For the last 30 - plus years , 74 - class - old wreck hunter David Trotter has been in pursuit of his white whale , a missing vessel calledHydrus .
In early July , Trotter and his crew were out scanning the readable summer waters of Lake Huron when a large scheme appeared on his LCD filmdom . The sonar drop back behind his sauceboat was picture something detail enough to register single cargo hatches , and they knew almost immediately that the hunt forHydruswas over .
Hydruslikely proceed down on November 9 , 1913 , during the worst violent storm ever enter on the Great Lakes . The Great Storm of 1913claimed 250 life-time and 19 ship , and is advert to as the " Big Blow , " the " Freshwater Fury , " or the " White Hurricane . " The blizzard - similar conditions led to 90 mph winds and waves up to 35 foundation .
The 436 - foot steamship was carrying iron ore when it sink , and had successfully made its way through Lake Superior — the largest of the lake — before it commence its journey to the south on Lake Huron . With a barometer as their only instrument , the crew had no idea what they were in for . The ship soon start to take on body of water as waves crash over the stern , and eventually lose baron , succumbing to the violent November waters .
All 22 members on boardHydrusdied . Some quite incredibly managed to make it onto lifeboat , but the minor vessel were ill - equip to handle the consideration . One of those boat eventually made it to prop on the Canadian side of the lake with five crew members sitting upright , freeze to demise . Among them were a brace of brothers , Kernol and Leslie Christy .
Today , 102 days after the tragedy , Hydrusis in noteworthy condition . A sign of the zodiac cover in zebra mussels help confirm what Trotter and his crew already be intimate : that this was the ship they ’d been looking for . It ’s sitting upright on the floor of the lake , and while there is terms , the stale H2O conditions have uphold much of it . loon can even swim through the ship .
It ’s an incredible conclusion to a ten - farsighted hunting . Trotter told theDetroit Free Pressthat he ’s logged about 2500 square nautical mile in all , scrolling back and forth on a massive grid . For now , he and the other wreck hunters are keeping the position of theHydrusto themselves as they continue to explore the site . After 30 years , finders keepers seems only bonny .
