We've often walked down Greenwood on our ambulations, but we didn't realize that near where the road meets Lake Michigan, about 150 yards out into the water and 15 feet down, is the wreckage of an old freighter that went down in ought-seven. In the captain's words:
The wreck off of [the beach] is the freighter, George Morley. She was a wooden steamer, nearly 200 feet long that caught fire while underway south for Chicago in 1907. She put in at the Greenwood Street Pier and the E-- Fire Department was summoned. The firemans' hoses were not long enough, however, and the fire rapidly got out of control. All hands were evacuated and George Morley was pushed away from the pier. She burned to the waterline and sank.
Here's a nifty dive video someone made:
I wonder what other secrets and treasures our new home town will yield for us in time?
2 comments:
Awesome. You're such a fine sleuth - Joanne Asala, Evanston's girl detective!
Just saw this. There is another shipwreck off of Lee St about 1/4 mile off shore. We called it the "Carrier" wreck. Couldn't find any information on it, but around the same era as the Morley.
Post a Comment