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Surprised shipwreck explorers discovered a sunken vessel in Lake Superior, the biggest body of freshwater in the world, which had been submerged since 1940.
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society and shipwreck researcher Dan Fountain announced on Monday the discovery of the 244ft (74-metre) bulk carrier Arlington in about 650ft (200 metres) of water some 35 miles north of Michigan’s Keweenaw peninsula.
On April 30th, 1940, the Arlington departed from Port Arthur, Ontario with a full load of wheat, bound for Owen Sound, Ontario. The ship was under the leadership of Captain Frederick Burke, also known as “Tatey Bug,” who had previous experience navigating the Great Lakes.
The organization for maritime disasters stated that the reason behind the captain’s actions before the sinking of his ship will remain a mystery.
However, during their journey across Lake Superior, both the Arlington and the Collingwood, a larger freighter, faced challenges such as thick fog and a storm at night. These conditions caused damage to both ships, with the Arlington starting to fill with water.
The Arlington’s first mate directed the ship towards the Canadian north shore for protection from wind and waves. However, Burke overruled and instructed the ship to continue across the open lake, according to the explorers.
A photograph taken inside the damaged bulk carrier ‘Arlington’.
On May 1, 1940, the Arlington began to go under and the ship’s head engineer sounded the alert. Without instruction from Captain Burke, the crew started to escape the ship due to their own safety concerns, according to a statement from the society.
All members of the crew successfully boarded the Collingwood except for Burke, who joined the Arlington. According to reports, he was last spotted near the pilothouse of the Arlington, waving at the Collingwood just moments before the ship disappeared into the lake.
The organization responsible for tracking shipwrecks stated that the reason behind Burke’s actions before the sinking of his ship will forever remain a mystery.
“Mr. Fountain expressed his enthusiasm for uncovering another one of Lake Superior’s many enigmas, discovering Arlington’s location far out in the lake. In a statement, he also shared his hope that this discovery will bring closure to Captain Burke’s family.”
Researcher Dan Fountain exclaims, “It is thrilling to unravel yet another of the many mysteries surrounding Lake Superior!”
Mr. Fountain, a resident of Negaunee, Michigan, was conducting remote sensing in Lake Superior for approximately ten years in order to find shipwrecks. Thanks to his efforts, the Arlington was uncovered. According to Bruce Lynn, executive director of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society.
Mr. Fountain informed the group that he had found a possible target near the northern end of the Keweenaw peninsula. The Arlington was discovered by Mr. Lynn last year.
“He stated that while these objectives may not always be successful, this particular one was indeed a disaster – a disaster with a fascinating and potentially enigmatic background,” he remarked in the declaration. “If Dan had not contacted us, it is possible that we would have never found the Arlington.”
Source: independent.co.uk
