WHITEFISH POINT, Michigan — Well over a century after it disappeared, the remains of a wooden steamship have been found on the bottom of Lake Superior.
The discovery of the Adella Shores was announced recently by the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society.
Fourteen lives were lost when the 195-foot, 735-ton vessel went down on May 1, 1909 in over 650 feet of water, about 40 miles northwest of Whitefish Point, Michigan.
Adella Shores, named after the daughter of the owner of Shores Lumber Company, was bound for Duluth with a cargo of salt when it disappeared.
According to the GLSHS, it was following a larger, steel steamship through a thick ice floe.
"As both ships rounded Whitefish Point, they were met by a fierce northeast gale," the society said.
Adella Shores was out of sight of the larger boat at the time, and was never seen again.
At the time, it was speculated the ice had punctured its hull, causing it to sink quickly.
In 2021, personnel from GLSHS found a likely target when they ran grids while deploying the society's side-scan sonar system.
"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," said Darryl Ertel, director of marine operations.
"As soon as I put the ROV [remotely-operated vehicle] 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."
This is the second Lake Superior shipwreck discovery announced recently by GLSHS.
In February, the society revealed it had located the remains of the Arlington, a bulk carrier that sank on a voyage from Thunder Bay to Collingwood, Ont. during a violent storm in 1940.
