The wooden package freighter Eber Ward was built in Bay City, Michigan and is one of the deeper wrecks found in the Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Preserve. The shipwreck of the Eber Ward sits in 145 feet of water. The Eber Ward sank on April 20, 1909, on her final voyage from Chicago to Port Huron with a load of corn. Her demise was due to a collision with ice that was still in the Straits in April. The ice tore Ward’s bow, and she sank within 10 minutes, killing five crew members.
Mushroom Anchor above the Ice Damage on the Eber Ward
Bow of the Eber Ward
Diver Terry Kovar Exploring the Bow of the Eber Ward
Bow of the Eber Ward
Rebreather Diver Sean Putnam Exploring a Cargo Hold on the Eber Ward
Rebreather Diver Sean Putnam Exploring a Cargo Hold on the Eber Ward
Bow of the Eber Ward
Rebreather Diver Sean Putnam Exploring a Cargo Hold on the Eber Ward
Tub on the Top Deck
Exploring the Top Deck on the Eber Ward
Anchor on the Bow
The Eber Ward was built for the Detroit and Lake Superior Line. The vessel had two decks and could carry package or bulk freight. It also had powered unloading apparatus for grain and later even sported electric lighting.
The wreck sits upright on the bottom. The cabins are missing, but the hull is intact. The shipwreck is 5 miles west of the Mackinac Bridge in 145 ft of water. The deck is dispersed with equipment, and several anchors are on the bow, one of which is a mushroom anchor near the ice-damaged area of the bow. Trained divers can access the engine room, and cargo holds. The lifeboat and smokestack are off the starboard side.