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Come to hear a great story of the Inland Seas (Great Lakes)! The Marquette & Bessemer No. 2 has been the “holy grail” for Lake Erie shipwreck hunters since it was lost in the great storm of December 1909. This 350-foot steel car ferry left Conneaut, Ohio for Port Stanley, Ontario loaded with 26 rail cars of coal, one car of castings, three cars of steel, and additional structural steel loaded in her belly. She also carried one passenger, who was rumored to have $50,000 in cash in his brief case.
The ferry was seen off Port Stanley in the late afternoon, she was seen off Conneaut shortly before midnight and heard off Conneaut about 1:30 a.m. She was then reportedly heard off Port Stanley at 3:10 a.m. December 8, 1909. No one has seen or heard of her since that time.
Where is the wreck of the Marquette & Bessemer No. 2? In this presentation, Georgann and Mike share the bizarre story of her disappearance, chart her final hours, and tell you where to look if you want to find the wreck today.
Cost for this program is $10.00 Please call the store to reserve your spot.
Tickets can be purchased at the door.
All of Mike & Georgann's books will be available for sale.
A book signing will follow the presentation (feel free to bring your copy).
About the speakers:
Mike and Georgann Wachter are well known as the authors of Erie Wrecks and Lights, Erie Wrecks East, and Erie Wrecks West. In addition to their books, Mike and Georgann have recently published a Lake Erie shipwreck map listing over 300 GPS wreck coordinates for divers.
"We love diving both fresh and saltwater and have explored the underwater world in over 20 countries. While wreck diving is our passion, we enjoy coral reefs and have an unabating concern for the health pf planet ocean."
They have been diving around the world since the mid 1970’s. However, nowhere else in the world have they discovered the kind of pristine and perfectly preserved shipwrecks that lie in the fresh waters of the Great Lakes. This has resulted in the discovery or rediscovery of 30 wreck sites. What was once a part time hobby became a full time investigation of the myths and realities behind the thousands of shipwrecks in the Great Lakes. They have written numerous magazine articles and have a passion for creating diver access to and preserving Great Lakes maritime history. Both have been active in the Maritime Archaeological Survey Team (MAST) where Mike is past president and Georgann has been treasurer. Under Mike’s tenure 6 shipwrecks in Ohio waters were moored for divers. They are active members of Lake Erie Wreck Divers and Bay Area Divers scuba clubs. They co-chair the annual Bay Area Shipwrecks & Scuba symposium.
Georgann was inducted into the international Women Divers Hall of Fame in 2013 for documenting over 250 Great Lakes shipwrecks with her writing, research and marine artwork. Mike is a recently retired management consultant who now devotes his time to finding, exploring and telling tales of Great Lakes shipwrecks and lighthouses. He hosts a database on wrecks at www.eriewrecks.com . The collaboration of Georgann’s love of research and Mike’s love of story telling provides the fuel for the Erie Wrecks series.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
417 W Main St, Lakeside Marblehead, OH, United States, Ohio 43440
