Beneath the cold waves of Lake Michigan rests an aging shipwreck, its wooden planks encrusted with brown-and-gray zebra mussels, that may be the remnants of a 17th-century ship called the Griffin, two Michigan-based treasure hunters say. My interest began the day my teacher reached over and touched my shoulder and said out loud in class, Maybe one day someone in this class will find it.. Ive seen dozens and dozens of 100- to 150-year-old ships, and that is not a 350-year-old ship. Now, treasure hunters who. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, James Mansfield[1] says that in the fall of 1678, La Salle built a vessel of about 10 tons burden at Fort Frontenac and that this vessel, named Frontenac, was the first real sailing vessel on the Great Lakes; specifically, on Lake Ontario (which some at the time called Lac de Frontenac). the griffon shipwreck facts the griffon shipwreck facts. Ice flowing down the river threatened to damage their little brigantine and after a cable was broken, they hauled the vessel ashore and into a small ravine for protection. [1] They reached the mouth of the Detroit River on 10 August 1679 where they were greeted by three columns of smoke signaling the location of Tonti's camp whom they received on board. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Built with the Largo WordPress Theme from the Institute for Nonprofit News. In the meantime, the duo plans to continue their hunt for the gold bullion. Shipwrecks are found either beached on land or sunken to the seabed of a body of water. A 2015 book The Wreck of the Griffon by Cris Kohl and Joan Forsberg argues that the best "discovery" proposed to date remains the 1898 find by Albert Cullis, lighthouse keeper on the western edge of Manitoulin Island in northern Lake Huron. 'We are confident the ship was wrecked due to a severe storm. His conclusion: The remains of the ship Le Griffon in French sank in shallow water in the Huron Islands of northern Lake Michigan, northeast of Green Bay, Wisconsin, with the loss of all the crew members aboard. [1], French explorer Ren Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, sought a Northwest Passage to China and Japan to extend France's trade. The British steamship Nisbet Grammer, the largest steel steamer to have foundered in Lake Ontario has been discovered by a team of shipwreck explorers. [15] On 19 June 2013, teams of scientists determined the wood pole discovered was not attached to a ship, after it came loose and was placed on the lake bed during an excavation. "They lost the ship from sight," Baillod said, "and that's the last anybody has ever seen the Griffin.". A Eurasian griffon vulture can be found throughout Spain, Saudi Arabia, and Iran among other areas. An Indian prophet called Metiomek of the Iroquois said legend had cursed the ship before it left; he told its owner La Salle it would sink deep water. The Griffin - a ship that was 'cursed' by native tribesmen - has been identified nearly 350 years after it vanished, solving one of America's oldest and most notorious maritime mysteries. Where are the cannons? TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) A debris field at the bottom of Lake Michigan may be the remains of the long-lost Griffin, a vessel commanded by a 17th-century French explorer, said a shipwreck . Countless shipwrecks sit beneath the ocean and stranded on land around the world. In September 1679, French explorers loaded the boat with furs and left Green Bay. People remember the cautionary TV commercials from Do not sell or share my personal information. The bowsprit is thespar running out from the bow (front) of a ship), He said: 'My interest began the day my teacher reached over and touched my shoulder, and said out loud in class, "maybe one day, someone in this class will find it. Police raid online sensation shop Wakey Wines looking for drugs as owner famous for his Prime Not so shipshape! Laura holds a bachelor's degree in English literature and psychology from Washington University in St. Louis and a master's degree in science writing from NYU. Interactive map reveals when you may see SNOW. "An expedition of historic significance: the search for the elusive, "France claims historic Great Lakes wreck", "Great Lakes Exploration Group, France and Michigan Establish Cooperative Agreement For Shipwreck Exploration", "Divers begin Lake Michigan search for Griffin ship", "Griffin Shipwreck: Wooden Beam Not Attached To Buried Vessel, Researchers Say", "Explorer says Griffin shipwreck may be found", "Treasure hunters find mysterious shipwreck in Lake Michigan", "Four reasons why the Frankfort-area shipwreck can't be the Griffin", "Le Griffon: The Great Lakes' greatest mystery", "If you are in need of a mystery, here is a historic puzzle: What happened to La Salle's Griffon? But the ship vanished while delivering a valuable cargo of furs, amid rumours that she had been cursed by a prophet from the Iroquois tribe. WWII German shipwreck found in Black Sea Airborne laser reveals hidden city in Cambodia The ship, commanded by the French explorer La Salle, was never seen again after setting sail in September. As noted above, sources give its size as either 20 tons or 40 tons. The loss of the Griffon is one of the great mysteries of the Great Lakes. They are schooners, freighters, steamships, tugs and fishing boats, and thanks to the cold, fresh water, many of them are perfectly preserved. Every one of these shipwreck hunters finds a bone pile and claims its the Griffon.. Heres the backstory as Libert tells it: LaSalle built the Griffon as his flagship upriver from Niagara Falls, probably on what is now the Canadian side of the Niagara River. The two men did not bring up the nail on purpose, and they plan to return it to the state, said Dean Anderson, the state archaeologist for Michigan. During his 20-year newspaper career, he covered public affairs, environmental issues and legal affairs for newspapers in New York and Michigan, winning a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of a legislative corruption scandal. ', 'The Seneca were in awe of the French for having built such a large canoe. They made their way around Long Point, Ontario, constantly sounding as they went through the first moonless, fog-laden night to the sound of breaking waves and guided only by La Salle's knowledge of Galine's crude, 10-year-old chart. [12] A number of sunken old sailing ships have been suggested to be Le Griffon but, except for the ones proven to be other ships, there has been no positive identification. When a strong wind suddenly arose, they could not make it back to the ship. Historian J. La Salle took personal command at this point due to evidence that the pilot was negligent. A couple in Charlevoix . The ship was righted and brought back to the port in Milwaukee and returned to service. General Ubilla's New Spain Fleet was composed of: 1 - The Capitana, Nuestra Seora de Regla, San Dimas y San Francisco Javier (Presumably a galleon). It would no longer exist. For the second time, they used a dozen men and ropes to tow Le Griffon over the rapids of the St. Clair River into lower Lake Huron. Loaded with furs in what's now Wisconsin, the Griffon was said to have sunk somewhere in northern Lake Michigan in 1679. 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Rather, it may be the remnants of a tugboat that was scrapped after "steam engines became more economical to operate," said Brendon Baillod, a Great Lakes historian who has written scholarly papers on the Griffin. They dragged the materials to the mouth of the Niagara, rested and warmed up a few days in an Indian village, then carried the materials single file through the snow to their settlement above the falls. So, if the Griffons final resting place isnt where Libert believes it to be, where is it? The two treasure hunters were taking measurements of the ship when Dykstra's magnet, tethered to his scuba gear, picked up an object that few people have ever seen: a hand forged nail that dates back to 1679. The Griffin - a ship that was 'cursed' by native tribesmen - has been identified nearly 350 years after it vanished, solving one of America's oldest and most notorious maritime mysteries.. Le Griffon is considered by some to have been the first ship lost on the Great Lakes. 3. (Image credit: Father Louis Hennepin Public Domain ). THE WRECK OF THE GRIFFON by Cris Kohl and Joan Forsberg, published and distributed by Seawolf Communications Inc. 224 pages. The Liberts' book, Le Griffon and the Huron Islands 1679: Our Story of Exploration and Discovery, is available via Amazon for 24.69. On a subsequent dive, Dykstra took a magnet with him to help determine the metal composition of the ship. Thedetails of their findwere recorded in a 2021 book that chronicled their finding of the mysterious wreck. Somewhere near present-day Toronto they were frozen in and had to chop their way out of the ice. After disembarking, the ship and the exploration disappeared into history. Valerie van Heest, a member of the board of directors of the Michigan Shipwreck Research Association, says, There have been 30 or more discoveries of the Griffon dating back to early 1800s. Le Griffon was the first ship of thousands to disappear in our upper Great Lakes, Libert, president of Great Lakes Exploration Group LLC, told cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. [4] They entered Lake St. Clair on 12 August, the feast day of Saint Clare of Assisi, and named the lake after her. B. Mansfield reported that this "excited the deepest emotions of the Indian tribes, then occupying the shores of these inland waters". Tonti learned of a plan to burn the ship before it could be launched, so he launched ahead of schedule and Le Griffon entered the waters in early May 1679. The remains of the 300-year-old ship known as Le Griffon the first European vessel known to have traversed the waters of the upper Great Lakes have proved so tricky to find as to become the stuff of legends, even prompting Atlas Obscura to dub the wreck the "white whale for Great Lakes shipwreck hunters."The location of the ship's final resting place isn . They again sounded their way through the narrow channel of the St. Clair River to its mouth where they were delayed by contrary winds until 24 August. Onboard the ship was furs for trade, and a legend that an Iroquois tribe Shaman or prophet foretold it would be lost to history, reportedthe Express UK. His conclusion: The remains of the ship Le Griffon in French sank in shallow water in the Huron Islands of northern Lake Michigan, northeast of Green Bay, Wisconsin, with the loss of all the crew members aboard. While there have been many theories over the years, there is no clear consensus as to the fate or current location of Le Griffon. New York, The 1633 journey left at Downs, England and landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts on September 3. . [citation needed], In July 1679, La Salle directed 12 men to tow Le Griffon through the rapids of the Niagara River with long lines stretched from the bank. It's the only artifact so far to be brought back from the ship wreck. "If you take the picture of the carving of the griffon and overlay it on what these gentleman have, it's very compelling," Porter said. Le Griffon Shipwreck. [4] They were navigating Le Griffon through uncharted waters that only canoes had previously explored. No villain can mess with the griffin! But the sinking was caused by a storm is the best explanation. 'She will sink beneath the deep waters and your blood shall stain the hands of those in whom you trusted!'. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. 175 Year Old Great Lakes Atlas Schooner Located in Lake Ontario, Early 1800s Dagger-board Schooner Three Brothers Discovered in Lake Ontario, 1926 Steamship Nisbet Grammer Discovered in Lake Ontario, 158 year old Canadian Schooner Royal Albert Discovered in Lake Ontario, Mid-Nineteenth Century Canadian Schooner Ocean Wave Discovered by Shipwreck Explorers, Major Shipwreck Discovery in Lake Michigan. The ship disappeared 343 years back on its maiden launch without a trace. Le Griffon (French pronunciation:[l if], The Griffin) was a sailing vessel built by Ren-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle in 1679. Kingsford's text says Thirty-nine Mile Point, but modern charts do not show that name. Native tradition holds that The Griffin became a ghost ship, whose crew are sometimes heard chanting as she sails among the clouds on a moonlit night. On its maiden voyage, it sailed across Lake Erie, up the Detroit and St. Clair Rivers, and across Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. All rights reserved. LaSalle's Griffon has not been found. While there La Salle selected a site for building Le Griffon. Lake Erie covers 2,000 of them, among the highest concentration of wrecks in the world. Until there is an expedition (to the site) with politically unaligned professionals, I will not weigh in one way or another, said Vrana, whose nonprofit group has consulted with Libert. LaSalle had the ship built on a creek near the Niagara River to accomplish his mission of finding a passage to China. Revealed: The top 10 fastest-growing destinations for UK pensioners retiring overseas. Rochester, New York - The wreckage of the schooner Atlas which sank in 1839 during a gale has been located in Lake Ontario. Those left behind proceeded with needed building projects. [1][4], On noon of 25 August they started out northwest with a favoring northerly wind. The fate of the Le Griffon offers many intriguing mysteries to those interested in shipwrecks, most notably the fact that the ship's discovery has not been confirmed. "[1] The straight-line distance is about 75 miles (121km). They come in contact with the important newsmakers of the day, from the Supreme Court justices and the governor to members of the Legislature and the people who run the state government departments, to lobbyists and public-interest organizations. [1][4] The exact size and construction of Le Griffon is not known. Menu viscount royal caravan. They moored in quiet water off Squaw Island three miles from Lake Erie waiting for favorable northeast winds. La Belle was the ship of French explorer La Salle, lost at Matagorda Bay in 1686. Griffin is an English East India Company ship which sank in Sulu Sea near Basilan Island in 1761. Some time later, Hennepin would use this little vessel to sail to Fort Frontenac and again back to Niagara. Several French explores built the exploratory vessel Ren-Robert Cavalier and Sieur de La Salle. turtix/Shutterstock. - News and information from student journalists at the Michigan State University School of Journalism, About the Michigan State University School of Journalism, Michigan Chile Investigative Journalism Program, MSU journalism COVID-related reporting guidelines, Upcoming court ruling could impact trial court funding as deadline approaches, Why does your vote matter? La Salle's prime focus in 1678 was building Le Griffon. We asked the experts - and their answers will terrify you Five unexpected signs in your 20s and 30s you're at risk of developing heart disease later in life.