() The wreckage of a “ghost ship” that sank 140 years ago has been discovered, searchers say.
The Wisconsin Historical Society, along with the Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association, announced that the wreck of the F.J. King was discovered in Lake Michigan in late June.
The F.J. King, a cargo schooner with three masts, embarked on a journey transporting iron ore from Michigan to Chicago in September 1886 when it got caught in a fierce gale. The ship’s seams were breached by waves reaching up to 10 feet, leading to its sinking around 2 a.m.
“Some of us had to pinch each other,” said Brandon Baillod, a researcher. “After numerous previous attempts, we were amazed that we finally found it, and so quickly.”
Efforts to locate the F.J. King date back to the 1970s, but varying reports of its last known position complicated the search. The challenges faced by those searching for the F.J. King gave it a mythical status as a ghost ship among shipwreck enthusiasts.
In the last three years, the Wisconsin Underwater Archeology Association has discovered five wrecks.
