According to the New York Times shipwreck hunters have now found the remains of a 19th-century passenger steamer called the Lac La Belle. The Lac La Belle has been a mystery for nearly 150 years but now thanks to divers they’ve found her at the bottom of Lake Michigan.
The Lac La Belle was a luxury steamer built in 1864 that went down during a gale in October 1872. It was last reported to be seen off the Wisconsin shore with 53 passengers and crew aboard. After taking on water and losing its boiler fires in heavy seas, the ship sank stern-first. Unfortunately, one lifeboat capsized on the way to shore and killed eight people.
Illinois shipwreck hunter Paul Ehorn and his crew found the wreck about 20 miles offshore. A bit between Rancine and Kenosha they found her using a side-scan sonar in 2022. It was only just now publically announced after Ehorn and his team were able to properly investigate it.
Divers have since confirmed the wreck’s upright, largely intact hull. Despite the loss of its upper cabins, this wreck still looks eerily beautiful. Tons of invasive quagga mussels have colonized the exterior adding to the overall picturesqueness of the ship. The discovery is one of many historic shipwrecks on the Great Lakes, which are believed to contain thousands more yet to be found.
