David Dows
Schooner · United States · Lost 1889 · Chicago & Southern Lake Michigan
The only five-masted schooner ever to sail the Great Lakes foundered under tow in a November gale south of Chicago.
David A. Dowling
See Shipwreck on Map
The Vessel and Her Loss
David Dows was built in 1881 at Toledo, Ohio, and was, at the time, the largest schooner on the Great Lakes and the only five-masted schooner ever built for lake service. Her great size made her difficult to handle under sail, and she was soon converted to a towed barge. On November 29, 1889, while under tow toward Chicago, she was caught in a winter storm and foundered a few miles off Calumet Harbor. No lives were lost, and her wreck remains a popular shallow dive today.
Vessel
- 1881
- US official number 157029
- Bailey Brothers
- Toledo, Ohio
- Wood
- 265.33 ft
- 37.5 ft
- 1418
- Sail, five masts
- M. D. Carrington; later John Corrigan of Cleveland, Ohio
Loss
- November 29, 1889
- Storm
- About 10 miles south-southeast of Chicago, near Calumet Harbor, Lake Michigan
- Lake Michigan
- Chicago, Illinois
- Not established
- Not established
- 0
- Not established
The Wreck Today
- 40-45
- Partially buried in sand; stern section, centerboard trunk, and rudder post visible.
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
Position
- 41.77° N 87.39° W
- Approximate position
- Calumet Harbor, Chicago, Illinois
Rounded from published dive-site coordinates near 41°45.95'N 87°23.58'W.
Evidence
Overall confidence: Documented (85/100)
Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Bowling Green State University
Registry, dimensions, and loss details.
Underwater Archaeological Society of Chicago
Career narrative and wreck description.
