The waters of the Great Lakes have long served as vital transportation routes for the movement of raw materials, manufactured goods, and people. But they have also been treacherous, claiming thousands of ships throughout history. One of the most haunting of these tragedies is the wreck of the Eber Ward, a steel-hulled freighter that met its end in the icy waters of the Straits of Mackinac in the early spring of 1909.
A Ship Built for Industry
The Eber Ward was a steel freighter built in 1888 by F.W. Wheeler & Co. in West Bay City, Michigan. The vessel, named after Eber Brock Ward (one of the original owners of the Detroit-based Ward Line), was designed to haul iron ore, coal, and other heavy bulk materials across the upper Great Lakes. Measuring 213 feet long and 37 feet wide, the Eber Ward was among the more modern vessels of its day, with a robust steam engine and steel construction that allowed for better endurance in rugged lake conditions.
Despite her sturdy build, the Eber Ward would eventually fall victim to the very environment she was designed to withstand.
Artistic rendering of the crew abadonding the Eber Ward after she struck heavy ice. Illistration by Curt Bowen
A Fateful Voyage
On April 20, 1909, the Eber Ward departed from Milwaukee, carrying a cargo of corn bound for Port Huron, Michigan. The voyage was early in the shipping season, and the crew of 14, led by Captain Tim LeMay, knew they would likely encounter lingering ice in the upper lakes, especially in the Straits of Mackinac—a notorious bottleneck between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.
As the freighter neared the Straits, the crew encountered increasingly dense ice fields. Rather than wait or reroute, Captain LeMay made the decision to push ahead. The ship had steel hull reinforcements, and he believed it could handle the conditions. However, this confidence would prove fatal.
The Wreck
Around 9:00 a.m., just northwest of Mackinac Island, disaster struck. As the Eber Ward plowed into the ice, the pressure crushed the bow of the ship. Steel plates buckled under the strain, and water rushed into the forward compartments. The impact was so severe that the ship began sinking within minutes.
With the ship doomed, the crew scrambled for lifeboats. The icy water and shifting ice floes made launching them difficult. Only one lifeboat made it to safety. Of the 14 men aboard, five perished in the frigid waters, including the ship’s first mate and several deckhands. A passing vessel, the George Stephenson, which heard their cries for help eventually rescued the survivors.
Controversy and Investigation
An official investigation by the U.S. Steamboat Inspection Service followed the sinking of the Eber Ward. The findings concluded that Captain Kelley had acted with poor judgment in attempting to force the ship through dangerous ice conditions. They found him negligent and suspended his captain’s license for a period. This decision underscored a broader concern about the pressures placed on captains to maintain tight shipping schedules, even at the risk of their crews and cargo.
Rediscovery and Diving the Wreck
Today, the Eber Ward rests upright on the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac in 147 feet of water with her decking at 120 feet, remarkably well-preserved due to the cold freshwater of Lake Michigan. The wreck is located within the boundaries of the Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Preserve, an underwater park established to protect and promote the historical legacy of these lost vessels.
Experienced technical divers consider the wreck of the Eber Ward a premier dive site because of its depth and condition. Much of the ship’s structure remains intact, including its bow, stern, and a large section of the deckhouse. The ice crushed the bow, and divers can see the twisted metal, a silent reminder of the ship’s violent encounter.
Cold water has also preserved many artifacts, including the ship’s anchor windlass, its boiler, and even parts of the cargo. In some accounts, corn kernels can still be found scattered in the holds. The lifeboat davits remain visible, giving divers an eerie glimpse into the last desperate moments of the crew.
Artistic painting of the Eber Ward steaming through the Straits the morning of the sinking. Illustration by Curt Bowen ( Click image to enlarge )
Legacy
The story of the Eber Ward serves as a cautionary tale in the annals of Great Lakes shipping history. It highlights the dangers of spring navigation, the limits of early steel ship design, and the human cost of poor decision-making under pressure. It also exemplifies the resilience of those who made their living on these waters, battling not only the elements but also economic demands and the unforgiving nature of the Great Lakes.
The wreck continues to captivate historians, divers, and maritime enthusiasts alike. As one of the more accessible and visually striking shipwrecks in the Straits of Mackinac, the Eber Ward offers a rare underwater window into the past, where the story of industry, risk, and loss is etched forever in steel and wood beneath the surface.
This photograph captures eight of the nine surviving crew members of the Str. Eber Ward, standing solemnly in front of what was then Ryan’s Saloon—now known as the Keyhole Bar & Grill.
Among those who lived to tell the tale were Captain Timese LeMay of Detroit, first mate A. P. Callino, and chief engineer Frank Baldwin, also of Detroit. They were joined by second engineer S. R. Shipman, wheelsmen Charles Lester and Frank Gutch, steward John Winterhaler, and deckhand August Palmer. The ninth survivor, not pictured here, was the steward’s wife, Mrs. John Winterhaler, who had also been aboard during the fateful voyage.
Of the fourteen men aboard the Eber Ward, five perished in the tragedy: James Perry, the watchman; John Leubrath, a fireman; John Hern; Kinney McKay, a deckhand; and one unnamed individual whose identity was never recorded. Photo and Text by Aaron Thompson
The Eber Ward was a steel freighter built in 1888 by F.W. Wheeler & Co. in West Bay City, Michigan. The vessel, named after Eber Brock Ward (one of the original owners of the Detroit-based Ward Line), was designed to haul iron ore, coal, and other heavy bulk materials across the upper Great Lakes. Measuring 213 feet long and 37 feet wide, the Eber Ward was among the more modern vessels of its day, with a robust steam engine and steel construction that allowed for better endurance in rugged lake conditions.
