SS Hippocampus

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Hippocampus ship.jpg
Woodcut of Hippocampus
published in Harper's Weekly
History
Flag of the United States (1867-1877).svgUnited States
NameHippocampus
Namesake Hippocampus
OwnerBouton, Shaw & Morrison
Port of registry St. Joseph, Michigan
BuilderGeorge Hanson, St. Joseph, Michigan
Launched16 July 1867
Out of service8 September 1868
IdentificationUS official number  11819
FateSank in a storm on Lake Michigan
General characteristics
Tonnage153  GRT
Tons burthen90
Length
Beam17 feet (5.2 m)
Depth8 feet (2.4 m)
Installed power1 × 150  hp (110  kW) marine steam engine
Propulsion1 × propeller

SS Hippocampus was a small wooden passenger and package freighter built in 1867, for the fruit trade between St. Joseph, Michigan, and various ports on the westerly shore of Lake Michigan. She operated on her designated route between St. Joseph, and Chicago, Illinois, for less than a year, before sinking in a storm on 8 September 1868, with the loss of 26 lives. As of 2026, her wreck has not been located.

Contents

History

Hippocampus (US official number  11819) was a diminutive wooden passenger and package freighter, built by shipwright George Hanson in St. Joseph, Michigan, in 1867. [1] [2] Her hull had an overall length of 90 feet 1 inch (27.5 m), and a length between perpendiculars of 82 feet (25.0 m). [3] It was 17 feet (5.2 m) in beam, and 8 feet (2.4 m). [3] One source lists the dimensions of Hippocampus' hull as 100 feet (30.5 m) in length, 20 feet (6.1 m) in beam, and 7 feet (2.1 m) in depth. [2] Her tonnage was calculated as either 153 gross register tons. [2] Additionally, she was rated 90 tons burthen. [4] Her propulsion system consisted of a 150  hp (110  kW ) steam engine with a piston stroke of 22 inches (0.6 m), manufactured by the Vulcan Iron Works of Chicago, Illinois. [2] [5] The Chicago Tribune reported her cargo capacity as 80,000 feet (24,384.0 m) of lumber. [3]

Built for Bouton, Shaw & Morrison of St. Joseph, Hippocampus was named after the Greek phrase for seahorse. [1] [3] After her launching on 16 July 1868, she was towed to Chicago, by the steamer Lady Franklin, arriving on 18 July. In Chicago, she was surveyed by officials from the local custom house. [3] Hippocampus was enrolled at Grand Haven, Michigan, on 16 September 1867, and her home port was St. Joseph. [2] [5]

Final voyage

Wreck

In late-April 1877, the clerk of the steamer Messenger reported that a fishing smack had snagged their nets on a submerged object in about 100 feet (30.5 m) of water, roughly 20 miles (32.2 km) from St. Joseph. [6] [7] A contemporary article by The Inter Ocean reported the confirmation of the object as the wreck of Hippocampus based on the discovery of peach boxes, and other items known to have been on board, entangled in the nets of the fishermen who initially discovered it. [7] Plans involving a Chicago-based salvage firm were made to raise the wreck, though they never materialised, and its location was eventually lost. [1] [8]

As of 2026, the wreck of Hippocampus has not been located. [1] In 2018, the Associated Press listed her as "one of the most-sought-after undiscovered Great Lakes shipwrecks". [9]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Baillod, Brendon (26 January 2021). "The Tragic Loss of the Hippocampus". Shipwreck World. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Hippocampus (1867, Propeller)". Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library . Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "New Propeller Hull". Chicago: Chicago Tribune. 19 July 1867. Retrieved 18 February 2026– via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "Another Terrible Disaster on Lake Michigan". Detroit: Detroit Free Press. 10 September 1868. Retrieved 17 February 2026– via Newspapers.com.
  5. 1 2 "Hippocampus (Propeller), U11819, aground, 7 Sep 1868". Maritime History of the Great Lakes. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  6. ↑ "The Hippocampus". Chicago: The Inter Ocean. 24 April 1877. Retrieved 17 February 2026– via Newspapers.com.
  7. 1 2 "The Hippocampus – Her Wreck is Discovered, and No Mistake". Chicago: The Inter Ocean. 30 April 1877. Retrieved 17 February 2026– via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Items". St. Joseph, Michigan: St. Joseph Saturday Herald. 26 May 1877. Retrieved 17 February 2026– via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "The search continues: a few of the most-sought-after undiscovered Great Lakes shipwrecks". Minnesota Public Radio . Retrieved 17 February 2026.
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