His conclusion: The remains of the ship Le Griffon in French sank in shallow water in the Huron Islands of northern Lake Michigan, northeast of Green Bay, Wisconsin, with the loss of all the crew members aboard. The photos were taken in 1997 from the roof of the cofferdam that surrounded the ship and kept it in a semi-dry environment. fremont hospital deaths; what happened to tropical tidbits; chris herren speaking fee; boracay braids cultural appropriation; the griffon shipwreck facts. ', He continued: 'Both the Seneca and Iroquois felt threatened by the construction and sight of Le Griffon, and felt that it was a threat to the 'Great Spirit. Is Joe Biden Sick? "An expedition of historic significance: the search for the elusive, "France claims historic Great Lakes wreck", "Great Lakes Exploration Group, France and Michigan Establish Cooperative Agreement For Shipwreck Exploration", "Divers begin Lake Michigan search for Griffin ship", "Griffin Shipwreck: Wooden Beam Not Attached To Buried Vessel, Researchers Say", "Explorer says Griffin shipwreck may be found", "Treasure hunters find mysterious shipwreck in Lake Michigan", "Four reasons why the Frankfort-area shipwreck can't be the Griffin", "Le Griffon: The Great Lakes' greatest mystery", "If you are in need of a mystery, here is a historic puzzle: What happened to La Salle's Griffon? [6] Some of La Salle's associates called this vessel a brigantine; others called it a bark. He also teaches public affairs reporting, international journalism, feature writing and media law and serves as director of the schools Capital News Service. They were concerned for their safety in as much that they tried to burn the ship during construction. According to historical sources, the vessel left England carrying packs of clothing and private trade on its way to Canton, China where it was loaded with cargo composed mostly of tea. All rights reserved (About Us). Green and Ken Vrana, the principal of Maritime Heritage Consulting, advocate an independent assessment by professionals. His wishes and hopes to find the legendary ship were all granted when he, his wife Kathie, and a group of others discovered it on Sept. 10, 2018 in upper Lake Michigan. 'Many believed the Jesuits were responsible for the ship's disappearance. Michigan state maritime archaeologist Wayne R. Lusardi presented evidence that the wreck was, in fact, a tugboat due to its 90-foot (27m) length and presence of a steam boiler. Le Griffon is considered by some to be the "holy grail of Great Lakes Shipwrecks" largely because it was the first sailing ship to cruise the Great Lakes. Justin Windsor notes that Count Frontenac by 1 August 1673, "had already ordered the construction of a vessel on Ontario to be used as an auxiliary force to Fort Frontenac. Hennepin said she was named to protect her from the fire that threatened her. Or the Jesuits had something to do with the disappearance. The griffin is a legendary creature with the head and wings of an eagle, and the body, tail, and hind legs of a lion. They again sounded their way through the narrow channel of the St. Clair River to its mouth where they were delayed by contrary winds until 24 August. The state of Michigan has rules stipulating that artifacts found on state land, including the land at the bottom of the Great Lakes, are state property. A ship in shallow water gets beat up quickly. Copyright 2023, Michigan State University. Le Griffon launched August 7, 1679 from Cayuga Island (Niagara Falls, NY). He learned to dive, and the quest was on. There's no way," Henriksen said. They're not going back to the wreckage for a while, so they don't make the site vulnerable to other treasure seekers. La Belle was the ship of French explorer La Salle, lost at Matagorda Bay in 1686. News and information from the Michigan State University School of Journalism. Unexpectedly, a nail attached itself to the magnet, and the treasure hunters only discovered it later, once they were above water. There the crew ignored a warning from local Native Americans not to sail into the lake from the safe harbor at Washington Island because of high wind danger from a massive storm. Here's how to watch. State archaeologists reviewed the footage, and "They've been very diligent to say, 'This is really interesting; these are some neat pictures,'" Dykstra said. For the second time, they used a dozen men and ropes to tow Le Griffon over the rapids of the St. Clair River into lower Lake Huron. It's the only artifact so far to be brought back from the ship wreck. The vessel was loaded with furs so that they could be used to pay the French explorer and Griffon's master, Rene Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle's creditors. It's not clear what led to the ship's sinking more than 340 years ago. Where are the cannons? Thought the bowsprit discovered about 3.8 miles and the remains of the wreck make the Indian attack not possible, or even a mutinous uprising. "When we had it looked at, they [the archaeologists] could tell that the nail was very old," Dykstra said. His conclusion: The remains of the ship Le Griffon in French sank in shallow water in the Huron Islands of northern Lake Michigan, northeast of Green Bay, Wisconsin, with the loss of all the crew members aboard. La Salle was convinced that the captain and his crew had staged a coup, destroyed the ship, and seized all of the furs on the boat. A bowsprit is the spar that extends forward from the bow. LOCAL COURT FUNDING: A quarter of local trial court funding is set to expire in 2024 or even earlier if the state Supreme Court says judges cant continue to impose costs on convicted criminal defendants. "[5] J. C. Mills [4] quotes a letter from La Salle to the Minister of Marine that says, "The fort at Cataraqui (Fort Frontenac) with the aid of a vessel now building, will command Lake Ontario"[4] While no date is given for the letter, the location of Mill's reference to it suggests that it was sent before 1677, perhaps as early as 1675. Mobile Reporting Kit The exact size and construction of Le Griffon is not known but many researchers believe she was a 45-ton barque. Le Griffon. He put ashore near present-day Rochester, New York, and arrived at Tagarondies very shortly after La Motte and Hennepin had left. Its exact size and construction isn't known, but it was armed with seven cannons and at the time was the largest sailing vessel on the Great Lakes. Possibly a cannon, hopefully with the date stamped on it.'. Le Griffon is reported to be the "Holy Grail" of Great Lakes shipwreck hunters. A ship that was 'cursed' by native tribesmen has been identified nearly 350 years after it vanished, solving one of America's oldest and most notorious maritime mysteries. On a subsequent dive, Dykstra took a magnet with him to help determine the metal composition of the ship. Live Science is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Widely considered the Holy Grail of undiscovered Great Lakes shipwrecks, the Griffon carried no treasure, nor anything. The Mysterious Shipwreck of Le Griffon | Expedition Unknown 17,600 views May 8, 2019 The Griffon, a ship built by famed explorer Ren-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, sailed out of Lake. Its fate has been a puzzlement for maritime historians for more than three and a half centuries. We apologize to Great Lakes Exploration Group for any confusion this may have caused. Images of the severely dilapidated wreckage show it lying on the bed of Lake Michigan, This image shows the ship's keelson - the structure which fastens a ship's floor timbers to its keel. [1][4], On noon of 25 August they started out northwest with a favoring northerly wind. As noted above, sources give its size as either 20 tons or 40 tons. [12] A number of sunken old sailing ships have been suggested to be Le Griffon but, except for the ones proven to be other ships, there has been no positive identification. The cargo of furs, estimated at up to $12,000 in value nearly $900,000 (640,000) in today's money likely went to the depths with her. They hadn't sailed far before a storm picked up. At noon the waves ran so high, and the lake became so rough, as to compel them to stand in for land. It was built with the intention of finding a route across the Great Lakes of North America to reach China and Japan. The ship disappeared 343 years back on its maiden launch without a trace. Finding the wreck is the goal of most Great Lakes shipwreck hunters due to the notoriety, and they call it the Holy Grail amongst them. The Ruppell's griffon vulture is Critically Endangered. Now, more than 335 years later, the wreck of the Griffon has not definitively been found. Carbon dating of the bowsprit places suggests an age range within a year of the sinking. The bowsprit is seen here sticking out of the bed of Lake Michigan, The Liberts are prevented by the State of Michigan from conducting an in-depth excavation of the wreck site, Mr Libert said: 'It is just a matter of time before we achieve our goal. These social birds live in vulture colonies. Thedetails of their findwere recorded in a 2021 book that chronicled their finding of the mysterious wreck. Forsberg said several of the bolts. On its maiden voyage, it sailed across Lake Erie, up the Detroit and St. Clair Rivers, and across Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. On 8 January 1679, the pilot and crew decided to spend the night ashore where they could light a fire and sleep in some warmth. Creating a fur trade monopoly with the Native Americans would finance his quest and building Le Griffon was an "essential link in the scheme". Possibly a cannon, hopefully with the date stamped on it.' That is simply not true.. Content is produced by MSU students under the guidance of journalism faculty. They moored in quiet water off Squaw Island three miles from Lake Erie waiting for favorable northeast winds. [6][8][11][pageneeded] There the keel was laid on 26 January 1679. Suffering from cold and low on supplies, the men were close to mutiny. "That was kind of telling to us that the ship probably weathered a storm; otherwise, there would probably be a rudder on it.". Mr Libert has also highlighted several details in the wreckage indicative of contemporaneous French design. No villain can mess with the griffin! Wirehaired pointing griffons are famously known as a 'supreme gundog.'. Libert became instantly fascinated by the Griffon mystery as a 14-year-old student in Dayton, Ohio, where he first heard from a teacher about the missing ship with its figurehead of a griffon, a mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head of an eagle. On its return trip from the island, said to be located in the mouth of the body of water which is now known as Green Bay, it vanished with all six crew members and its load of furs. An Indian prophet called Metiomek of the Iroquois said legend had cursed the ship before it left; he told its owner La Salle it would sink deep water. Other experts insist Liberts absolutely wrong. Francis Parkman says that by 1677, "four vessels of 25 to 40 tons had been built for the lake Ontario and the river St. A ship in shallow water gets beat up quickly. After launching, it sailed the Niagara River to Lake Ontario, onward to Lake Erie, then by way of the St. Clair River to Lake Huron and northward to St. Ignace, the Straits of Mackinac and, finally, Lake Michigan. As for the pieces of wreckage Libert photographed, they cant be the Griffons because they would have broken to bits long, long ago if theyd been in shallow water battered by storms and ice for more than three centuries, van Heest says. While some of these were made from a single carved log ("dugout" or "pirogue"), most were bark canoes. Libert said the book reveals the location of the Huron Islands where Robert La Salles ship, Le Griffon, met her fate. Some are thousands of years old. They arrived late on 5 December, but the weather was rough and they did not want to run the surf and outflow of the river at night, so they stayed a few miles off shore. La Salle followed the southern shore of the lake. Some say Le Griffon was named for Count Frontenac whose coat of arms was ornamented with the mythical griffin. Tornadoes Hit Central US; Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Columbus Ohio Brace For Intense Weather. The nonprofit was created in 1997 and remains the longest running film festival in Michigan. The loss of the Griffon is one of the great mysteries of the Great Lakes. While frozen rivers made traveling easy, finding food was not. The Griffin sank to the murky depths of. The Griffin, or gryphon, is a mythological creature with the body, hind legs, and tail of a lion and the wings, front talons, and head of an eagle. Onboard the ship was furs for trade, and a legend that an Iroquois tribe Shaman or prophet foretold it would be lost to history, reportedthe Express UK. He arrived there nearly starved only to find that his detractors had succeeded in stirring up doubt and opposition with his creditors. In 2011, Michigan-based treasure hunters Kevin Dykstra and Frederick Monroe found a shipwreck as they were searching for the $2 million in gold that, according to local legend, fell from a ferry. After Le Griffon was launched, she was rigged with sails and provisioned with seven cannon of which two were brass. [citation needed], After La Salle and Tonti left, the pilot and the rest of the crew were to follow with the supply vessel. During his 20-year newspaper career, he covered public affairs, environmental issues and legal affairs for newspapers in New York and Michigan, winning a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of a legislative corruption scandal. ", La Salle sailed the Griffon through the Great Lakesand crossed into Lake Michigan in an effort to reach the mouth of the Mississippi River, Baillod said. Pictured: Some of the wreckage. Over the years there have been 22 claims of the discovery of the Griffon. I was mesmerized by what he was saying. [1] They reached the mouth of the Detroit River on 10 August 1679 where they were greeted by three columns of smoke signaling the location of Tonti's camp whom they received on board. [4] They were navigating Le Griffon through uncharted waters that only canoes had previously explored. Originally searching for lost gold, Kevin Dykstra and Frederick Monroe believe to have foundwhat more than 20 explorersclaim to be the first shipwreck ever to sail Lake Michigan. That is simply not true.. Already have an account? (Image credit: Father Louis Hennepin Public Domain ). Most often described as a 45-ton barque, Le Griffon is considered the first full-sized sailing ship to ply the upper Great Lakes. Jim Kennard, Roger Pawlowski, and Roland Stevens located the schooner in early July utilizing high resolution On June 20th 1874 the two masted scow schooner Shannon let loose her lines from the coal dock at the port of Oswego. Alternatively, another . Certainly not not without a lot more information but these are very compelling. It was another vessel used by La Salle and Tonti, however, that was the first loss on 8 January 1679. Acknowledging that French archeologists side with Libert, she asks what they know about Native American fishing practices. If the state underwater archaeologist were to look at the wreck, he would look for artifacts that could be dated, such as ceramics or glass. They are schooners, freighters, steamships, tugs and fishing boats, and thanks to the cold, fresh water, many of them are perfectly preserved. The Griffin, which disappeared on its maiden voyage in 1679, has been called the 'holy grail' for shipwreck hunters probing North America's Great Lakes. More than 100 Native American bark canoes gathered around Le Griffon to look at the "big wood canoe". The divers said they found Le Griffon in 2011, but are just announcing the discovery because they were consulting experts to confirm it. They believe the carving is of a mythical creature known as a griffon, half lion and half eagle. 'Michel was spot on when he said the main body of the wreck would be within four miles of the bowsprit. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. It has become one of the most sought after and perhaps one of the most "found" shipwrecks in the Great Lakes! They recovered the anchors, chain, and most of the materials critical for Le Griffon, but most of the supplies and provisions were lost. Thirty Mile Point is an established location and fits better with the rest of the narrative. Several historical and genealogical references show Griffin making such journeys in 1633 and 1634. Heres the backstory as Libert tells it: LaSalle built the Griffon as his flagship upriver from Niagara Falls, probably on what is now the Canadian side of the Niagara River. [citation needed], A female Native informant who was of the tribe foiled the plans of hostile Senecas to burn Le Griffon as she grew on her stocks. He was planning to map the Great Lakes, initially thinking they might be a connecting gateway to the Orient. While diving in Lake Michigan, two men stumbled upon a shipwreck they think is a 1676 French ship named 'Le Griffon,' or The Griffin. [1], French explorer Ren Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, sought a Northwest Passage to China and Japan to extend France's trade. The ship was constructed and launched on Cayuga Creek on the Niagara River as a seven-cannon, 45-ton barque. We have been on the hunt for over 40 years systematically ferreting out the locations of this widely scattered wreck, he says, referring to his wife, Kathie, and himself. Somewhere near present-day Toronto they were frozen in and had to chop their way out of the ice. La Salle never saw the Griffin again. Your comment will appear after being approved. Because the wind was strong from the north, they sailed close to the north shore of the lake, putting in for the nights in various bays along the way. The two treasure hunters were taking measurements of the ship when Dykstra's magnet, tethered to his scuba gear, picked up an object that few people have ever seen: a hand forged nail that dates back to 1679. One candidate is a wreck at the western end of Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron, with another wreck near Escanaba, Michigan, also proposed. From the web site of Libert's company: "There were plenty of theories of what happened to the flagship. "If you take the picture of the carving of the griffon and overlay it on what these gentleman have, it's very compelling," Porter said. Native tradition holds that The Griffin became a ghost ship, whose crew are sometimes heard chanting as she sails among the clouds on a moonlit night. once I broke the surface. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, It was built by the French explorer Ren Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, with a view to finding a route through the lakes to China and Japan. Libert says the evidence hes amassed pinpoints where the wreckage of the 40- to 45-ton ship now rests: in shallow water near Poverty Island and Summer Island. The Griffon, built in 1679, sank that same year somewhere in the Great Lakes. An infamous 'cursed' ship that disappeared more than 340 years ago has been found. Then they also talk with real people the individual citizens and businesses in communities to get their reactions to whats happening in Lansing. [1][4], Father Hennepin wrote that Le Griffon was lost in a violent storm. The Le Griffon, a barque ship, was carrying bison and furs at the time it disappeared, Libert said. [1][2], Hennepin's first account says she was a vessel of about 45 tons; his second says 60 tons.