SS Wisconsin Photomosaic

[schultz]

Those of you looking for a pre-divemap for diving the Wisconsin, you may be interested in what Keith (aka Kevin) Meverden has put together for the Historical Society.



And for those interested, here's a press release on the matter:

FOR RELEASE: July 25, 2007

For More Information:
Paul Bentley, Volunteer Coordinator, (414) 218-2830 (cell phone)
Keith Meverden, Marine Archaeologist, Wisconsin Historical Society, (608) 221-5909
John Karl, Science Writer, Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute, (608) 263-8621

Editors Note: High resolution photos for this story are available for downloading at

Underwater Archaeologists Investigate Historic Shipwreck, Present Results at Kenosha Public Museum

Kenosha, Wis. (July 25, 2007) ? Divers from the Wisconsin Historical Society hope to learn more about the fate of one of the state's underwater treasures July 29 - August 4, when they investigate the wreck of the S.S. Wisconsin near Kenosha. They will present preliminary findings of their investigation at 7:00 p.m., August 2, at the Kenosha Public Museum.

The Wisconsin, a workhorse on Lake Michigan for 48 years, sank in stormy seas on October 29, 1929. Nine crewmen, including the captain, were lost. The ship itself remains upright in 130 feet of water, seven miles southeast of Kenosha.

The divers will be looking for explanations of why she began taking on water two days before she sank.

State Underwater Archaeologist Meverden believes the answer has to do with a major modification made to the ship?s hull in 1907. While being rebuilt after a severe fire, the ship?s hull was widened by inserting a six-foot section along her entire length.

That modification developed a leak sixteen years later, and extensive welding was needed to repair it.

?They were clearly having trouble with that modification,? Meverden said. ?We think it might ultimately have caused the loss of the Wisconsin. We hope our investigation will find out for sure.?

The archaeologists will also carefully document details of the ship?s construction, and will nominate the vessel to the National Register of Historic Places, Meverden said.

When the Wisconsin was launched in Detroit in 1881, she was one of the most expensive, lavish, and technologically advanced steamers ever built by the Goodrich Steamboat Company, then one of the largest and longest-lived shipping lines on the Great Lakes. She was the first vessel with iron decks on the lakes, and among the first with an iron hull. She had a double iron bottom with a water ballast system designed to steady her when cargo loads were unusually heavy or light. The rounded bottom of her bow was designed to ride up on and crush thick Lake Michigan ice.

For nearly a half century, the Wisconsin carried passengers and package freight across Lake Michigan, eliminating the long rail route around the lake and the chokepoint of Chicago. The Wisconsin had four names during her long career, lost one of her owners in the Titanic sinking, and was used as a convalescent hospital ship during World War I.

Cargo on board the Wisconsin includes a cargo tractor, cargo carts, and boxes of package freight. A young Henry Ford may have helped build the vessel, but the only cars in the hold are a Hudson car, Essex, and a Chevrolet.

[Omicron]

I can't wait for this coming week.  It'll be my first time on a survey...we'll have to triple check anything that I work on.

Or give me the dumb end of the ruler at the very least.

[Vtach]

Daddy like!!

[schultz]

Yeah, I can't wait either... this is my first week-long project too. I helped Keith with this initial photo survey for one day, and I hope the water temps will be a little more forgiving this time around. When we did this photo survey, he and I splashed in together, planning a minor deco-dive. On the descent, we looked at each other with saucer-eyes when we realized the temperature was 38 degrees. It was a nice 9:00am wakeup call that needless to say, led us to decide not to do deco on those dives.

Next week we will have EAN 30, and O2 stages, so plan accordingly for staying warm!

[Chris H]

If you are on the Wisconsin, when I was there a few weeks back it was about 64 above 30ish feet.  Of course we know temps can change quickly based on wind direction and what not.

[scubasprout]

Visibility has been running between 50-80ft the past couple of weekends.  Water temp on the wreck has been running about 41 deg.  Let me know if you guys need anything.  We are only 2 minutes from the Kenosha Harbor.
Have safe dives.

Brian
Diver Dan's Scuba

[Tamara Thomsen]

There will be an Open House at the Kenosha Public Museum- 5500 1st Ave, Kenosha- on Thursday, August 2, from 7-9 PM. 

Anyone interested in the archaeological survey of the Wisconsin or in her history is welcome.  The large scale photo mosaic will be on display as well as the ship's plans, video and photos.

[Tamara Thomsen]

Here are a couple links about last week's Wisconsin survey from the Kenosha News.

[smoothfin]

great photomosaic.  i should've checked before I did the dive last weekend, but oh well.  I'm curious about the mounds of mud on the deck of the stern, wondering how it got there.  Only idea I had was that it went down stern first and dug in a bit before it settled, but if that was the case I was thinking there would've been more damage on the stern.

[ethanb]

The "In Wisconsin" program on Wisconsin Public Television is airing a segment about the Wisconsin Historical Society's survey project on the S.S. Wisconsin.

It will be on Thursday Nov 15 (today!) at 7 PM and again Sunday Nov 18 at noon and 9 PM.  In Milwaukee, it will only run Sunday 11:30 AM on MPTV channel 10.  The program lasts ~30 minutes and starts with a segment about chronic wasting disease and ends with a segment on land conservation, with the underwater archeology segment in the middle.

Here are some links:
(WPT page on the segment)
(WPT page on the show)
(Milwaukee listing)

Supposedly the segment will also be available online (at the middle link), starting some time this afternoon.