WW-II Era Freighter Wreck Discovered In Lake Superior

A shipwreck dating to WWII was discovered in more than 600 feet of water of Lake Superior, nearly 35 miles toward the north of Keweenaw Peninsula, as declared by the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society.

The society and researcher Dan Fountain announced the awe-inspiring discovery of Arlington, a 244-foot bulk carrier, on Monday, February 12. Using remote sensing data and a Marine Sonic Tech side-scan sonar, the ROV dives recognised the shipwreck as the Arlington last year. The captain went down with the Arlington in 1940. The Arlington set sail from Port Arthur in Ontario on April 30, 1940. It was loaded with wheat and was headed for Owen Sound in Ontario, the shipwreck society mentioned in a release.

A seasoned veteran named Captain Frederick “Tatey Bug” Burke spearheaded the Arlington and the associated crew. The Collingwood, a huge freighter, made its way across the waters of Lake Superior on that very day. There was heavy fog, and by night, a storm had broken out, and the Arlington started taking on water.

The first mate of Arlington, Junis Macksey, reportedly ordered a course for hugging the Canadian North Shore that might have offered some cover from the waves and wind. Still, Captain Burke reportedly countermanded this order and ordered the vessel to take its course across the open lake, per the release.

Arlington Ship — Image Credits: Shipwreck Museum

At 4:30 a.m. on May 1, the Arlington started sinking, and Fred Gilbert, the vessel’s chief engineer, reportedly sounded the alarm. The crew started abandoning the ship without any orders from Frederick owing to fear. Crew members got off the vessel and made it safely to Collingwood.

All except Captain Burke managed to make it off the vessel. While no one knows why Burke did not make it off the Arlington while his crew members did, reports reflect that he was close to the pilothouse while the vessel had slowly started sinking.

Reference: ctvnews

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