The Atlanta sank on May 4, 1891. It was upbound with a load of coal in tow of the steamer Wilhelm when both vessels got caught in a northwest gale. The storm was too much for the towline which snapped, and with no sails, the Atlanta was at the mercy of the lake, and the crew took to the lifeboat. Corey Adkins of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Society says, “shortly after, the Atlanta dove to the bottom of Lake Superior.”

 

Adkins says, “a lot of people think the Edmund Fitzgerald is the only shipwreck out there, and it’s not. There’s been many others and their stories should be told.”

The Atlanta is located 650 feet down Lake Superior. It is so deep that divers cannot go down to explore the ship. Therefore, they sent a Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) to capture pictures. Because of its time in the frigid depths of Lake Superior, the Atlanta is a wonderfully preserved shipwreck. To learn more about the shipwreck, go to shipwreckmuseum.com