The Shipwreck Cedarville
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The Cedarville is the most frequent shipwreck visited by divers in the Great Lakes region. Read a composite history of A.F. Harvey (renamed the Cedarville). See images of the Cedarville sailing prior to her sinking , the shipwreck as she lies on her side at the bottom of Lake Huron,, and more. This is a composite reference document produced by Mike Michaels who dove the Cedarville back in 1965-1966. Prior to the preservation acts to prevent removal of material from Great Lakes shipwrecks I still have a table made from a porthole from the stern of the Cedarville. Interesting read for those who have dove her and for those who might wish to dive her.
Due to size it is split into three parts and is a Microsoft WORD format in the links above. Below is a webpage summary of the document.
Don't miss James Donahue's Tale of Cedarville Blunder at the bottom of this web page … great read!!!
Due to size it is split into three parts and is a Microsoft WORD format in the links above. Below is a webpage summary of the document.
Don't miss James Donahue's Tale of Cedarville Blunder at the bottom of this web page … great read!!!
The Story & History of the SS Cedarville Shipwreck
A Composite of References
By: Wayne J. “Mike” Michaels
December 26, 2018
Cedarville
Depth: 40′ to 110′
Diving Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Location: N45° 47.235′ W085° 40.248′
HistoryThe Cedarville was launched in 1927 at River Rouge MI as the A.F. Harvey, a straight-deck bulk carrier for the Pittsburg Steamship Company (US Steel). She was 604 ft. long (588 ft keel) with a triple expansion steam engine. The vessel was transferred to the Michigan Limestone Division (Bradley Transportation Line) and converted to a self-unloader at Defoe Shipyard in Bay City MI over the winter of 1957-58.
In the early morning of May 7, 1965, the Cedarville departed Port Calcite, near Rogers City, headed to Gary, IN with 14,411 tons of limestone with a crew of 35. As they neared the Straits of Mackinac, the fog thickened. Due to a lack of communication, the Norwegian vessel Topdalsfjord collided with the Cedarville on her port side cutting a deep gash in her side between the seventh and eight hatch.
After briefly dropping anchor to consider the situation, the Cedarville’s Captain attempted to beach the vessel near Mackinaw City. While still several miles offshore, at 10:25 am the Cedarville suddenly rolled over to starboard and sank in 105 feet of water about 3.5 Miles SE of the Mackinac Bridge south tower. Twenty-five crewmen were recovered alive from the cold lake, along with two others that succumbed due to exposure, and eight others went down with the ship. All but one of the missing crewmen have been recovered, with one still listed as missing.
Present Condition
The Cedarville is a favorite site in the Straits of Mackinac. She is intact and lies on her starboard side, about 45 degrees from being upside down. Her massive size and inverted orientation makes for an interesting, but sometimes confusing dive. The cabins are visible along with lots of deck equipment and the fatal gash. Caution is warranted given her size, depth, upside down orientation and variable visibility. Many hazards are present and penetration should not attempted without proper training, experience, planning and equipment. Due to the orientation of the vessel to the currents, the visibility is often reduced to 35 ft or less but the ship still presents a great diving opportunity.
Official Registrations
Built as a bulk freighter, she was converted to a self-unloader at Defoe Shipbuilding, 1957
Sources: eas,glp,is(3-65),slh,sol,ns5,lhdc,ssm,mpl,hcgl
From: http://www.boatnerd.com/swayze/shipwreck/c.htm
HARVEY, A.F.
Registry and Rig Information·
Build Information
Ownership Changes
Owner: Pittsburgh Steamship Co.
Date: 1927 - 1952
Registry: U.S.
Official Number: 226492
Owner: U.S. Steel Corp.
Date: 1952 - 1965
Registry: U.S.
Official Number: 226492
Name Changes
Name: CEDARVILLE
Date: 1957 - 1965
Registry: U.S.
Official Number: 226492
From: http://greatlakes.bgsu.edu/vessel/view/003934
Depth: 40′ to 110′
Diving Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced
- Dimensions: 604′ x 60′ x 32′
- Cargo: Open-hearth limestone
- Cause of Sinking: Collision (in fog) with M.V. Topdalsfjord
- Built: 1927, River Rouge MI by Great Lakes Engineering
- Date Lost: May 7, 1965
- Construction: Steel
- Propulsion: Triple-expansion steam engine, 2200 hp
Location: N45° 47.235′ W085° 40.248′
HistoryThe Cedarville was launched in 1927 at River Rouge MI as the A.F. Harvey, a straight-deck bulk carrier for the Pittsburg Steamship Company (US Steel). She was 604 ft. long (588 ft keel) with a triple expansion steam engine. The vessel was transferred to the Michigan Limestone Division (Bradley Transportation Line) and converted to a self-unloader at Defoe Shipyard in Bay City MI over the winter of 1957-58.
In the early morning of May 7, 1965, the Cedarville departed Port Calcite, near Rogers City, headed to Gary, IN with 14,411 tons of limestone with a crew of 35. As they neared the Straits of Mackinac, the fog thickened. Due to a lack of communication, the Norwegian vessel Topdalsfjord collided with the Cedarville on her port side cutting a deep gash in her side between the seventh and eight hatch.
After briefly dropping anchor to consider the situation, the Cedarville’s Captain attempted to beach the vessel near Mackinaw City. While still several miles offshore, at 10:25 am the Cedarville suddenly rolled over to starboard and sank in 105 feet of water about 3.5 Miles SE of the Mackinac Bridge south tower. Twenty-five crewmen were recovered alive from the cold lake, along with two others that succumbed due to exposure, and eight others went down with the ship. All but one of the missing crewmen have been recovered, with one still listed as missing.
Present Condition
The Cedarville is a favorite site in the Straits of Mackinac. She is intact and lies on her starboard side, about 45 degrees from being upside down. Her massive size and inverted orientation makes for an interesting, but sometimes confusing dive. The cabins are visible along with lots of deck equipment and the fatal gash. Caution is warranted given her size, depth, upside down orientation and variable visibility. Many hazards are present and penetration should not attempted without proper training, experience, planning and equipment. Due to the orientation of the vessel to the currents, the visibility is often reduced to 35 ft or less but the ship still presents a great diving opportunity.
Official Registrations
- Other names : built as A.F. HARVEY, last name in 1957
- Official no. : 226492
- Type at loss : propeller, steel, self-unloading bulk freighter
- Build info : 1927, Great Lakes Engineering, River Rouge, MI hull #255
- Specs : 588x60x32 8575 g 6229n
- Date of loss : 1965, May 7
- Place of loss : 3 mi E of Mackinac Bridge, Straits
- Lake : Huron
- Type of loss : collision
- Loss of life : 10
- Carrying : limestone
Built as a bulk freighter, she was converted to a self-unloader at Defoe Shipbuilding, 1957
Sources: eas,glp,is(3-65),slh,sol,ns5,lhdc,ssm,mpl,hcgl
From: http://www.boatnerd.com/swayze/shipwreck/c.htm
HARVEY, A.F.
Registry and Rig Information·
- Vessel Name: HARVEY, A.F.
- Nationality: U.S.
- Official Number: 226492
- Rig: Propeller
- Length: 588.25
- Width: 60.16
- Depth: 27.66
- Masts: 0
- Gross Tonnage: 7973.00
- Net Tonnage: 6352.00
- Hull Material: Steel
- Hull Number: 00255
- Rebuilds: Converted to self-unloader by Defoe Shipbuilding Co., Bay City, MI, winter, 1956-1957 (588.25 x 60.16 x 30.66; 8575 gross - 6229 net). Reboilered and received new stack at Rogers City, MI, 1961.
- History:
- Disposition: Sunk by collision with Norwegian propeller TOPDALSFJORD, May 7, 1965, in fog three miles east of Straits Bridge, Straits of Mackinac; ten lives lost.
Build Information
- Builder: Great Lakes Engineering Works
- Place Built: River Rouge, MI
- Year Built: 1927
Ownership Changes
Owner: Pittsburgh Steamship Co.
Date: 1927 - 1952
Registry: U.S.
Official Number: 226492
Owner: U.S. Steel Corp.
Date: 1952 - 1965
Registry: U.S.
Official Number: 226492
Name Changes
Name: CEDARVILLE
Date: 1957 - 1965
Registry: U.S.
Official Number: 226492
From: http://greatlakes.bgsu.edu/vessel/view/003934
![Picture](/uploads/1/0/6/2/106221155/published/us-flag_2.png)
------ From Wikipedia ------
History
Registry: United States
Name:
- SS A.F. Harvey (1927-1957)
- SS Cedarville (1956-1965)
- Pittsburgh Steamship Company (1927-1956)
- US Steel (1956-1965)
In service: 1927
Out of service: 1965
Fate: Sank after collision 7 May 1965, 10 out of 35 crewmembers died
General characteristics
- Tonnage: 8,575 gross tons[1]
- Length: 588.3 ft (179.3 m)[1]
- Beam: 60.2 ft (18.3 m)[1]
- Height: 30.8 ft (9.4 m)[1]
- Crew: 35[2]
Service history
Cedarville was built in 1927 by the Great Lakes Engineering Works in River Rouge, Michigan. The ship was launched as the SS A.F. Harvey, and entered service for the Pittsburgh Steamship Company division of US Steel. In 1956, the ship was transferred to the Bradley Transportation Company, still owned by US Steel. As part of the transfer, the ship was converted to be a self-unloading vessel and was renamed Cedarville.
Sinking
On May 7,1965, Cedarville was travelling between Rogers City, Michigan[3] and Gary, Indiana with a load of 14,411 tons of limestone.[2] A mile east of the Mackinac Bridge, in heavy fog, Cedarville collided with the Norwegian ship SS Topdalsfjord. The collision occurred as a result of miscommunication between the two ships, which both changed their course a mile away from each other, with Topdalsfjord's captain steering his ship on a course that would lead to the two vessels passing each other on their starboard sides. The captain of Cedarville, however, intended for his vessel to cross the bow of Topdalsfjord, but his message stating such was not received by Topdalsfjord, which continued on a course that led to it colliding with Cedarville's port side.[1][2]
While the collision caused only superficial damage above the waterline, consisting mainly of broken railings and deck plates, the bow of Topdalsfjord had created a large hole in Cedarville's hull below the waterline, and within minutes of the collision a slight list to the port had developed. The captain of Cedarville ordered water to be pumped into the starboard ballast tanks to counteract the list, and intended to try to run the ship aground to prevent it from sinking. As the ship moved towards land, however, the weight of the water within the hull forced the bow down, and the ship began listing to starboard, eventually rolling over before sinking. Most survivors of the collision, in which ten out of the 35 aboard died, were picked up by the German freighter MV Weissenburg, and subsequently transferred to the US Coast Guard cutter Mackinaw.[3]
Inquiry into sinking
A U.S. Coast Guard inquiry into the incident found that the captain of Cedarville was at fault for the sinking and was charged with four counts of faulty seamanship. He initially pleaded innocent, but in August 1965 changed his plea to guilty. His license was suspended for a year as a result of the inquiry.[2]
Wreck siteThe wreck of Cedarville lies in the Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Preserve in water around 110 feet (34 m) deep, although the highest point of the hull is around 35 feet (11 m) below the surface and the cabins of the ship are around 75 feet (23 m) underwater.[4] Expert divers are able to enter the ship, as most parts remain fairly undamaged.[2] The Cedarville is the fourth largest ship lost on the Great Lakes after the Edmund Fitzgerald, Daniel J. Morrell and sister ship Carl D. Bradley.
References
1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Hancock, Paul (2001). Shipwrecks of the Great Lakes. PRC Publishing. ISBN 1-882376--84-6.
2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e "Sunday Marks 35th anniversary of wreck". Great Lakes Shipwreck Research. Retrieved 18 June 2010.
3. ^ Jump up to: a b "Collision and Sinking of the S.S. Cedarville". MIGenWeb. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
4. ^ "Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Preserve". Michigan Underwater Preserves. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
James Donahue's Tale of Cedarville Blunder
![Picture](/uploads/1/0/6/2/106221155/cederville-story_2.jpg)
The Cedarville Blunder
By James Donahue
When the freighter Cedarville was rammed in fog in the Straits of Mackinaw and sunk on May 7, 1965, ten members of its crew went to the bottom with it.
A Marine Board of Investigation later ruled that the master of the Cedarville, Capt. Martin E. Joppich, violated the rules of the road by steaming too fast through fog, and taking incorrect actions causing deaths following the crash.
The wreck still lies where it rolled and sank, close to the Mackinaw Bridge. The vessel lies on its starboard side, partly turned so that its decks and superstructure are crushed in the muck. The hull is only 35 feet under water.
There is a mystery attached to this wreck, one that only Captain Joppich might answer. And he has never talked about his actions on that fateful day.
The 603-foot-long Cedarville was steaming from Calcite, Michigan and bound for Gary, Indiana with a cargo of open hearth limestone. It carried a crew of 35 plus the captain. It was struck broadside on the port side in thick fog by the Topdalsfjord, a smaller Norwegian diesel-powered vessel of 423-feet, at about 9:45 a.m.
The Topdalsfjord sustained damage to its bow, but did not sink. The Cedarville began taking water immediately and began listing to port as her open cargo area flooded.
According to the official Coast Guard report, Joppich immediately ordered the Cedarville’s engines stopped, dropped the port anchor, sounded a general alarm and broadcast a Mayday message. The pumps were turned on and the chief mate directed an unsuccessful effort to cover the hole with an emergency collision tarpaulin.
When the mate radioed the bridge that the attempt to plug the hole failed, Captain Joppich decided to try to beach the ship.
The record shows that he might have made it except for one major error. He took the boat in the wrong direction when land was close at hand.
The Coast Guard report said Joppich “judged poorly the peril to his crew and vessel and the time remaining for him to beach his ship. He should have beached his vessel on the nearest shoal or deciding against that he should have steered the correct course for the nearest land.
“The beaching course furnished by the third mate was incorrect and the master should have immediately realized this. It is tragic that the Cedarville steamed enough miles following her fatal wound to have made the beach at Mackinaw City.”
That third mate, identified as Charles Cook, was standing watch at the time of the crash. He was last seen attempting to put on his life jacket when the ship was capsizing under his feet. He went down with the ship.
Also lost was the engine room crew, including Chief Engineer Frank Lamp, Third Assistant Engineer Reinhold Radtke and crew members Wilbert Bredow, Edward Jungman, Arthur Fuhrman, Stanley Haske, William Asam, Eugene Jones and Hugh Wingo, all of Rogers City, Michigan.
The rest of the crew was picked up in one life boat, and in the water by the freighter Weissenburg, which was following the Cedarville and responded to the Mayday call.
As it was, two rescued crew members, Jungman and Haske, died from exposure after they were pulled from the frigid water.
From: http://perdurabo10.tripod.com/ships/id104.html
By James Donahue
When the freighter Cedarville was rammed in fog in the Straits of Mackinaw and sunk on May 7, 1965, ten members of its crew went to the bottom with it.
A Marine Board of Investigation later ruled that the master of the Cedarville, Capt. Martin E. Joppich, violated the rules of the road by steaming too fast through fog, and taking incorrect actions causing deaths following the crash.
The wreck still lies where it rolled and sank, close to the Mackinaw Bridge. The vessel lies on its starboard side, partly turned so that its decks and superstructure are crushed in the muck. The hull is only 35 feet under water.
There is a mystery attached to this wreck, one that only Captain Joppich might answer. And he has never talked about his actions on that fateful day.
The 603-foot-long Cedarville was steaming from Calcite, Michigan and bound for Gary, Indiana with a cargo of open hearth limestone. It carried a crew of 35 plus the captain. It was struck broadside on the port side in thick fog by the Topdalsfjord, a smaller Norwegian diesel-powered vessel of 423-feet, at about 9:45 a.m.
The Topdalsfjord sustained damage to its bow, but did not sink. The Cedarville began taking water immediately and began listing to port as her open cargo area flooded.
According to the official Coast Guard report, Joppich immediately ordered the Cedarville’s engines stopped, dropped the port anchor, sounded a general alarm and broadcast a Mayday message. The pumps were turned on and the chief mate directed an unsuccessful effort to cover the hole with an emergency collision tarpaulin.
When the mate radioed the bridge that the attempt to plug the hole failed, Captain Joppich decided to try to beach the ship.
The record shows that he might have made it except for one major error. He took the boat in the wrong direction when land was close at hand.
The Coast Guard report said Joppich “judged poorly the peril to his crew and vessel and the time remaining for him to beach his ship. He should have beached his vessel on the nearest shoal or deciding against that he should have steered the correct course for the nearest land.
“The beaching course furnished by the third mate was incorrect and the master should have immediately realized this. It is tragic that the Cedarville steamed enough miles following her fatal wound to have made the beach at Mackinaw City.”
That third mate, identified as Charles Cook, was standing watch at the time of the crash. He was last seen attempting to put on his life jacket when the ship was capsizing under his feet. He went down with the ship.
Also lost was the engine room crew, including Chief Engineer Frank Lamp, Third Assistant Engineer Reinhold Radtke and crew members Wilbert Bredow, Edward Jungman, Arthur Fuhrman, Stanley Haske, William Asam, Eugene Jones and Hugh Wingo, all of Rogers City, Michigan.
The rest of the crew was picked up in one life boat, and in the water by the freighter Weissenburg, which was following the Cedarville and responded to the Mayday call.
As it was, two rescued crew members, Jungman and Haske, died from exposure after they were pulled from the frigid water.
From: http://perdurabo10.tripod.com/ships/id104.html