Lake
Serpent Found?
On July 23, 2015, while performing sidescan searches in the
continuing long term effort to locate and identify shipwrecks
in the waters of Lake Erie, a new sidescan sonar target was discovered
by CLUE member Tom Kowalczk. The detailed sonar imaging provided
enough information for CLUE to assemble a field team to further
investigate this find. On August 16, 2015 the dive team made
the first site survey dives collecting basic in situ dimensions
and site layout data.

Since then historical research by Tom Kowalczk and our sponser,
The National Museum of the Great Lakes, have narrowed the possibilities
from over 200 shipwrecks to 3. The Lake Serpent is the
best possible candidate of shipwrecks known to be in that area
that match the known features of the wreck. Two other possible
candidates that do not fit the data as well are the vessels Fair
Play and Victor. To make a final identification we
need to spend about 10 days underwater excavating the portions
of the buried schooner to be sure!
We are raising funds to pay for approximately 10 days of underwater
surveying and excavation of a shipwreck we believe is the Lake
Serpent. Identifying and surveying this shipwreck is important
because once completed we will understand why the Lake Serpent
sank in 1829 and the site can tell us about early 19th century
shipbuilding techniques that were used in Cleveland Ohio, where
she was built.
The Lake Serpent was built in Cleveland in 1821 and carried
general cargo for 8 years until late September or early October
1829. The Cleveland Weekly Herald reported on October 8, 1829 that
the ship had left four weeks ago to get stone at Put-In-Bay and
had not been heard from. The newspaper was able to confirm that
the Lake Serpent had loaded the stone at Put-In-Bay, but hadn’t
been seen since. It was finally reported as the bodies of the Captain
and his brother, Ezra and Robert Wright, had been found on the
shore in Lorain County in the first week of October, 1829. With
that, it was believed that the Lake Serpent had been lost. The
shipwreck has been lost until now.
Funding:
Ten days of underwater surveying and excavation will cost about
$13,000. We can do it so inexpensively because our volunteers do
the majority of the work. We have already raised $6,000 from our
friends in the local community and need to raise an additional
$7,000 to meet our goal. We need to excavate portions of the boat
to determine if a sea-serpent figurehead is attached to the bow
and if the boat is carrying the stone cargo newspapers at the time
reported she was carrying.
Your contribution will help us identify whether or not we have
found the Lake Serpent. There are also benefits to donating, please
click the button below to be taken to our fundraising site.
Donate
through Indiegogo

Here are links to several news articles on the discovery:
Lost for 189 years, has the Lake Serpent been found
in Lake Erie? Dives this summer to confirm
Researcher says new shipwreck 'most important' Lake
Erie discovery to date
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