Latest news with #J.C.Perrett
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
An Amateur Pilot Found 3 Shipwrecks in 3 Days. 10 Years Later, Her Grandson Found Another One.
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: Christopher Thuss was out fishing in Lake Michigan when he discovered a shipwreck just nine feet below the surface of the water. The wreckage turned out to be the J.C. Ames, which sank in a fiery display on that spot more than a century ago. Thuss isn't the only member of his family to make such a discovery—a decade earlier, his step-grandmother earned the nickname 'Shipwreck Suzze' for spotting three different shipwrecks over the course of three days. There's something in the water in Wisconsin. How else can you explain how a grandmother and grandson duo both unwittingly discovered a cumulative four shipwrecks decades apart? According to a press release from the Wisconsin Historical Society, Christopher Thuss was out fishing on a foggy day in Lake Michigan (off the coast of Manitowoc) when he spied—just nine feet below the water—the remnants of a wreckage. 'Thuss reported his finding to Wisconsin Historical Society maritime archaeologist Tamara Thomsen,' the press release noted, '...who worked in collaboration with Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association president Brendon Baillod to identify the wreck as the J.C. Ames.' Most of us probably wouldn't known just who to contact if we came across a shipwreck. But Thomsen was likely already on Thuss's radar. After all, per an article by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Thomsen had been one of the maritime archaeologists who had conducted surveys based on the discoveries made by 'Shipwreck Suzze' Johnson back in 2015. 'Shipwreck Suzze' made waves a decade ago when—as a byproduct of her retirement hobby of piloting an ultralight plane known as a 'powered parachute'—she discovered three different shipwrecks in the span of just three days. Remarkable as that is, the surprising twists don't stop there: 'Shipwreck Suzze' also just so happens to be Christopher Thuss' step-grandmother. So, what of the ship that Thuss discovered? Well, it's a vessel that has a story to tell all its own. According to the ship now known as the J.C. Ames began life under a different name—the J.C. Perrett. Built in Manitowoc in 1881, the fore-and-aft compound steam engine vessel is described as 'one of the largest and most powerful tugboats ever built on the Great Lakes.' Originally used to haul lumber (up to 'five barges worth' per Wisconsin Shipwrecks), the then-Perrett 'would serve a variety of roles over its long career.' It survived a collision in 1889, changed hands in 1895 to become a hauler of railroad barges between Chicago and Peshtigo, and saw its boilers replaced and its name changed to the J.C. Ames in 1896. It would be sold two more times before 1923, when it was finally retired from service and stripped for parts. After anything deemed valuable was removed, it was sent off in a fashion that might seem unusual to modern eyes: 'Its remaining hull was towed outside of Manitowoc in Maritime Bay and set ablaze for the enjoyment of spectators in 1923. This was a common practice with the elderly ships of the time. The Ames burned to the waterline and sank into 9 feet of water where it was further dismantled by wind, waves, and ice, until it was buried underneath the sand and forgotten.' Now, a century after its fiery descent, the J.C. Ames is headed for a second life as a likely tourist attraction. Per the Wisconsin Historical Society's press release, work has now begun to place the J.C. Ames on the State Register of Historic Places, with an eye towards eventually securing it a place on the National Register of Historic Places. 'Due to the wreck's unique position in Lake Michigan,' the press release noted, 'it has the potential to become a popular destination for kayaking and snorkelers.' 'These kinds of discoveries are always so exciting because it allows a piece of lost history to resurface. It sat there for over a hundred years and then came back on our radar completely by chance,' Thomsen said of the discovery. 'We are grateful that Chris Thuss noticed the wreck and reported it so we can share this story with the Wisconsin communities that this history belongs to.' You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Fisherman discovers century-old Great Lakes shipwreck
The step-grandson of a famous Great Lakes shipwreck finder recently made his own historic discovery in Wisconsin—the long-lost remains of a tugboat deemed one of the largest and most powerful of its era. But unlike many other vessels sailing in the region at the time, the story of the J.C. Ames ended with an intentionally fiery grand finale. Earlier in the month, Christopher Thuss went out angler fishing on the foggy waters of Lake Michigan about 43 miles south of Green Bay near Manitowoc. Thuss noticed his onboard sonar observing a sizable object nearby, and after steering towards the location, he saw a ship's remnants barely nine feet below the water's surface. After Thuss reported it to the state's historical society, the organization reached out to the Wisconsin Underwater Archeology Association and orchestrated a dive to check out the mystery wreck. Wisconsin Historical Society maritime archeologist Tamara Thomsen matched the decaying wood hull with archival records. After 102 years resting in the shallow waters, experts had rediscovered what's left of the J.C. Ames. Built in 1881 by the Rand and Burger shipbuilding company for $50,000, the 670-horsepower tug initially named the J.C. Perrett was at the time one of the largest of its kind in the Great Lakes. The vessel was initially commissioned to haul lumber, and managed as many as five barges' worth of timber at once. In 1889, a steambarge struck Perrett and damaged its stem, requiring extensive repairs. A subsequent overhaul of the ship's boilers along with new owners six years later resulted in a name change to the J.C. Ames. In addition to lumber, the Ames also hauled railroad barges between Peshtigo, Wisconsin, and Chicago, Illinois. The tug finally reached its retirement after over four decades of service. In 1923, the Ames set on its final voyage after being stripped of anything of value, including its replacement boilers and engine. As was customary at the time, the hull was towed out near the coast of Manitowoc and set aflame for onlookers to enjoy. It then sank a few feet to the bottom of Maritime Bay, where it has remained for over a century. While buried under sand for decades, it appears the lake currents only recently re-exposed the J.C. Ames. The hull portions currently sticking out from the sediment are only partially covered in quagga mussels—a destructive and invasive species of mollusks that have caused problems across the Great Lakes for the last 30 years. Quagga mussels can grow so dense on sunken aircraft and ship remains that they ultimately crush the surfaces beneath them. Discovering wrecks runs in Thuss' family. According to the Wisconsin Historical Society's announcement, the fisherman's step-grandmother is 'Shipwreck Suzze' Johnson. Johnson took up powered parachute and ultralight plane piloting after retirement, and made headlines for discovering three Lake Michigan shipwrecks in three days while flying over them in 2015.
