AH-WR-0208

Wells Burt

Schooner · United States · Lost 1883 · Chicago & Southern Lake Michigan

A three-masted coal schooner lost with all hands in an 1883 gale, sitting upright and remarkably whole off Evanston.

Become Captain of Record See Shipwreck on Map

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents.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

Built in 1873, the Wells Burt was a large three-masted schooner in the Lake Michigan coal trade. In May 1883 she was overwhelmed by a gale while bound for Chicago and went down with her entire crew. The hull rests upright in shallow water off Evanston and is among the most complete schooner wrecks in the region, protected as a listed historic site.

Vessel

Built: 1873
Builder: Not established
Yard: Not established
Material: Wood
Length: Not established
Beam: Not established
Tonnage: Not established
Propulsion: Sail, three masts
Owners: Not established

Loss

Date: May 21, 1883
Cause: Storm
Location: Off Evanston, Illinois, southern Lake Michigan
Water: Lake Michigan
Voyage: Not established
Cargo: Coal
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: The entire crew was lost.
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: 35 to 40 feet
Condition: Substantially intact hull sitting upright on a sand bottom.
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Position

Coordinates: 42.05° N 87.63° W
Accuracy: Approximate position
Nearest: Evanston, Illinois
Region: Chicago & Southern Lake Michigan

Evidence

Overall confidence: Documented (85/100)

The exact number of lives lost varies between accounts.

Illinois State Historic Preservation Office, National Register nomination
Construction, loss, wreck condition, protection.
Wisconsin and Illinois Great Lakes maritime survey literature
Site description and diving access.