The Shipwreck W. L. Wetmore
| Gross tonnage: Length: Breadth: Depth: |
819 65.14 10.18 3.84 |
x meters meters meters |
Type: Built: |
propeller steamer 1871 at Cleveland, Ohio. |
The Disaster - In the early hours of November 29, 1901, The W. L. Wetmore, with barges Brunette and James C. King in tow, entered the Devil Island Channel heading for Lake Huron. The holds and decks of all three vessels were loaded with Georgian Bay lumber from Parry Sound. With visibility reduced by blowing snow and with heavy seas running out of the northwest, the procession ran aground on Russel Reef. The Wetmore's crew abandoned ship and rowed to Tobermory in their lifeboats. The salvage tugs Metamora and Maguoila arrived the following day but only the Brunette could be salvaged. The cargo of lumber that washed ashore was recovered the following spring by the tug Saucy Jim and a scow.
The Wreck Today - The Wetmore is one of the best wrecks near Tobermory. It lies in 6 to 8 meters of water, just below Russel Island's northwest tip. Two mooring buoys are located south and west of the wreck.
The Wetmore lies in a southeast to northwest line with the stern to the southwest. It is here that you will find the massive oak rudder and a 4.6 meter diameter propeller with one blade sheared off, testimony of the Wetmore's first contact with the reef. The 7.6 meter drive shaft runs through the stern post to the engine mount (the steam engine was salvaged). The Wetmore's boilers, one of her awesome features, rise 3.7 meters above the wreckage, and are clearly visible from the surface. At the northwest end of the wreck there is a large length of anchor chain with the hawse pipes and one of the anchors nearby. The port and starboard sides of the Wetmore have collapsed and now lie alongside the hull bottom. A section of railing still graces the port side and both sides have a large number of hanging knees attached. An interesting feature of these sides is the hooked scarph joints of the planking.
The massive construction of a wooden vessel such as the W. L. Wetmore deserves further investigation. The keelson is made up of six timbers, each, 30 centimeters square. The frames measure 13 centimeters wide by 25 centimeters deep. Planking is 8 centimeters by 30 centimeters and all framing members and planking are of white oak.
The W. L. Wetmore
Below - location of the shipwreck W. L. Wetmore
