SS Grecian
Bulk Freighter · United States · Lost 1906 · Thunder Bay & Lake Huron
An early steel-hulled ore carrier sank twice within days, ultimately settling near Thunder Bay Island while under tow for repairs.
Become Captain of RecordSee Shipwreck on Map
The Vessel and Her Loss
SS Grecian was a steel-hulled bulk freighter built in 1891 at Cleveland, Ohio, and served the growing iron-ore trade for U.S. Steel-related interests. On June 7, 1906, she struck a rock near De Tour Village and was refloated for repairs, but while under tow toward Detroit she flooded and sank a second time near Thunder Bay Island on June 15, 1906. No lives were lost. A 1909 salvage attempt using steel canalons failed to raise her, and the wreck was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.
Vessel
- 1891
- US official number 86136
- Globe Iron Works
- Cleveland, Ohio
- Steel
- 296 ft
- 40 ft
- 2348
- Steam, single screw
- Chapin Iron Mining Company
Loss
- June 15, 1906
- Grounding
- Near Thunder Bay Island, Lake Huron, Michigan
- Lake Huron
- De Tour Village, Michigan (under tow for Detroit) → Detroit, Michigan
- Not established
- Not established
- 0
- Not established
The Wreck Today
- 75-100
- Bow and stern intact and upright; midships section collapsed. Engine, boiler, and propeller remain in place, along with a salvage canalon from a 1909 attempt.
- Upright
- Not established
- Within Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary; listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Position
- 44.969° N 83.201° W
- Surveyed position
- Alpena, Michigan
Evidence
Overall confidence: Well documented (92/100)
NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Vessel specifications, loss narrative, coordinates.
National Register of Historic Places
Listing status and location.
