Page 14: of Marine Technology Magazine (March 2023)

DISCOVERY

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Image Credit: Ocean Exploration Trust/NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary workhorses of the region’s wheat, coal, corn, lumber, and iron Finding Ohio ore trades. The Niagara River Transportation Company built Although contemporary reports and eye-witness accounts

Ironton in 1873 as a towed schooner barge. describe the general area of Ironton’s sinking, the exact loca-

Known as the “consort system,” steamers towed one or sev- tion remained a mystery for over 120 years. Researchers from eral schooner barges and enabled companies to transport great- NOAA’s Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the state er quantities of cargo across the Great Lakes at a lower cost. of Michigan, and Ocean Exploration Trust used cutting-edge

Either converted from older sailing vessels or purpose-built, oceanographic technology to discover and document the ship- schooner barges had masts and sails to save fuel in the towing wreck.

steam vessel and in case of emergencies where they needed to In 2017, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and a group sail independently. These iconic Great Lakes vessels were a of partners led an expedition to survey 100 square miles of link in the evolution of sail-powered shipping to mechanized unmapped lakebed within the sanctuary. The team discovered transportation systems of the modern world. the bulk carrier Ohio in approximately 300 feet of water. De-

Measuring 190 feet, 9 inches in length and 35 feet, 4 inches spite the large area mapped, the location of Ironton remained in breadth, the 772-ton Ironton boasted a carrying capacity of a mystery.

more than 48,500 bushels of grain or 1,250 tons of coal. During In 2019, researchers from Thunder Bay National Marine the ship’s nearly 22-year career, Ironton changed ownership Sanctuary set out on a mapping expedition in Lake Huron with multiple times, transporting iron ore, grain, and coal between Ocean Exploration Trust, the undersea exploration and educa- ports such as Buffalo, Cleveland, Marquette, and Duluth. tion organization founded by famed explorer Dr. Robert Bal-

Ironton’s discovery may answer century-old questions sur- lard, who has explored nearly every corner of the planet. Ocean rounding the ship’s ? nal hours. Sandra Clark, director of the Exploration Trust brought a team of world-renowned hydrog-

Michigan History Center and co-manager of Thunder Bay Na- raphers and the latest innovation in underwater mapping tech- tional Marine Sanctuary, described the importance of ? nding nology to Michigan, including an autonomous surface vehicle historical shipwreck sites such as Ironton: “Discoveries like named BEN (Bathymetric Explorer and Navigator).

this are fascinating because they connect people to Michigan’s “Our team is proud to partner with the Of? ce of National Ma- long history of maritime innovation and commerce. The more rine Sanctuaries to bring innovative technology and expedition we discover, the more we understand the lives of the men and expertise to map the Great Lakes,” said Dr. Robert Ballard, women who worked the Great Lakes.” President, Ocean Exploration Trust. “Ironton is yet another piece of the puzzle of Alpena’s fascinating place in America’s 14 March/April 2023

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