W.C. Franz

a diver floats above a shipwreck — A diver inspects the remains of *W.C. Franz* Image: Mel Clark.

sonar image shows a shipwrecks — Sonar image of *W.C. Franz*.

Vessel Type: Motor: bulk freighter

GPS Location: N44°38.875’ W82°54.392’

Depth: 230 feet

Wreck Length: 346 feet

Beam: 48 feet

Gross Tonnage: 3748

Cargo: Light

Built: 1901 by Detroit Shipbuilding Co. at Wyandotte, Michigan

Wrecked: November 21, 1934

Mooring Buoy Data

Description: Despite improved charts, navigational aids, designated shipping lanes, radio telephones, and eventually radar, big ships still go down in the Great Lakes. Such was the case when the freighter W.C. Franz was rammed by the freighter Edward E. Loomis during a heavy fog on Lake Huron. W.C. Franz went to the bottom with four crewmen. The wreck is largely intact except for the collision damage.

Great Lakes Maritime Collection digital archive: http://greatlakeships.org/2902267/data?n=1.