MICHIGAN SHIPWRECK: The ‘America’, Isle Royale, Lake Superior

The headline read, STEAMER IS SUNK WHEN IT STRIKES ISLE ROYALE REEF.
"An old passenger steamer, the AMERICA, is lying on the bottom of Lake Superior tonight under 17 fathoms of water. Its crew and passengers, about 45 in all, were taken off Isle Royale tonight, where they went when the ship sank this morning."

This was the blurb that was reported in the Houghton Mining Gazette edition dated June 8, 1928.

On June 6, 1928, the America left Duluth per usual. The ship arrived at Isle Royale's Washington Harbor, dropping off supplies and passengers. Before the crack of dawn on June 7, the ship began its return route; once away from the dock, the captain turned the ship over to his first mate. A few minutes went by, and the ship hit a reef, and ran aground on a second reef. All remaining crew and passengers were taken to safety via lifeboats, and an hour later, the ship had sunk to the bottom.

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This shipwreck site has become an extremely popular spot for divers, with a couple of hundred of dives taking place almost every year.

The ship sits on a steep underwater cliff, as deep as 85 feet and shallow as two feet. It's easily seen by boat, plane and satellite photo.

Take a look at photos and video below of the wreckage, and maybe you'll want to don some scuba gear yourself.

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