AH-WR-1651

W.C. Franz

Bulk Freighter · Lost 1934 · Thunder Bay & Lake Huron

W.C. Franz — Rammed by Edward E. Loomis in heavy fog.

Become Captain of Record See Shipwreck on Map

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents.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

Interpretive Reconstruction, drawn to convey the vessel's era, type and general form. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

W.C. Franz was built at Wyandotte in 1901 by Detroit Shipbuilding Co. The Great Lakes bulk freighter was rammed by Edward E. Loomis in heavy fog on November 21, 1934. It sank in Lake Huron with four crewmen lost.

Vessel

Built: 1901
Builder: Detroit Shipbuilding Co.
Yard: Wyandotte, Michigan
Material: Not established
Length: Not established
Beam: 48 ft
Tonnage: 3748 gross tons
Propulsion: Not established
Owners: Not established

Loss

Date: November 21, 1934
Cause: Collision
Location: Lake Huron, off northeastern Michigan
Water: Lake Huron
Voyage: Not established
Cargo: Light
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: 4
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: 230 ft
Condition: Largely intact except for collision damage.
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Within Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Position

Coordinates: 44.648° N 82.907° W
Accuracy: Surveyed position
Nearest: Harrisville, Michigan
Region: Thunder Bay & Lake Huron

NOAA published GPS: N44°38.875’ W82°54.392’. Converted to decimal degrees; represents wreck position, including relocation where documented.

Evidence

Overall confidence: Well documented (90/100)

Ownership, unverified configuration details, original vessel length remain unknown. Illustrations are interpretive reconstructions.

NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary — W.C. Franz
Construction, bulk-freighter type, beam, gross tonnage, dated collision, light cargo status, published GPS, depth and four crewmen lost.