Lost to the Storm

Lake Superior has a long, dark history of claiming ships, sailors, and stories—many of which remain mysteries beneath her cold waves. But on this day in history, May 13, 1899, the sinking of the Schooner Nelson was one of those stories was written in heartbreak and heavy weather. The schooner Nelson, a 199-foot, three-masted vessel built in 1866, sank near Grand Marais, Michigan, taking her entire crew, including the captain’s wife and infant child, down with her.

The Nelson was being towed west by Captain White’s steamer alongside the Mary B. Mitchell. The ships were caught in a violent northwest gale that brought freezing rain and wind gusts up to 50 mph. Realizing the danger, the convoy reversed course to seek shelter in Whitefish Bay. But fate had other plans.

Snapped Towline

At some point, the Nelson‘s towline snapped. The schooner, already coated in ice and weighed down with coal, became nearly unmanageable. As waves slammed her from all sides, the shifting coal cargo likely destabilized the vessel. According to maritime historian C. Patrick Labadie, this shift caused the bow to dip and the stern to rise—sending the vessel plunging downward “like a snuffed-out candle.”

Captain Andrew Haganey’s actions in those final moments were nothing short of heroic. He stayed aboard to lower a lifeboat with his wife, infant, and seven crew members. But the lifeboat remained tethered to the ship, and as the Nelson went down, it pulled the lifeboat with it. Haganey himself was thrown into the water by a wave and miraculously survived. He clung to floating wreckage until he washed ashore and was rescued by the Deer Park Life-Saving Station.

Where is the Nelson?

The Nelson‘s final resting place remained unknown for 115 years. That changed on August 26, 2014, when the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society discovered the wreck over 200 feet below the surface using sonar and a remotely operated vehicle. The ship’s three masts were still standing—silent sentinels marking a watery grave.

The Nelson‘s story is a haunting reminder of Lake Superior’s unforgiving power and the fragile humanity of those who brave its waters. Each shipwreck holds a tale, but few are as gut-wrenching—and as steeped in sacrifice—as this one.

Learn more about the rich history of the Central Upper Peninsula.