“Just breaking Lake Michigan’s surface.” That’s how the Silver Spray often appears. Today we are at the location where the Silver Spray met its end. It is Chicago’s closest shipwreck. The Silver Spray, originally named Bloomer Girl, was built in 1894. It first served Milwaukee before making Chicago its home.
On July 15, 1914, the Silver Spray was chartered. Its purpose was to pick up 200 University of Chicago students. They were to be taken for a tour of the Gary, Indiana steel mills. But the ship never made it. As it approached the dock, the vessel ran aground. It hit Morgan Shoal. This rocky outcrop is rare in Lake Michigan.
The captain ordered his crew to man the lifeboats. He told them to strike for shore. But he would stay with the ship. Someone needed to notify the students about the tour cancellation. So, one of the ship’s owners and a rower abandoned ship.
News spread quickly that the Silver Spray was sinking. However, the ship was merely stranded. Morgan Shoal is only about 20 feet deep at its deepest point. The sailors were not in immediate danger. An aviator offered a rope from his dirigible balloon. The crew declined the offer of rescue. They offered some Irish stew if the tourists wanted to come down.
Later, the Silver Spray’s twin ship Mineral City arrived. It tried to tow the Silver Spray off the shoal but failed. An unusual fog cloaked the lake. The Silver Spray remained stuck just offshore. The wreck of the Silver Spray actually began millions of years ago. It started in the Silurian period. At that time Illinois was under a shallow tropical ocean. Morgan Shoal was once a coral reef.
The shoal is made of Silurian dolomite. This rock contains ancient corals, sponges, and seashells. Today, the shoal’s crevices offer a diverse ecosystem. It supports insects, mollusks, crustaceans, and at least 15 species of fish. Boats still run aground here.
After three days, the captain and crew were ferried back. The “life savers” came from the Jackson Park Station. This was part of the United States Life-Saving Service. On July 18, 1914, the Silver Spray finally sank. Waves dashed the boat to pieces against the rocky shoal. Wreck revelers collected timbers. They built bonfires on the beach.
Today, if you know where to look you can see the boiler. It heaves into view like a car. From the shore, you might easily mistake it for a rock. But beneath the surface lie large sections of riveted metal. Also, there are propellers the size of a small child.
The Silver Spray is more than just a shipwreck. It is an accessible example of a rich ecosystem. It stands in contrast to the lake’s sandy bottom. Wave action has carried bits of the ancient limestone to shore. This formed Pebble Beach. If you look hard enough you might find fossils of tiny crustaceans. So remember the Silver Spray. It is a unique part of Chicago’s history and environment.