HeyJaredLake Effect: Shipwrecks of the Great Lakes
From the frigid depths of the lakes to the wind-swept shorelines and bustling railways that surround the inland seas, Lake Effect dives into the most haunting shipwrecks connected to the Great Lakes.
- Indexed episodes, last 90 days
- 20
- Latest publication
- Sep 19, 2026
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- Earliest in this view
- Jul 4, 2026
Latest episodes
The Manasoo: A Desperate Run for Griffith Island (opens the original)
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In September 1928, the aging steamer Manasoo set out across Georgian Bay carrying passengers, automobiles, and more than 100 head of cattle. As darkness fell and the weather worsened, sometime after midnight, the ship began behaving strangely. Why was the Manasoo listing? Where was the water coming from? And could Captain John McKay reach Griffith Island before the situation became uncontrollable? In this episode of Lake Effect, we trace the remarkable history of the former passenger steamer Mac
D. R. Hanna: Collision on Lake Huron (opens the original)
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On May 16, 1919, the massive Great Lakes freighter D. R. Hanna was carrying a valuable cargo of wheat across Lake Huron when thick fog closed in near Thunder Bay Island. Somewhere ahead, another enormous freighter was approaching. The two ships could hear each other before they could see each other, relying on whistle signals to safely pass in the fog. Then one signal changed everything. In this episode of Lake Effect, we follow the troubled history of the D. R. Hanna, her earlier collisions and
The Equinox: Terror in a Lake Michigan Gale (opens the original)
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On September 10, 1875, the wooden steamer Equinox was fighting through a violent gale on Lake Michigan, carrying more than 6,700 barrels of salt and towing the schooner Emma A. Mayes toward Chicago. Then, through the darkness and crashing waves, the crew of the schooner heard three desperate words from the Equinox. What followed became one of Lake Michigan’s most harrowing shipwreck stories. The Equinox was no stranger to disaster. During nearly eighteen years on the Great Lakes, she had survive
SS Lafayette Shipwreck: Lost in the Mataafa Storm on Lake Superior (opens the original)
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In November 1905, the steamer Lafayette and the massive barge Manila were caught in the deadly Mataafa Storm on Lake Superior. Lost in darkness and snow, Captain D. P. Wright tried to steer toward the safer Wisconsin shore, only to hear breakers ahead. Discover the dramatic wreck, desperate escape, and remarkable survival story of the SS Lafayette on Minnesota’s North Shore.
SS Eastland: The Shipwreck That Should Have Been Impossible (opens the original)
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On July 24, 1915, the SS Eastland rolled onto its side in the Chicago River while still tied to the dock. There was no storm, no collision, and no open water, yet 844 people died only feet from shore. In this episode of Lake Effect: Shipwrecks of the Great Lakes, we follow the Eastland’s disturbing history, the warning signs that came years before the disaster, the unbelievable scenes as the ship overturned during a company picnic, and the frantic rescue effort as workers cut through the hull to
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