The Wreck of the Conestoga (Cardinal, Ontario)
N 44° 46.782 W 075° 23.591
18T E 468892 N 4958553
The remains of a 252 foot long steamer that sank in 1922
Waymark Code: WMBE80
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 05/11/2011
Views: 55
The Conestoga was an iron-clad wooden steam freighter, 252 ft by 36 ft with a 16 ft hold, constructed in Cleveland by Quale & Son, and launched July 6th, 1878.
On May 21, 1922, while awaiting passage through the Galup Canal locks, a fire mysteriously started in her engine room. When this happened it was flushed from the lock where it drifted downstream and burned to its waterline and sank. There was no loss of life and its cargo of 30,000 bushels of wheat was salvaged.
The Conestoga is now a popular wreck dive where it sank in the Saint Lawrence River south of Cardinal, Ontario. It rests at a depth of 22-25 ft and is about 75 ft from shore.
I've dove on this wreck many, many times and I've taken my children snorkling on her often. The current is brisk, but any reasonable swimmer won't have a problem.
Cheers
CZ
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visit link)