A festival celebrating underwater exploration of our Great Lakes maritime history
The Marquette and Bessemer #2 is one of the long-undiscovered shipwrecks in Lake Erie. She disappeared just over 100 years ago on a stormy night in December 1909. It seems unlikely that a 340' steel car ferry could sink in the twentieth century without trace, but this ship did just that. With the loss of all 36 men on board, there was no one left to tell the story of what happened on that fateful night. This talk does not provide any firm answers. However, the presentation will present all available evidence, including eyewitness sightings, debris that washed ashore, and the location of two life boats. From this evidence we will sort out what may, or may not, have happened to this once mighty vessel.