the griffon shipwreck facts
They were open vessels (no deck) made of wood measuring up to about 35 feet (11m) long and capable of carrying three or four tons of cargo. Wood can break up. It would no longer exist. Only then did the Liberts and the Great Lakes Exploration Group discover that the bowsprit was separate from the remainder of the vessel. While there have been many theories over the years, there is no clear consensus as to the fate or current location of Le Griffon. Below Niagara Falls: first ships on Lake Ontario. General Ubilla's New Spain Fleet was composed of: 1 - The Capitana, Nuestra Seora de Regla, San Dimas y San Francisco Javier (Presumably a galleon). "[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. They anchored on the south shore of the island and found it occupied by friendly Pottawatomies and 15 of the fur traders La Salle sent ahead. The male wirehaired pointer weighs around 50-70 lb, and the females are around 35-50 lb. Josh Gates tackles an enduring maritime mystery, the first ship to be lost in the Great Lakes, the Griffon. They sailed from the Straits of Mackinac to an island (either Washington Island or Rock Island)[1] located at the entrance of Green Bay. Because his second account has numerous exaggerations and cases where he credits himself for things that La Salle had done, Hennepin's first account is considered more reliable. Griffin is an English East India Company ship which sank in Sulu Sea near Basilan Island in 1761. 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. LaSalle's Griffon has not been found. Other experts insist Liberts absolutely wrong. MARIE, CHEBOYGAN AND ALL POINTS. The first full-size cargo ship to sail the inner Great Lakes, Le Griffon was built by explorer Robert de La Salle in 1679. More than 100 Native American bark canoes gathered around Le Griffon to look at the "big wood canoe". Le Griffon mysteriously went missing in 1679 and no one knows what happened between the time it was last seen until it was discovered three years ago, Libert said. Griffin (Gryphon) - Legendary Creature | Mythology.net "It's the holy grail of shipwrecks in the Great Lakes.". In the Great Lakes region, there may be no older and more intriguing historical mystery than the 1679 disappearance of the Griffon, one of French explorer Robert La Salle's ships. He noted that the wreck is near the western Michigan coast, not near Beaver Island, the area mentioned in La Salle's journal. Ive seen dozens and dozens of 100- to 150-year-old ships, and that is not a 350-year-old ship. 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He and his wife set out their case for having discovered the ship in a new book, Le Griffon and the Huron Islands 1679: Our Story of Exploration and Discovery. [4], Le Griffon may or may not be considered the first ship on the Great Lakes, depending on what factors one deems necessary to qualify a vessel for that designation. Kingsford's text says Thirty-nine Mile Point, but modern charts do not show that name. In September 1679, French explorers loaded the boat with furs and left Green Bay. Where are the cannons? The remains of the 300-year-old ship known as Le Griffon the first European vessel known to have traversed the waters of the upper Great Lakes have proved so tricky to find as to become the stuff of legends, even prompting Atlas Obscura to dub the wreck the "white whale for Great Lakes shipwreck hunters."The location of the ship's final resting place isn . Single mother faces 170 parking fine after overstaying at McDonald's for just 14 minutes while she treated Public Service Announcement, do NOT watch these ads! Shipwreck explorers, Jim Kennard and Roger Pawlowski located the shipwreck utilizing a high resolution Rochester, New York The battered remains of the Canadian schooner Ocean Wave, which capsized and eventually sank from a sudden and violent squall, has been found in the depths of Lake Ontario. Le Griffon is reported to be the "Holy Grail" of Great Lakes shipwreck hunters. Great Lakes' shipwrecks and the intriguing stories behind them - cleveland 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. Countless shipwrecks sit beneath the ocean and stranded on land around the world. They believe the carving is of a mythical creature known as a griffon, half lion and half eagle. The Griffin disappeared returning from its maiden voyage in 1679 and was last seen struggling in a storm near what is now Washington Island in Wisconsin. The ship was righted and brought back to the port in Milwaukee and returned to service. Some are thousands of years old. Some said that the Ottawas or Pottawatomies boarded her, murdered her crew, and then burned her. If it exists in the physical world, we think it will be there in deep water, she says. Welcome to the Coronation! Mobile Reporting Kit The widely referenced antique woodcutting of Le Griffon shows her with two masts but many researchers believe she was a 45-ton barque with a single mast with several square sails and 30 to 40 feet (9.1 to 12.2m) long with a 10-to-15-foot (3.0 to 4.6m) beam. 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. The Liberts' book, Le Griffon and the Huron Islands 1679: Our Story of Exploration and Discovery, is available via Amazon for 24.69. Unexpectedly, a nail attached itself to the magnet, and the treasure hunters only discovered it later, once they were above water. The Great Lakes hold the secrets of about 8,000 shipwrecks. [4] When the Seneca again threatened to burn the ship, she was launched earlier than planned in Cayuga Creek channel of the upper Niagara River with ceremony and the roar of her cannons. A big Beckham birthday! [1][2], Hennepin's first account says she was a vessel of about 45 tons; his second says 60 tons. James Mansfield[1] says that in the fall of 1678, La Salle built a vessel of about 10 tons burden at Fort Frontenac and that this vessel, named Frontenac, was the first real sailing vessel on the Great Lakes; specifically, on Lake Ontario (which some at the time called Lac de Frontenac). The griffin is a legendary creature with the head and wings of an eagle, and the body, tail, and hind legs of a lion. Megan SampTickets can be bought online or at Studio C in Okemos. According to Father Louis Hennepin, one of them was caught in a violent storm and never survived, notedthe Daily Mail. 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. Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum | Edmund Fitzgerald | Great Lakes MICHIGAN -- Le Griffon, a well known shipthat sunk inLake Michigan during the 17th century, has been hiding at the depths of the lake for more than 300 years. Cris Kohl and wife Joan Forsberg have conducted over 20 years of research in order to write their new book The Wreck of the Griffon, the explorer La Salles ship that disappeared in 1679 on its return voyage from Lake Michigan. 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. Copyright 2023, Michigan State University. 'Father Louis Hennepin said it was lost in a violent storm. Mr Libert has also highlighted several details in the wreckage indicative of contemporaneous French design. Explorer Won't Budge on Shipwreck Mystery - ABC News But, the Liberts say her final. The wreck's discoverers agree that more evidence is needed. We asked the experts - and their answers will terrify you Five unexpected signs in your 20s and 30s you're at risk of developing heart disease later in life. 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. 18 Famous Shipwrecks in the World - Marine Insight 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. Le Griffon was constructed and launched at or near Cayuga Island on the Niagara River and was armed with seven cannons. 'The ship has no indications of fire damage to the wooden remains,' said Mr Libert. In the Great Lakes region, there may be no older and more intriguing historical mystery than the 1679 disappearance of the Griffon, one of French explorer Robert La Salle's ships. An explorer claims to have found the long lost French ship Le Griffon at the bottom of Lake Michigan. turtix/Shutterstock. She was found by an aircraft belonging to the US Navy on 14th November 1975. Griffin Shipwreck - National Museum Acknowledging that French archeologists side with Libert, she asks what they know about Native American fishing practices. It is now believed to be the famous ship, 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. Le Griffon - Wikipedia "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? June 3, 2022 . There is an excellent book written by Cris Kohl on the Griffon and the various discovery claims. Baillod said he is "99 percent sure" that the wreck is not that of the Griffon. On September 18, 1679, the bark Griffon was sent back toward Fort Frontenac (a French trading post and military fort at the mouth of the Cataraqui River where the St. Lawrence River leaves Lake Ontario). TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) A debris field at the bottom of Lake Michigan may be the remains of the long-lost Griffin, a vessel commanded by a 17th-century French explorer, said a shipwreck . Le Griffon, the long lost ship of explorers found at bottom of Lake The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. With La Salle back aboard their vessel, the company again sailed west until, about 25 miles (40km) from Niagara, weather checked their progress. They hadn't sailed far before a storm picked up. Certainly not not without a lot more information but these are very compelling. [8], Meanwhile, La Salle and Henri de Tonti, had departed Fort Frontenac in a second vessel some days after La Motte and Hennepin. A ship in shallow water gets beat up quickly. [18] Steve and Kathie Libert have since published a book, Le Griffon and the Huron Islands - 1679: Our Story of Exploration and Discovery (Mission Point Press, 2021). the griffon shipwreck facts We apologize to Great Lakes Exploration Group for any confusion this may have caused. [4] La Salle dressed in a scarlet cloak bordered with lace and a highly plumed cap, laid aside his arms in charge of a sentinel and attended mass with his crew in the chapel of the Ottawas and then made a visit of ceremony with the chiefs. This ship was 471 tons. Le Griffon is considered by some to have been the first ship lost on the Great Lakes. Zebra mussels cover what may be a griffin on the bow of the ship. She has won multiple awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association for her reporting at a weekly newspaper near Seattle. [4] While work continued on Le Griffon in the spring of 1679 as soon as the ice began to break up along the shores of Lake Erie, La Salle sent out men from Fort Frontenac in 15 canoes laden with supplies and merchandise to trade with the Illinois for furs at the trading posts of the upper Huron and Michigan Lakes. Pictures show the bow of the ship with a carved sculpture. Steve Libert, from the Great Lakes Exploration Group, said he is 99.9% certain . The griffin is featured on one side of coins minted in Abdera, Greece. Joe Porter, publisher for Wreck Diving Magazine, has penned articles on famous ship wrecks including the Titanic, but saidthe Griffon is the most fascinating. To skeptics who doubt Liberts identification of the wreckage, he responds, The clues are there., Van Heest says the books account of the expedition from the Niagara River to Lake Michigan has the facts down, but once we get to the story of the supposed bowsprit it all falls apart because its not a bowsprit.. What's Happening in Northern Michigan: Oryana Cooking Class, Le Griffon All rights reserved. In the Great Lakes region, there may be no older and more intriguing historical mystery than the 1679 disappearance of the Griffon, one of French explorer Robert La Salles ships. "[7] None of these sources ascribe a name to any of these vessels. "They're looking for something else, they find an old ship and they've heard of the Griffin, so they pronounce it the Griffin," Baillod said. Menu viscount royal caravan. Mr Libert then spent two years sifting through satellite imagery before he made a breakthrough. Green and Ken Vrana, the principal of Maritime Heritage Consulting, advocate an independent assessment by professionals. It is not clear if the ship had advanced west after the departure of La Salle and Tonti. 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. 2 is a much sought after shipwreck. Rene-Robert Cavelier , Sieur de La Salle was a French explorer in 1679 and he wanted his ship, Le Griffon , to sail the Niagara River, Lake Erie, Lake Huron and Lake Michigan in order to . La Salle gave instructions for Le Griffon to off-load merchandise for him at Mackinac that would be picked up on the return trip. New York, 'We are confident the ship was wrecked due to a severe storm. News and information from the Michigan State University School of Journalism. The ship disappeared 343 years back on its maiden launch without a trace. And, as the curse foretold, La Salle was later murdered during a 1687 expedition by a member of his party. Wood can break up. The Griffin, a large ship built by Frenchman Rene Robert Cavalli, disappeared on its maiden voyage some 343 years ago. La Salle and Father Louis Hennepin set out on Le Griffon's maiden voyage on 7 August 1679 with a crew of 32, sailing across Lake Erie, Lake Huron and Lake Michigan through uncharted waters that only canoes had previously explored. [1] The tumultuous sound of Le Griffon's cannons so amazed the Native Americans that the Frenchmen were able to sleep at ease for the first time in months when they anchored off shore. 'Holy grail' shipwreck haunted by crew is found 350 years after being Its fate has been a puzzlement for maritime historians for more than three and a half centuries. The Native Americans told La Salle the crew planned to sail toward the Straits of Mackinac in stormy weather. myth bird lion hippogriff griffin, also spelled griffon or gryphon, composite mythological creature with a lion's body (winged or wingless) and a bird's head, usually that of an eagle. Now, more than 335 years later, the wreck of the Griffon has not definitively been found. The griffin (also called gryphon, gryphen, griffon, griffen, and gryphin), is a legendary creature.It has the head, front legs, and wings of an eagle.The rest of the body looks like a part of a lion.. Several French explores built the exploratory vessel Ren-Robert Cavalier and Sieur de La Salle. Some sources confuse the two vessels. Treasure Hunters Find Mysterious Shipwreck in Lake Michigan Majestic, strong, and imbued with magic, the griffin is a common heraldic symbol which joins the lion's valor with the eagle's elegance. Wirehaired pointing griffons are famously known as a 'supreme gundog.'. [notes 4][pageneeded] There was some disagreement between La Salle and the ship's pilot, and La Salle and Tonti went ahead on foot to Niagara. once I broke the surface. [1], Upon Le Griffon's safe arrival at St. Ignace, the voyagers fired a salute from her deck that the Hurons on shore volleyed three times with their firearms. Treasure Hunters Find Mysterious Shipwreck in Lake Michigan - Yahoo! News Tonti learned of a plan to burn the ship before it could be launched, so he launched ahead of schedule and Le Griffon entered the waters in early May 1679. It just sparked my interest and I started researching more and more. Several historical and genealogical references show Griffin making such journeys in 1633 and 1634. In the past griffin was a symbol of strength and dexterity.It often looked after a treasure.. 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. The Griffon was the first European ship ever to sail the Great Lakes. Where to Find the Griffon Vulture. Cathy Green, the executive director of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc, is also skeptical, calling it highly unlikely that its the Griffon and nearly impossible to definitively know because of the centuries of damage to shallow water wrecks from ice, storms and rising and falling lake levels. The entire 29-member crew went down with it in what has become the greatest Great Lakes Shipping Tragedy of all time. 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. I left school at 16 with six GCSEs - and became a self-made millionaire. 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. [6][8][11][pageneeded] There the keel was laid on 26 January 1679. The photographer was an archaeologist working on the project. The vessel dragged its anchor for about nine miles to the east before grounding and breaking up near present-day Thirty Mile Point. Treasure hunters find mysterious shipwreck in Lake Michigan The Griffon shipwreck is a legend where Wisconsin meets Michigan. Their mission was to begin selecting a site for the construction of Le Griffon and to erect necessary structures for shelter, storage, and defense. They made their way around Long Point, Ontario, constantly sounding as they went through the first moonless, fog-laden night to the sound of breaking waves and guided only by La Salle's knowledge of Galine's crude, 10-year-old chart. A couple in Charlevoix . While some of these were made from a single carved log ("dugout" or "pirogue"), most were bark canoes. (https://news.jrn.msu.edu/2022/03/charlevoix-couple-offers-theory-on-mysterious-1679-shipwreck/). "There was no rudder on the boat," Dykstra said. While there La Salle selected a site for building Le Griffon. Le Griffon: The Great Lakes' greatest mystery - Detroit Free Press The Griffin sank to the murky depths of. Local shipwreck explorer Valerie van Heest spent a week on Manitoulin Island in August of 2018 searching for Le Griffon. Archaeology breakthrough as 'cursed' shipwreck discovered after 350 That is simply not true.. Its discovery is credited to wreck hunters Stevie and Kathie Libert for the record. 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. [9][pageneeded] They wished to secure a reliable truce lest the natives interfere with their projects. I was mesmerized by what he was saying. 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. 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. Historian J. [6] Some of La Salle's associates called this vessel a brigantine; others called it a bark. It would be awesome if true, she says, a story shed love the museum to be able to tell visitors, with the aura of amateur treasure-hunting and Indiana Jones. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). The ship left Conneaut for Port Stanley, Ontario in late morning on Dec. 7, 1909 with a captain and . Heres how it works. Thedetails of their findwere recorded in a 2021 book that chronicled their finding of the mysterious wreck. 17th Century Shipwreck of Long-Lost Le Griffon Discovered at - IBT A bowsprit is the spar that extends forward from the bow. [1][4], The short open-water season of the upper Great Lakes compelled La Salle to depart for Green Bay on 12 September, five days before Tonti's return. Content is produced by MSU students under the guidance of journalism faculty. Lake Michigan Triangle claims Great Lakes shipwrecks and plane crash The details of these discoveries along with numerous illustrations are contained in the pages of this thought provoking book. French historical documents and shipbuilding techniques, colonial-era maps, contemporary reports, what he says is a bowsprit retrieved from the wreckage, carbon-4 dating and underwater photographs of submerged parts of a vessel. I'm a vet, and here are five dog breeds most prone to cancer - including Golden Retrievers and Rottweilers, Prince Andrew chuckles as he encounters female jogger on way to his weekly Windsor horse-riding trip. With incredible strength, unfailing protective instincts, and a zero-tolerance policy against evil, it is the superhero of mythological creatures. However, 36 years later in 1911, the Rosabelle was found again overturned and floating with no sign of any . NY 10036. No cannons have been found near the site Libert identified. 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. Every one of these shipwreck hunters finds a bone pile and claims its the Griffon.. Libert added the wooden timbers of the ship show no evidence of damage done by fire. 3. Hennepin's journal says 32 leagues (converts to 96 miles (154km)), but his figure is an estimate made while snowshoing through the country. Van Heest responds, Most people that are not dreamers say that for it to still exist, it must be in deep water not affected by ice and storms.. They come in contact with the important newsmakers of the day, from the Supreme Court justices and the governor to members of the Legislature and the people who run the state government departments, to lobbyists and public-interest organizations. He walked right behind me and put his hand on my shoulder and said, Perhaps someone in this class will find it someday. I was listening to every word, says Libert, now 67. Underwater Archaeologists May Have Discovered the Oldest Shipwreck in 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. The straight-line distance is about 75 miles (121km). "I didn't go down there with the expectation of seeing a shipwreck I can tell you that," Dykstra told Live Science. The book's title, Le Griffon and the Huron Islands 1679 , indicates the importance the couple places on understanding the location of the Huron Islands in their search. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Newsroom Calendar All of those people have been wrong including Libert she says. La Salle never saw the Griffin again. There are three acceptable English spellings of the word: griffin, griffon and gryphon. Mr Libert said the evidence suggests that the ship was lost in a storm, A photo from the 2018 dive shows the bowsprit of the ship believed to be The Griffin. Lost after 350 years, the cursed ship, The Griffin, went on a voyage that became one of the most legendary disappearances solved in modern times. But, the Liberts say her final resting place is near the Huron Islands in Lake Michigan, northeast of Green Bay. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook& Google+. WWII German shipwreck found in Black Sea Airborne laser reveals hidden city in Cambodia The ship, commanded by the French explorer La Salle, was never seen again after setting sail in September. Charlevoix couple offers theory on mysterious 1679 shipwreck. People remember the cautionary TV commercials from Do not sell or share my personal information. To skeptics who doubt Liberts identification of the wreckage, he responds, The clues are there., Van Heest says the books account of the expedition from the Niagara River to Lake Michigan has the facts down, but once we get to the story of the supposed bowsprit it all falls apart because its not a bowsprit..