Aetna
Schooner · United States · Lost 1878 · Manitou Passage
Aetna flooded and sank near South Fox Reef in October 1878; all eight aboard escaped to the schooner Fleetwing.
Become Captain of Record
The Vessel and Her Loss
Built as a two-masted schooner at Madison Dock, Ohio, in 1863, Aetna carried grain and corn across the Great Lakes. Repairs and rebuilding culminated in a three-masted rig during the winter of 1875–1876. On October 15, 1878, Captain Meyer discovered four feet of water in the hold while carrying coal on Lake Michigan. Pumping failed, but all eight aboard escaped to Fleetwing before Aetna sank near South Fox Reef. The leak’s cause and actual wreck position remain unconfirmed.
Vessel
- 1863
- US registry no. 358
- Bailey Brothers
- Madison Dock, Ohio
- Wood
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Sail; rebuilt as a three-masted schooner in 1875–1876
- Not established
Loss
- October 15, 1878
- Not established
- Reported four miles west of South Fox Reef, Lake Michigan; position unconfirmed
- Lake Michigan
- Not established
- Coal
- 8
- 0
- Captain Meyer
The Wreck Today
- Not established
- Actual wreck location and condition have not been confirmed by field investigation.
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
Position
- Not established
- Position not established
- South Fox Reef, Michigan
Evidence
Overall confidence: Well documented (90/100)
The flooding cause, actual wreck position and depth are unconfirmed; reported reef contact is not treated as an established cause.
Wisconsin Shipwrecks — Wisconsin Sea Grant and Wisconsin Historical Society — Aetna
Full construction table, service history, final-voyage and present-condition narrative; recovery versus final loss and source conflicts distinguished.
