Shipwreck hunters made a significant discovery in Lake Superior, uncovering a merchant ship lost in 1940, along with its captain, during a storm near Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
On Monday, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society, in collaboration with shipwreck researcher Dan Fountain, announced the finding of the Arlington, a 244-foot (74-meter) bulk carrier. The ship was located approximately 35 miles (60 kilometers) north of Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula, resting at a depth of about 650 feet (200 meters) beneath the water’s surface.
The Arlington embarked from Port Arthur, Ontario, on April 30, 1940, laden with wheat and bound for Owen Sound, Ontario, under the command of Captain Frederick “Tatey Bug” Burke, a seasoned veteran of the Great Lakes.
Encountering dense fog and later a fierce storm after nightfall, the Arlington, alongside a larger freighter named the Collingwood, faced turbulent conditions. As the Arlington began taking on water, differing decisions arose among the crew. While the ship’s first mate advocated steering closer to the Canadian North Shore for shelter, Captain Burke ordered a course back across the open lake.
In the early hours of May 1, 1940, the Arlington succumbed to the waters, prompting the chief engineer to sound the alarm. Without explicit orders from Captain Burke, the crew initiated abandon ship procedures. Tragically, while all crew members managed to safely transfer to the Collingwood, Captain Burke remained aboard the sinking Arlington. Eyewitness reports suggest he was last spotted near the pilothouse, waving at the Collingwood moments before the ship vanished beneath the lake’s surface.
Reflecting on the discovery, the shipwreck society acknowledged that the true motivations behind Captain Burke’s decisions may forever remain unknown. Dan Fountain, the shipwreck researcher who played a pivotal role in locating the Arlington, expressed hope that this discovery would offer closure to Captain Burke’s family.
Bruce Lynn, the executive director of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society, credited Fountain’s decade-long efforts in remote sensing within Lake Superior for the find. Fountain’s identification of a promising target near the northern tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula led to the Arlington’s discovery last year.
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Lynn emphasized the significance of this find, noting that without Fountain’s initiative, the Arlington might have remained undiscovered, adding another layer to the intriguing narrative of Great Lakes shipwrecks.