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Submitted by Linda Talbott and Ronald Eason
for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/
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Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott
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    VESSEL NAME:   John V. Moran
    OTHER NAME(s): -
    OFFICIAL NO:   76748
    DATE OF LOSS:  3 February 1899
    REASON:        Ice
    LOCATION:      Lake Michigan, off Muskegon
    RIG TYPE:      Propeller, package & bulk freight
    HULL TYPE:     Wooden, iron plated to help break ice.
    BUILDER:       Frank W. Wheeler, West Bay City, MI - 1888
    OWNER(S):      Crosby Transportation Co.
    MASTER:        Capt. McLeod
    TONNAGE:       1350 gt
    DIMENSIONS:    214 x 32 x 22
    CASUALTIES:    0
    SURVIVORS:     all

                   Her hull was cut through by ice off Muskegon, MI., while
               en route from Milwaukee to that place. Distress signals were
               blown and heard by her sister ship, the NAOMI, which went to
               her aid. The NAOMI attempted to tow the wounded MORAN for
               three hours but had to give up the attempt.  Left to her
               fate the MORAN slipped to her fate with no witnesses to
               record where she took her death dive to the lake bottom. The
               crew of the MORAN were taken aboard the NAOMI and landed at
               Grand Haven on the afternoon of the 5th.  The cargo of flour
               was valued at $50,000 and hull of the MORAN was uninsured.

                   For 116 years the JOHN V. MORAN kept her resting place
               on the Lake Michigan floor a secret. On June 5, 2015, Jeff
               Voss and a group of shipwreck hunters were combing a 10-
               square-mile area of flat lake bottom with sonar when a large
               image appeared on the print out. Recording the coordinates,
               the team kept quiet about the find for over a month.  On
               July 8, working with the Michigan State Police Underwater
               Recovery Unit, equipment was sent over the side to descend
               over 300 feet to record underwater images confirming that
               they had, indeed, found the nearly pristine JOHN V. MORAN
               still sitting upright.  Although her smokestack is missing
               her deck rails, mast, and lights are still standing, and
               intact glass remains in her windows.

               As an interesting note:  The first mate of the JOHN V. MORAN
               at the time of her loss was Robert McKay.  The same Robert
               McKay would later become first mate of the rescueing boat,
               NAOMI.  The NAOMI had been formerly named WISCONSIN and
               returned to that name in 1924.  On October 22, 1929, Robert
               McKay was captain of the carferry MILWAUKEE when it
               foundered on Lake Michigan after leaving Milwaukee during a
               violent storm.  One week to the day later, October 29, 1929,
               the WISCONSIN (formerly NAOMI) foundered in almost the
               same spot.

 ========================================================================
Sources: The Marine Record, 9 February 1899
         Blue Book of American Shipping, 1899
         Shelak, "Shipwrecks of Lake Michigan"
         Oleszewski "Mysteries and Histories" - 1997
         WZZM TV13 (Grand Rapids, MI) 22 July 2015
         Associated Press - 25 July 2015

Last updated 25 July 2015