Petrel (1847)
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Service History

The wooden two masted schooner Petrel was built in 1847 at Buffalo, New York by Francis N. Jones. Her official registry number was 19673.

June 1854: She capsized on Lake Michigan with four persons lost.

December 1854: While wheat laden, she was frozen in at Grand Traverse Bay.

1855: Received major repairs.

September 1858: Corn cargo was damaged .

1862: Major repairs.

1873: Received a new deck.

Last Document of Enrollment: Surrendered Milwaukee: 10/17/1883: "Total Loss".
Final Voyage

On October 17th, 1883 the two masted schooner Petrel waterlogged off Sheboygan with a load of cordwood bound from Burnham's Pier to Milwaukee. Attempting to enter Sheboygan harbor without a tug, she collided with one of the harbor piers, broached, and sank. Her crew of five men and one woman took to the rigging and were rescued by the USLSS crew. The Petrel carried against the North Pier, split open, and sank five lengths inside the entrance. She still posed an obstacle to navigation eleven years later resulting in her hull being rammed by the schooner Guido). Her cargo was salvaged. The Petrel was built in 1867, valued at $1,500 and was uninsured.

"This was the second time that the Petrel has been wrecked this season, and it is sincerely hoped that she is so badly broken up as to be past repairing... This happened the 20th of last May." CT 10/18/1883.

October 1883: "THE PETREL WRECK Not Yet Removed. An attempt has been made to remove the wreck of the Petrel by blowing up, but it was only partly successful. it will not be an easy mater to remove it. In the daytime it shows enough to warn coming vessels, and in the night a light is shown from the dock..." J.W. Hall Great Lakes Marine Scrapbook October 1883.

"Sheboygan, Nov. 25, 1892.-The schooner Guido, capt. Mitchell, bound for Chicago, with a cargo of lumber, meeting headwinds, tried to make the harbor at 5 o'clock this morning, but ran into the wreck of the schooner Petrel and sunk." Milwaukee Sentinel 11/26/1892.
 
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