William H. Rounds

the bow of a shipwreck with a diver flaoting in the background — A diver swims along the remains of the keel of *William H. Rounds*

Ship Stats

Vessel Type: Sail: schooner

GPS Location: N44°50.219' W83°16.939'

Depth: 11 Feet

Wreck Length: 142 Feet

Beam: 25 Feet

Gross Tonnage: 308

Cargo: Coal

Launched: 1875 by Parsons and Humble in Tonawanda, New York

Wrecked: May 2, 1905

Mooring Buoy Data

Description: Lake Huron’s shallow, rocky reefs are an ever-present danger to Great Lakes shipping. In the unforgiving boulder-strewn waters off Black River near Harrisville, several ships met their ends.

In early May 1905, the schooner William H. Rounds was driven onto the rocky reef by a powerful storm. Its remains came to rest only 550 yards from those of another shipwreck from 35 years earlier, Alvin Buckingham. The crew of William H. Rounds managed to safely escape the wreck. The storm, however, pounded William H. Rounds' hull, and the schooner was a total loss.

Today, both of the shipwreck’s hulls are fairly intact and rest in less than 10 feet of water about 1.2 miles from shore. The proximity to shore and the clear water of Lake Huron make these shipwrecks a popular place for divers, snorkelers, and paddlers to explore.

Great Lakes Maritime Collection digital archive: http://greatlakeships.org/2897980/data?n=86

a diver swims near a shipwreck — A diver inspects the remains of *William H. Rounds*