History on the sinking of the Montezuma from research on the web:
In June 2016, Trotter and his dive team found another wreck — the schooner Montezuma, which went down in Lake Huron Oct. 3, 1871. The Montezuma was built in Cape Vincent, N.Y., in 1848. Her dimensions were 123 feet long with a beam of 25.1.
“We were excited about finding [the Montezuma] because she was one of the earliest-built vintage schooners of the time period,” said Trotter.
Trotter says he and his team were searching in Lake Huron about 35 miles east of Oscoda, Mich., when an image appeared on the side-scan sonar in an approximate depth of 170 feet. Trotter's team of divers descended to the wreck site and began exploring.
It took longer to identify the Montezuma than it did the Venus.
"Some of the historical records indicated that the Montezuma had three masts, but we only located two masts," said Trotter. "With some very good descriptions in historical newspapers about the collision [with the Hattie Johnson], we were able to locate the damage, then make a confident identification that the vessel was, in fact, the Montezuma."
The day the Montezuma sank, a heavy haze caused by enormous fires near the area had made visibility nearly impossible. Despite the conditions, the shipping lanes in Lake Huron remained open and active.
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According to historical records, the schooner Hattie Johnson was traveling two points off her course when suddenly a green light of the Montezuma appeared across her bow. The Johnson struck the Montezuma just forward of the main rigging with such force the Montezuma was nearly split in half. As the Montezuma was sinking, its crew abandoned ship and went aboard the Hattie Johnson, which sustained some damage, but wasn't sinking.
The Johnson dropped anchor and waited for a tug to tow her back to port.
"The Montezuma is a great, intact piece of history, despite the impact area of the collision," said Trotter. "Many times, the bottom of the lake is hard, or while sinking ships hit at a particular angle and they literally explode and dismantle themselves.
"That didn't happen with the Montezuma, which allowed our dive team to capture some stunning imagery."
Excellent original early family and/or town genealogy, history, antique, collectible heirloom and/or ephemera.
CONDITION: See listing description and photos.
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LOC2: PAPERBOX13-TMK-E237506BTA
