American
Ship stats
Depth: 150 ft
Coordinates: To be announced
Vessel Type: Three-masted schooner (converted to schooner barge)
Length: 137 feet
Breadth: 26 feet
Gross Tonnage: 283
Cargo: Coal
Built: 1870, Asa Wilcox at Three Mile Bay, New York
Port of Registry at Loss: Oswego, New York
Owner at Loss: Jonathan and Timothy Donovan, Oswego, New York
Date Lost: September 30, 1894
Cause of Loss: Foundered from a leak
Historical Background
This wreck was discovered off Stony Point by Mr. Tim Caza and Mr. Dennis Gerber in May 2019. Initially identified as Onondaga, the wreck was documented by NOAA and its partners at the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute in 2025. Research by NOAA at another wreck, now identified as Onondaga, suggests that this wreck is actually the wreck of the schooner barge American, though this identification remains uncertain.
The three-masted Welland canal schooner American was built in 1870 by Asa Wilcox at Three Mile Bay, New York. The schooner was 137 feet long, 26 feet in breadth and had a 10-foot depth of hold, measuring 283 gross tons. The vessel was completed at a cost of $25,000 to its owners Wilcox, Putnam and Company of Clayton, New York. It was first registered at Cape Vincent, and was assigned U.S. official number 1951.
Between 1870 and 1877, American was owned by J. Putnam and C.H. Becker of Clayton, NY. In 1888, the schooner was purchased by David Biggs, who sold the vessel to J. McCarthy the following year, its registry being transferred from Cape Vincent to Oswego in 1888. In 1891, American was owned by Timothy and John Donovan of Oswego, who rebuilt the schooner, converting it into a schooner barge. The Donovan Brothers would own American until its loss in 1894.
On the afternoon of September 29, 1894, American departed Oswego in tow of the steambarge Hall (presumably John E. Hall) along with the barge John R. Noyes, bound for Prescott, Ontario with 462 tons of coal.
Late the following morning, September 30, Captain John McDermott took soundings in the hold, finding 3 feet of water in the hold. After confirming the soundings at the aft pump, McDermott started the crew at working the bilge pumps. McDermott raised distress signals to alert Hall to their condition. Despite the crew’s efforts, the leaks continued to gain, and with 5 feet of water in the hold, American’s crew abandoned the barge in their boat. The crew were safely taken aboard Hall. Shortly after escaping to the boat, American sank by the bow. The vessel, valued at $4,000 was insured for $3,000 and cargo was insured.
Wreck Site
The wreck of American lies in 150 feet of water. The wreck remains upright and mostly intact apart from the port side which has collapsed outwards and is largely buried beneath coal spilling from the hold. The bow is split open, presumably from the impact with the bottom, but remains largely intact, with a windlass in place on deck. The deck, with its six large hatches and two smaller hatches offset to port, remains intact along the vessel’s entire length. Amidships, the base of the mainmast stands above the deck. Among the highlights of the dive are the windlass, capstan and bilge pump as well as the rudder and tiller.
