Two century-old shipwrecks discovered in Lake Superior

DULUTH — The steamship C.F. Curtis was towing two barges loaded with lumber on Lake Superior on Nov. 18, 1914, when it encountered gale force winds that sank all three vessels in what has been described as "the graveyard of the Great Lakes."

For more than 100 years, the final resting places for the Curtis, the Annie M. Peterson and the Selden E. Marvin, which took down a combined 28 people, has been a mystery. But the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society announced Tuesday that two of the ships have been found. A crew discovered the Curtis as part of a 2021 sweep that brought about nine shipwreck finds. Then came a surprise this past summer: The discovery of the Marvin a few miles from the Curtis.

The Curtis, piloted by Capt. Jay G. Jennings, was headed from Baraga, Mich., to Tonawanda, N.Y., along with the barges — a trio that made up a quarter of the fleet that belonged to the Edward Hines Lumber Co., a bigtime player once described as the "Napoleon of the lumber industry." The ships reportedly carried more than 2 million board feet of lumber.

Self-described amateur historian Ric Mixter said there were no weather warnings that would've given the captain pause. The forecast was for "moderate to fresh southwest winds" that would shift to northwest by the following evening, and possibly snow.

The gales, which are sustained winds reaching up to 54 miles per hour, started up hours into the voyage.

In the days after the disappearance, a dozen bodies and debris — including life belts stenciled with "Str. Curtis" — washed ashore near Grand Marais, Mich.

Two Curtis crewmembers were said to have made it to shore alive, possibly by lifeboat, before succumbing to exhaustion and exposure. According to a news report, they both climbed a 20-foot embankment. One hit the top, then slipped and was unable to recover. The other made a "plucky" fight for his life. He reportedly walked and crawled 4 miles to the breakwater in Grand Marais.

"Here his body was found face down, his arms outstretched in an effort to get up the breakwater," according to an article in the Duluth Herald.

Two unidentified women were also found, one with a piece of ore up her sleeve. A handful of the bodies were never identified.

Shipwreck researchers found the Curtis north of Grand Marais, Mich., 600 feet below the surface in 2021. It's identity was obvious: The name of the lumber company was clearly printed on the bow. There was a perfectly intact grinding wheel and machinery that hadn't been seen for more than 100 years. An "H," for "Hines," on a smokestack, a load of lumber, a "mashed" pilot house and the red paint used to define Edward Hines' name on the side of the ship can all be easily seen on underwater film footage.

The research crew went out again to a specific area on Lake Superior this past summer. Darryl Ertel, director of marine operations for the shipwreck museum, used a remote-controlled vehicle to find lumber, a tow line and paint remains. Then, the big reveal: The Selden E. Marvin nameplate was perfectly intact.

"It blew my mind," Mixter said. "I almost cried. Also, this is a gravesite. Human beings were lost here."

One sobering sign: a shirt — or maybe a sheet — caught beneath a tow rope, which emphasized the loss of human life for Mixter, based in Michigan.

With both of these finds, there is just one more piece of the puzzle remaining. The third ship — the Annie M. Peterson — has yet to be found.