Vernon
Passenger And Package Freighter · United States · Lost 1887 · Door County & Lake Michigan
An elegant but fatally top-heavy passenger steamer that foundered in an 1887 gale with the loss of nearly everyone aboard.
Become Captain of RecordSee Shipwreck on Map
The Vessel and Her Loss
Vernon was a fast wooden passenger and package steamer built in 1886, known from her launch for a design flaw that left her unstable at speed. On October 29, 1887, an overnight gale swamped her through open cargo hatches off Two Rivers, Wisconsin, extinguishing her fires and leaving her helpless before she foundered. Between 36 and 41 people died; only one crewman survived. The wreck rests in 200 feet of water and is one of the deepest technical dives in the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary.
Vessel
- 1886
- US registry no. 161557
- James P. Smith
- Chicago, Illinois
- Wood
- 158.6 ft
- 25.4 ft
- 695
- Steam, fore-and-aft compound engine, single screw
- Alfred Booth, Northern Michigan Line
Loss
- October 29, 1887
- Storm
- About nine miles northeast of Two Rivers, Wisconsin
- Lake Michigan
- Frankfort, Michigan → Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Mixed general freight
- 41
- 36
- Captain George Thorpe
The Wreck Today
- 200 ft
- Well preserved, listing to starboard, cargo scattered nearby
- Listing to starboard
- Not established
- Within Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary
Position
- 44.202° N 87.412° W
- Surveyed position
- Two Rivers, Wisconsin
Evidence
Overall confidence: Documented (85/100)
Wisconsin Historical Society - WI Shipwrecks
Build data, cargo, loss narrative
Wisconsin Maritime Trails Marker
Loss narrative, casualty account, depth
