39 / 118
destinations, and I believe that the Great Lakes are
among them. The wrecks here are frozen in time,
preserved by the cold, fresh water. Many of the wooden
steamers and schooners have sat intact for more than
a century; they would no longer exist if they were in
salt water. Diving in the lakes is like peering into a
time capsule: Here you can read the ships’ names, see
cargo such as automobiles from the 1920s, find intact
schooners with rigging still in place and much more.
I’ve made a half-dozen trips to various places on the
lakes, most recently Milwaukee, Wis. There’s much
more to Milwaukee than cheese and beer: It’s a wreck-
diving wonderland for those adventurous enough to
take the plunge. The dives range in depth from just
10 feet to more than 300.
S.S.
MILWAUKEE
Our first destination was the S.S.
Milwaukee
, a
railroad-car ferry that once conducted year-round,
cross-lake service for the Grand Trunk Railroad.
The ship went down in a storm Oct. 22, 1929, killing
its crew of approximately 50. It was carrying 27
railcars filled with wood veneer, vegetables, cheese,
butter, bathroom fixtures, corn, feed, seed, malt and
automobiles. After 1920 all railroad car ferries were
retrofitted with a clamshell transom called a sea gate
to prevent waves from coming aboard in a following
sea. The
Milwaukee
’s sea gate was bent in by the
tremendous waves of the gale that sank the ship. Water
entered at the stern and filled the lower compartments.
Rail cars broke free and smashed through the side of
the hull. The sea gate unhinged on the starboard side
when a refrigerator car’s wheel trucks broke through
it as the ship was sinking. The 338-foot steel-hulled
Milwaukee
went down just seven miles northeast of
Milwaukee, three miles offshore in 120 feet of water.
As you descend onto the wreck, its reinforced, ice-
breaking bow comes into view, standing upright on
ALERTDIVER.COM|
37
HOW TO DIVE IT
Getting There
Milwaukee is an easy airport to access, with many direct
flights there available. Visitors driving from the
Chicago area can take I-94 straight into Milwaukee.
Conditions
May through September are the best months for
diving. Air temperatures are typically between 50°F
and 80°F, with conditions ranging from dense fog to
bright sun. Water temperatures vary by time of year
and depth. June water temperatures are in the high-
30s°F or 40s°F, but late in August water temps can be 50°F-60°F. There is typically little or no current
on the wrecks, and most have at least one mooring buoy for ascents and descents.
Topside Adventure
There are plenty of things to see and do in Milwaukee. The
Denis Sullivan
is a three-masted replica
schooner similar to what you would have seen plying these waters more than a century ago.
Milwaukee also has many museums, breweries, lighthouses, parks and excellent food.
S.S. Wisconsin
Prins Willem V
S.S. Milwaukee
Grace Channon
Milwaukee
WISCONSIN
LAKE MICHIGAN
Kenosha