ~6 mi [10 km] off Presque Isle Harbor, MI, USA DIVE CHARTER: Great Lakes Dive Charters. LIES: Listed to port. Bow Split ~30° / Stern split ~ 45°. CONDITION: Split just forward of the stern structure. Forward wheel house and deck 
structure has collapsed and slid to the bottom, resting on the Starboard
Side. Otherwise hull is intact.DEPTH: 180'-210' [55-61m] TYPE: Early steel bulk freighter.  BUILT: Built at Cleveland, Ohio in 1890 by Globe Iron Works for the Menominee Transit Company. Launched August 30, 1890. LOST: Sank in only 3 minutes after being rammed in a heavy fog by the Canadian Steam Barge "JACK" on May 30, 1895. Three sailors lost their lives. Survivors were picked up by the steamer M. SICKEN. An unsuccessful salvage attempt was made in 1896. CARGO: light
NOTES: Relocated by divers, Paul
Ehorn and John Steele, on Sunday, May 11, 1986. The same morning they
discovered the Cornelia B. Windiate - a good morning to say the least. ·
A large site. Covering all of it in one
dive, will leave little time for close inspection.
SEE PHOTOS: SEE VIDEO: |
·
The aft mast remains mounted to the deck, just forward of the jagged
split. · The stern structure, just aft of the split, remains is intact,
offering opportunity for exploration. ·
The smoke stack lies
collapsed on the bottom off of the port side, directly adjacent to the hole in the
roof of the stern structure from which it once penetrated. ·
The top of the engine is exposed by an opening in the deck, presumably
once covered by a skylight, now scattered amongst the debris on the
bottom. ·
The rudder appears steered to starboard, perhaps bent that direction from
the collision with the bottom. The tips of two propeller blades extend
from the mud bottom. ·
The long swim forward, over the barren deck, offers views of a sparse
coating of mussels, five (5) uncovered, empty cargo holds, at last highlighted by the deck winch
amidships. Fret not, for the monotony is soon shattered as the the lifeboat
comes into view, resting on the 
bottom,
perpendicular to the port rail, centered between holds 3 and 4. 
·
Forward from lifeboat lies an enormous pile of debris, consisting mainly of the former wheelhouse and
deck structure. ·
The fore mast also remains mounted to
the deck. · A
big, beautiful, and most of all, un-turtled steely...