Brief History of Samuel Mather

The Samuel Mather (Official Number 116142) was built in 1887 in Cleveland, Ohio, by Thomas Quayle's Sons for John W. Moore.   It was a wooden bulk freighter hull number 120 with dimensions length 246 ft, beam 40 ft, and depth 19 ft.  Her gross tonnage was 1576.23 and net tonnage 1286.72.  On November 21, 1891, in thick fog the Mather was sunk in a collision with the propeller Brazil about eight miles out from Point Iroquois, Ontario, Lake Superior, in Whitefish Bay.  The Mather was downbound from Duluth, Minnesota headed for Buffalo, New York with a cargo of wheat.  There was no loss of life and all survivors were picked up by the Brazil. At the time of the sinking the owner was Pickands, Mather & Co.

The Site:  The Samuel Mather lies about sixteen miles SE of Whitefish Pt and is one of the best dives in Lake Superior.  The ship is in a remarkable state of preservation and is a great example of a wooden freighter of the 1880's era.  It lies in slightly less than 170' of water right between the two shipping lanes where they pass very close to each other.  Each time we dive it we hear the propellers of the nearby ships.  It is well advised to have a watch on the surface to radio any closely passing ship of your status.

The bow cabins are gone.  Some of the upper stern cabins are intact but in a state of collapse and difficult to penetrate.  The impressive masts are still standing and the trumpet shaped ventilators are an unusual site.  Entry to the intact engine room is through the starboard gangway.  Remember many of the ship structures are fragile.  Maintain good buoyancy control so you can pass through without touching them.  Help preserve this beautiful wreck for the next divers. 

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