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The Ironton disappeared beneath the waves in September 1894 after colliding with a grain hauler. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), "the two vessels separated after the impact, both fatally damaged," and both eventually sank.
The ship's crew tried to get into a lifeboat as the ship was going down, but they were unable to detach it from the ship in time, and the lifeboat was dragged down. Only two people survived the Ironton's demise.
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The whereabouts of the Ironton have long been a mystery to shipwreck hunters ... until now.
NOAA's Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary told AP that the Ironton had been located by underwater archeologists in 2019, though its discovery is only being reported now. Thunder Bay Superintendent Jeff Gray said that the organization would reveal the exact location of the wreck in the coming months.
The lifeboat that was pulled down was still tethered to the wreckage.
"Archaeologists study things to learn about the past. But it's not really things that we're studying; it's people," Gray told AP, adding that the lifeboat "really connects you to the site and reminds you of how powerful the lakes are and what it must have been like to work on them and lose people on them."
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NOAA estimates that more than 200 shipwrecks rest in the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, which encompasses 4,300 square miles of northwestern Lake Huron. The search for Ironton was assisted by the Ocean Exploration Trust, a company founded by Robert Ballard, who discovered the wreck of the RMS Titanic in 1985.
Photos of the Ironton shipwreck released by Thunder Bay can be seen below:
(Image credit: Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary/AP Photo)
(Image credit: Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary/AP Photo)
(Image credit: Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary/AP Photo)
Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.
