On this day July 16, 1880, the schooner J. DUVALL was found bottom up off Two Rivers, Wis. She had been bound from Kewaunee to Chicago and it is believed she was caught by a sudden squall the night of July 9th. Her canvas was set, showing she went over suddenly, and her small boat was still attached to the wreck.
The following is the US Life Saving Service Report describing her recovery:
“July 16, 1880.–The schooner J. DUVALL, of Racine, Wisconsin, with a crew of seven men, bound from Kewaunee to Chicago, with a cargo of tanbark, was struck during the night of the 9th of July by a sudden squall and capsized, when about twenty miles east-northeast of Two Rivers, Wisconsin, and twelve miles from land. The entire crew was lost. On the morning of the 16th, the tug HAGERMAN, of Milwaukee, was sighted by the keeper of Station No. 17, Eleventh District, (Two Rivers, Lake Michigan,) lying to, with the schooner in charge, about five miles southeast of the station. The tug was alongside of the wreck, apparently engaged in attempts to right her, she having been found bottom up. The keeper at once launched the surf-boat and went out to offer assistance. Arriving upon the scene at 8 a.m. the vessel was found on her beam ends, with the spars in the water. The schooner FEARLESS, of Racine, was nearby, with guys and tackles attached for the purpose of righting her. The services of the life-saving crew were gladly accepted, as the vessels engaged in the work had but their ordinary crews. At 11 a.m. the schooner was righted, and two bodies were found and transferred to the FEARLESS. The tugs HAGERMAN and WETZEL, the latter of Racine, then took the two schooners in tow and started for Manitowoc–the life-saving crew, having been asked to do so, remaining by the DUVALL until she was safe in the harbor, at 5 p.m. They then reported the facts to the city authorities and returned to their station. When the vessel was pumped out two more bodies were recovered. The remaining three bodies were never found. They were doubtless swept overboard when the schooner capsized.”
The crew was later identified. The bodies of Frank Doad, son of the captain, Carl Lind, August Remier and David Stedman were found in the vessel. Those missing were Capt. John Doad, Carl Schmidtz and Gus Coltes.
The DUVALL was repaired and sailed until December 5, 1905 when she was sunk by the steamer JAMES B. COLGATE in the St. Clair River off Tashmoo Park, Harsens Island, Ontario. The schooner was struck so hard that her spars were thrown out. She was a total wreck but her crew escaped in the small boat. The COLGATE had to be beached to prevent her from sinking.
The two masted schooner J. DUVALL was launched on May 13, 1874 at Manitowoc from the Rand & Burger shipyard. She measured 103 feet overall, 24 feet in beam and 7.6 feet in depth and was built for Messrs. Slauson, Grimmer & Co., of Kewaunee.
Suzette Lopez
Photo credit: Great Lakes Marine Collection of the Milwaukee Public Library and Wisconsin Marine Historical Society.
This story was originally posted on July 16, 2024.
