SS Selah Chamberlain

SS SELAH CHAMBERLAIN was a 212 foot wooden-hulled steam freighter built in Cleveland, Ohio in 1873 by the Quayle & Martin shipyard. The Vermont-born namesake of the ship was a canal builder, railroad developer, banker, and involved in iron mining. On October 13, 1886, the 13-year-old vessel sank after colliding with the SS JOHN PRIDGEON JR. in fog east of Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The SELAH CHAMBERLAIN and her schooner barge, FAYETTE BROWN were travelling from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Escanaba Michigan to take on a load of iron ore which they would then transport to Cleveland, Ohio. While steaming north, the encountered dense fog about 7 miles off of Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The crew heard the whistle of a vessel directly ahead and Captain A. Greenly instantly answered with his whistle and turned to port. The larger and newer oncoming vessel, JOHN PRIDGEON JR., struck the SELAH CHAMBERLAIN on the port bow. After the collision, the crew of the SELAH CHAMBERLAIN cut the tow lines of the FAYETTE BROWN loose so as not to drag the barge to the bottom if the steamer sank. It took only 15 minutes for SELAH CHAMBERLAIN to sink. Five lives were lost due to the collision and sinking. Several unsuccessful attempts were made to salvage the wreck in 1887 and 1889.

In the 1970’s, shipwreck explorer John Steele “King of the Wreck Hunters”, rediscovered and dove on the wreck. The remains of SELAH CHAMBERLAIN lie on the bottom about 2 nautical northeast of Sheboygan Point at a depth of 90 feet within the boundaries of the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast NMS. The location is N43.76979 N and W087.65677 and is marked annually by a NOAA mooring buoy.