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Site Record
Metadata
Site Name |
Arabia |
Site# |
900 |
Description |
Each year countless people take the Chi-Cheemaun across the picturesque waters of the borders of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. As they take in the spectacular greenery sprinkled amongst the islands, they scarcely know of the history submerged just below them. Just off the coast of Echo Island (located between Cove Island and Flowerpot Island) is the final resting place of the barque, Arabia, which sunk on October 5, 1884. It currently boasts the title of being the Tobermory area's most intact shipwreck. Arabia was launched as a three-mast barque at the shipyard of the Kingston Marine Railway Company on April 26, 1853. The vessel was meant to perform oceanic voyages, but it was employed on Lake Ontario for the 1853 season due to local freight rates being more profitable. Around a year later on May 22, 1854, Arabia would be registered at Montreal and set sail for Glasgow, Scotland under the command of Captain John Godfrey. Arabia continued its Atlantic crossings until 1855 when it began shipping mostly cereal products between Chicago and Kingston. The first incident that Arabia faced was in 1866 when it stranded on Spectacle Reef in Lake Huron. Two years later, the vessel was blown to shore by a gale at Port Colborne and lost its entire cargo. Arabia then ran aground again in Lake Huron in 1871 which caused the crew to throw the cargo overboard. Misadventure continued to plague Arabia as in November 1881, the vessel had just entered trade in Georgian Bay when it ran aground at Hay Island at Colpoys Bay. The second incident occurred just a year later when Arabia ran aground again at Flowerpot Island. Fortunately, there was minimal damage in both of these incidents. However, fate would eventually catch up to the vessel in 1884. Arabia departed Chicago on October 1st with a cargo of corn heading to Midland, Georgian Bay. Unfortunately, the vessel encountered a storm just off the coast of the Duck Islands which ripped open its seams causing a leak. The crew proceeded to pump the water off of the gradually sinking vessel for about a day while also sending out distress signals. Finally, on October 5th, Captain Henry Douville, deemed Arabia too far gone and ordered the crew to board the yawl boat. While the crew was rescued after several hours adrift by the steam tug, Clark, Arabia would slip beneath the waves beside Echo Island. Arabia would sit undisturbed for the next 87 years with small rumours of the "corn wreck" off of Echo Island keeping its memory alive. Then, in 1971, Captain Albert Smith of Tobermory pinpointed the wreck's location which led to a formal investigation and identification a year later. Today, Arabia is located within Fathom Five National Marine Park and is known as one of the most difficult diving sites due to the wreck sitting in 102-117 feet (31-35.5 metres) of cold, dark water with strong currents surrounding it. Several deaths have been associated with diving Arabia, making it one of the most dangerous shipwrecks on the Great Lakes. Note: This vessel is not to be confused with another by the same name. An "Arabia" registered in the United States was a Propeller rig, built in New York in 1873, rebulit in 1906, and scrapped at Quebec City in 1937-38. It changed its name from Arabia to Bickerdike in 1906, and then other names in teh 1920s and 1930s. (See Bowling Green State University's online "Historical Collections of the Great Lakes" for the history of this ship: https://greatlakes.bgsu.edu/item/433470) Reference Sources: Kohl, Chris. The 100 Best Great Lakes Shipwrecks Volume 1: Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, Lake Huron. Chicago: Seawolf Communications Inc. 1998. McClellan, Stan, Arthur Amos & Patrick Folkes, "Fathom Five Provincial Park: Preliminary Investigation of the Wreck of the Barque 'Arabia.' Arthur Amos Shipwreck Research Collection. Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre. A2021.024.362. Salen, Rick. The Tobermory Shipwrecks. Tobermory: The Mariner Chart Shop. 2004. Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre. AX2004.0216. |
