PBS Wisconsin Documentaries

Shipwreck hunters Ken Merryman and Jerry Eliason have identified dozens of wrecks, most of them in Lake Superior. And that is a lot fewer than some in the lower Lakes. But Lake Superior only has one-fifth the number of wrecks per square mile of the other Great Lakes, so... In the Wisconsin waters of Lake Superior, Ken and Jerry searched much of the Apostle Islands area. Off Michigan Island, they found several wrecks, including a wooden ship called The Moonlight. The Moonlight sank in 1903, after a productive career on the lakes. Built in 1874, at Milwaukee's Wolf and Davidson Shipyard, The Moonlight became celebrated for its speed and its beauty. When captain Denis Sullivan agreed to race the schooner Porter from Milwaukee to Buffalo, New York, and back, The Moonlight was immortalized in a song sung by sailors around the lakes.

"The Crack Schooner Moonlight"

Oh, we skirt the western shore For ahead is Mil-wau-kee All day and night we'll drive her 'Til the straights are on our lee Nearing Milwaukee, the boats ran into a violent storm, and captain Sullivan and The Moonlight dropped back to the safety of Port Washington. Pressing on, The Porter approached Milwaukee when a sudden squall snapped off its masts. The Moonlight, al though the loser of the race, soon reloaded with a cargo of corn and headed back to Buffalo. Like many Great Lakes ships, The Moonlight suffered its share of misfortunes. During a storm, it was grounded on a Michigan beach, and it took three attempts and several months to set it free. The Moonlight now lies at the bottom of Lake Superior, 240 feet down. The cold waters preserve the wreck, and the lake's environment slows the growth of mussels. The parts of the ship are clearly visible, like a gaff, which once held a sail. Although the wreck is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and lies in deep water, it remains vulnerable to treasure hunters, who might illegally remove its artifacts, like the ship's bell, buried in iron ore; a lantern and a mast light; a capstan and a wood stock anchor. When The Moonlight sank with a heavy load of iron ore, it crashed hard on the bottom, and the hull split open. But the wreckage reveals many secrets about how it was constructed and also shows a big change that was made. As the age of sail came to an end, The Moonlight suffered a fate common to many large sailing ships. Its masts were cut down, and its big bowsprit removed. It was rebuilt as a schooner barge and towed behind a steamer. The Moonlight's last voyage began by leaving the dock at Ashland with a heavy load of iron ore. While under tow by the steamer Volunteer, a seam on The Moonlight opened up, and it began taking on more water than its pumps could handle. Because it sank slowly, all of the crew were able to get onboard the Volunteer. And then, The Moonlight, once known as "the Queen of the Lakes," slid to the bottom, where it lay until discovered by Ke n Merryman and Jerry Eliason.