The Toboggan was a work scow that was never registered ... no enrollment number. She was a clumsy, big flat scow, capable of carrying a large load and was rigged with steam hoisting machinery to unload.
"The steamerbarge Marshall F. Butters arrived here last evening, bringing Capt. Cooney and crew of the Ark Toboggan, which capsized and sunk about fifteen miles off Milwaukee yesterday afternoon. Yesterday morning the Toboggan left Manistee in tow of the Butters, the latter bound for Chicago. The Toboggan's cargo was for Milwaukee. She had 2000 barrels of salt in her hold, 250,000 feet of clear lumber, and 100,000 feet of lumber on deck, the timber being for use on the government breakwater. She was leaking somewhat and the crew was kept busy all the way shifting part of her deckload, while she was siphoned out. Gradually she commenced to settle to port and when it became evident that there was no hope of saving her, the crew took to the small boat and pulled away from the Butters. In the meantime the Toboggan settled over on her side, dumped part of her deck load and went to the bottom. Overloading is very likely the direct cause of the disaster, although what water she had in her hold, with the weight of the salt, assisted materially."
"Based on the given location and conditions of her foundering, the Toboggan is probably in 180 to 250 ft. of water about 15 mi. ENE of Milwaukee. As a scow, she probably drew less than ten feet, but her steam hoisting machinery may rise far enough off the deck to give a clear signature."