Shipwreck Found In Lake Superior 84 Years After The Captain Strangely Went Down With His Ship

The entire crew survived, except for the Captain when the Arlington sank in Lake Superior. According to the survivors, there wasn't an explanation as to why the captain didn't save himself.

Bulk Carrier Arlington discovered.

The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society GLSHS announced the discovery of the 244-foot bulk carrier Arlington in Lake Superior. It was found in 600 feet of water, 35 miles north of Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula.

The Shipwreck in 1940

The Arlington left Port Arthur Ontario loaded with wheat. It was headed to Owen Sound, Ontario. Captain Frederick "Tatey Bug" Burke was in command and had spent decades on Lake Superior.

The Arlington was traveling with another larger freight, the Collingwood across Lake Superior. A dense fog came in during the day, and then at night, it began to storm. The waves battered both ships and the Arlington started to take on water.

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The next morning the alarm was sounded by Chief Engineer Fred Glibert that the ship was sinking. The crew, without orders from Captain Burke, abandoned the ship out of fear for their lives. The crew all made it to the lifeboat and got aboard the Collingwood, except for Captain Burke.

The Captain was last seen at the pilot's house waving.

The last captain was last seen waving at the Collingwood while standing near the pilothouse. The ship sank just a few minutes later.

It's a mystery as to why the captain didn't save himself and abandon the ship like everyone else did. No one will ever know the answer. Maybe the captain really believed that a captain should go down with his ship.

How it was found.

A tip came into the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society about a possible target off of Copper Harbor, Michigan. Dan Fountain found the anomaly by studying remote sensing data. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society did a side-scan sonar and found that it was a shipwreck. Later they sent down an underwater vehicle to investigate.

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You can read more about this incredible find at the Great Lake's Shipwreck Museum website.