112-Year-Old Shipwreck Found in Lake Michigan: Big Pics
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June 25, 2010 -- A huge wooden steamship that sank more than a century ago was found perfectly preserved at the bottom of Lake Michigan. The photo above shows the windlass on the bow of the boat.
At 300 feet long, the L.R. Doty was the largest wooden ship that remained unaccounted for before it was discovered off the coast of Milwaukee, according to the Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association's website.
Divers swam through the gangway under the boilerhouse to snap this photo.
The Doty was carrying a load of corn from South Chicago to Midland, Ontario, on October 25, 1898, when it was caught up in a violent storm that pounded the vessel with snow, sleet and heavy winds.
The cold, fresh water and extreme depth aided in the preservation of this vessel, according to the organization's website.
A view inside the hatch just aft of the tool house amidships
All of the Doty's 17-member crew, along with the ship's two cats were presumed lost at sea. However, Brendon Baillod, the president of the Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association, is hopeful that the crew's corpses might also be recovered, according to the Associated Press. Divers even found the ship's cargo of corn still in its hold.
Details as to why the Doty came to settle on the bottom of Lake Michigan are still murky, and there are no plans to recover the lost vessel.
Photo shows the Doty's triple expansion steam engine.
For more on this story, take a look at the full report from the Associated Press here.
WATCH VIDEO: Explore more long lost shipwrecks, treasure and other archaeological finds.
Photos courtesy of Great Lakes Shipwreck Research/John Scoles
Information sources: Great Lakes Shipwreck Research, Associated Press
Compiled by Lauren Effron
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