Two Wisconsin Shipwrecks to be Listed in National Register of Historic Places

 

MADISON, Wis. (06/11/01) – Two of Wisconsin’s historic shipwrecks recently have been determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

The Wisconsin Historic Preservation Review Board determined the 95-foot luxury yacht Rosinco and the 132-foot, three-masted schooner Fleetwing eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places on April 20.

Underwater images, video segments, and historical information on the Rosinco, Fleetwing, and many other wrecks can be found on the Web site “Wisconsin’s Great Lakes Shipwrecks,”  prepared by the Wisconsin Historical Society and the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute.

The Rosinco as it appeared under its second name, the Whitemarsh

Built in 1916, the Rosinco heralded a new era in luxury yacht design and construction, according to Jeff Gray, state underwater archaeologist at the Wisconsin Historical Society, and one of the authors of the nominations. “The Rosinco is remarkably well preserved,” Gray said.  “She is a monument to several milestones in ship construction, including early diesel technology and the use of steel as a primary building material for yachts."

The yacht’s final voyage began on 18 September 1928, when the vessel departed Milwaukee bound for Chicago, with one passenger and a five-man crew.   Ten miles off Kenosha at 2:45 a.m. the next morning, the vessel reportedly struck some floating timber that apparently ruptured the steel hull.

The duty crew quickly awakened those who were sleeping below decks and everyone hurried topside. The ship was sinking rapidly. Passengers and crew jumped ship and swam to the small motor launch towed behind the yacht.  No sooner had the crew cast off the line that tethered the launch to the Rosinco than the yacht’s stern lifted out of the water and the grand vessel slid, bow first, beneath 185 feet of water.  Only one casualty was incurred: the ship’s canary mascot.

Today, the Rosinco affords a rare glimpse into life on one of the most luxurious Great Lakes yachts of the early twentieth century.  “The Rosinco is intact and sitting upright on the bottom,” Gray said. “She has been exceptionally well preserved by Lake Michigan’s cold, fresh water.”

Some evidence suggests this may be a photo of the Fleetwing.

The Fleetwing was a classic Great Lakes schooner and one of many victims of the hazardous Death's Door passage at the tip of Door County.  In the fall of 1888, the three-masted vessel was searching for the passage in a northwest gale.  The ship struck a nearby rocky beach with a grinding crash that sheared off a mast.  Several days later, another gale pounded her to pieces.

“Today the Fleetwing is a popular attraction for divers, snorkelers, and kayakers,” Gray said.  “The site lies in shallow, protected water with excellent clarity, and the site is easily accessible.”

The Rosinco and the Fleetwing are owned by the state of Wisconsin and managed by the Wisconsin Historical Society.  They are two of over 700 shipwrecks and thousands of other archaeological sites resting in the 22 percent of the state that is submerged.  In addition to their historic value, these sites are popular attractions for recreational divers.

The finding of the review board places the Rosinco  and the Fleetwing on Wisconsin’s State Register of Historic Places.  The two nominations, prepared by the Wisconsin Historical Society, have been forwarded to the Keeper of the National Register in Washington, D.C., for evaluation. Earlier this year, the keeper determined the Rosinco eligible for listing.

The determinations virtually assure the shipwrecks will be listed in National Register later this year, Gray said.

# # # #

© University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute
all audio, images and video used with permission

last updated 15 June 2001

page created 14 February 2001 by Karl

http://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/communications/news_releases/2001/Rosinco-Fleetwing.html