DEER PARK, Mich. — A ship that sank during a storm in 1891 has been discovered in Lake Superior, off Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
The Atlanta was carrying a load of coal when it sank, The Associated Press reported.
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society announced the find, and posted a video of the long-buried ship still in excellent condition, crediting the frigid temperatures of the water with preserving the vessel. “It is rare that we find a shipwreck that so clearly announces what it is and the name board of the ‘Atlanta’ still really stands out,” said Bruce Lynn, executive director of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society. “It is truly ornate and still beautiful after 130 years on the bottom of Lake Superior.”
The ship had its sails down and was being towed by another ship when the towing line snapped during a storm, The Associated Press reported. Crew members got in a lifeboat, but only two survived.
The 172-foot long ship was 650 feet below the water, WLUC reported. Sonar technology helped researchers find it.
The two survivors of the shipwreck had said that all three masts of the Atlanta broke off during the storm. Video captured of the sunken wreck shows all three masts broken and nowhere to be found, CBS News reported.