LURKING IN THE DEEP
‘Cursed’ ship that vanished with all 14 crew finally discovered 115-years later as eerie pictures show preserved hulk
The ship sank twice before as it defied an ancient custom of sailors
A SHIP that mysteriously vanished with all 14 crew members onboard has finally been discovered.
Eerie images show a well-preserved hulk of the Adella Shores that went missing 115 years ago in Whitefish Point, Michigan.
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The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society revealed images of the ship's remnants buried in more than 650ft of water.
The steam wooden ship was built in Gibraltar, Michigan in 1894 by the Shores Lumber Company and weighed 735-ton.
Named after the owner's daughter, The Adella Shores was believed to be "cursed" after defying an ancient custom of breaking a bottle of wine on the ship's bow.
The ship owners were strict about their consumption of alcohol, and had Adella's sister, Bessie, christen the boat with a bottle of water instead.
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Sailors believed a bad omen had been following the Adella Shores after it sank twice in shallow waters within 15 years.
Both times the ship was recovered and returned to service but on May 1, 1909 it had disappeared without a trace.
On April 29, the 195ft boat embarked on a journey to Duluth, Minnesota, loaded with a cargo of salt.
It followed larger steamship Daniel J. Morrell that ploughed through thick ice floes to make way for the Adella.
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But the smaller Adella was hit with a strong gush of winds and stayed behind two miles before completely vanishing out of sight.
The captain of Morrell believed that the smaller boat might have struck an ice floe, damaging its hull and sunk quickly.
How 350-year-old ‘cursed’ shipwreck was finally FOUND after vessel vanished on maiden voyage carrying valuable cargo
Only some debris would wash up to the shores in the years that followed, but the bodies of all 14 crew members were never found.
The ship was finally located just 40 miles northwest from where it was last seen in the summer of 2021.
Director of Marine Operations with the society Darryl Ertel and his brother Dan found the ship using sonar technology.
Ertel said: "I pretty much knew that had to be the Adella Shores when I measured the length of it, because there were no other ships out there missing in that size range.
"As soon as I put the ROV down on it for the first time, I could see the design of the ship and I could match it right up to the Adella Shores."
The Great Lakes is the resting place for 10,000 ships as many lay undiscovered to this day.
Shipwrecks of the Great Lakes
One of the five lakes of the Great Lakes, Superior, is the burying site for 350 ships - half of which haven't been found yet.
- May Flower, 1891
The scow schooner wrecked on June 2, 1891 while transporting sandstone blocks and was discovered in 1991.
- Samuel P.Ely, 1896
The Ely was caught in the violent storm while it was at Two Harbors on October 29, 1896.
- Thomas Wilson, 1902
A steel, single propeller steamship was struck by another steamer and sank within three minutes, drowning nine of the 20-man crew.
- Robert Wallace, 1902
The ship sank 20 years after it was built while carrying a cargo of iron ore, and was not found until September, 2006.
- Niagara, 1904
The tugboat was caught up in rough seas on the evening of June 4, 1904 and crashed into the rocks. The remains rest on a rocky slope of Knife Island.
Marine historian Fred Stonehouse added: "Not only is she a member of the 'Went Missing' club those ships on the Great Lakes that disappeared with all hands decades later, to be discovered. She still tells a very poignant and fascinating story.
"The folks that are out there actively hunting for shipwrecks like the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society are helping to answer that story.
"And they keep looking for the ones that are not yet told and not yet found. For that, they deserve the highest commendation."
The mystery behind another "cursed" shipwreck, which had been lost in the Great Lakes, was finally solved 350 years after it vanished during its maiden voyage.
The Griffin, which disappeared carrying a valuable cargo in 1679, was identified by a couple of shipwreck hunters.
The ship was built by the French explorer Rene Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle with the goal to sail through uncharted waters where only canoes had previously gone.
The Griffin was the first and biggest at the time vessel to enter the Great Lakes beyond Niagara falls.
But it vanished without a trace with all six crew members and a valuable load of fur - estimated to be £640,000 in today's money - onboard on its return journey.
Rumours have long circulated that the Griffin had been cursed by the Iroquois tribe's prophet.
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The vessel became a "holy grail" for shipwreck hunters since its disappearance with many attempting to discover its resting place.
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