The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS) revealed last Wednesday the location of the Adella Shores, a wooden steamship that disappeared without a trace more than a century ago. The Adella Shores, which sank off Whitefish Point, Michigan, was located in 650 feet of water, just 40 miles from the last sighting on May 1, 1909. All 14 crew members disappeared along with the ship.
According to information from the newspaper O Globo, the Adella Shores was built in 1894 by the Shores Lumber Company and weighed 735 tons. The ship was named after Adella, daughter of the company owner. Due to a series of previous incidents, the ship was considered “cursed”. In a controversial decision, the family chose to name the ship with water rather than champagne due to their strong opposition to alcohol. This choice is believed to have contributed to the supposed curse that haunted the ship.
A video of the discovery shows parts of the ship and a common kitchen utensil now at rest at the bottom of Lake Superior. Among the wreckage, it is possible to identify the cabin wall, the boiler, the cargo winch and a plate.
The Adella Shores disappeared from sight while following the steamship Daniel J. Morrell through a dense ice flow, during a strong northeast gale. The discovery of the ship was made in the summer of 2021 by Darryl Ertel and his brother Dan, who used sonar technology. Ertel, Director of Maritime Operations at GLSHS, identified the ship by measuring its length and design.
“I knew it had to be the Adella Shores when I measured its length, because there were no other ships in that size range missing,” Ertel said in a press release. He added: “As soon as I put the ROV on it for the first time, I could see the design of the ship and match it to Adella Shores.” The discovery was kept secret until thorough research was completed to confirm its authenticity.
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