AH-WR-0812

Madeira

Schooner-Barge · United States · Lost 1905 · The Minnesota North Shore

A steel schooner-barge smashed to pieces against Gold Rock cliff in the storm that led to the building of Split Rock Lighthouse.

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Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents. See the documented evidence.

Historically Reconstructed. Drawn from partial documentation of this vessel together with her known class and configuration. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

Madeira was a steel schooner-barge built in 1900 to haul bulk cargo under tow behind a steam freighter. On November 28, 1905, while under tow of the steamer William Edenborn, she was caught in the most violent storm in Great Lakes history. Her towline was cut and she drove onto Gold Rock, breaking apart as she pounded against the cliff. Nine of her ten crew survived through a daring rescue; the disaster contributed directly to the decision to build Split Rock Lighthouse.

Vessel

Built: 1900
Registry: U.S. Registry 93020
Builder: Chicago Shipbuilding Company
Yard: Chicago, Illinois
Material: Steel
Length: 436 ft
Beam: 50 ft
Tonnage: Not established
Propulsion: Towed, three masts for auxiliary sail
Owners: Not established

Loss

Date: November 28, 1905
Cause: Storm
Location: Gold Rock, north of Split Rock Lighthouse, Lake Superior
Water: Lake Superior
Voyage: Not established
Cargo: In ballast
Aboard: 10
Lives lost: 1
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: 100
Condition: Broken and scattered in large sections and numerous fragments around Gold Rock cliff.
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, 1992; within Minnesota's Lake Superior shipwreck preserves.