The Unholy Apostles

"The 'Unholy' Apostles" deals with a decidedly grim subject in Lake Superior lore - the shipwreck. The setting is the beautiful Chequamegon Bay area on the south shore. The time frame runs roughly from 1870 to 1930. Within this sixty year period Apostle Island waters witnessed many a troubled vessel, and produced a plethora of interesting tales. Shipwrecks have long fascinated mankind. After all, what's more dramatic than a vessel being lost at sea? Shipwreck tales seem to spark the imagination, or perhaps they massage the morbid side of human curiosity. Man's seemingly timeless struggle with the sea has long been considered high adventure. Battling the elements - whether it be storm-swelled seas, raging fire, or thick fog - is often brought to its most basic form aboard a ship: sink or swim, survive or die. Sometimes man is victorious: he conquers his unexpected adversary or is at least granted reprieve. The following tales concern those times when he wasn't. The Apostle Islands area was a major center for commerce. For decades ships plied these waters: the long forgotten sidewheelers, the graceful schooners, the powerful little tugs, the wooden bulk freighters, and eventually the bigger steel steamers. The volume of vessel traffic operating in the area during its heyday was immense. And, like other maritime regions, these waters witnessed their fair share of accidents. The "dead" ships that sit scattered about the Apostle Island area are part of the legacy of that great shipping period...