the griffon shipwreck facts

Quick Facts about Griffins. 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). Only about 375 of Lake Erie's wrecks have been found. Maritime historians best guess, she says, is that it sank between Beaver Island and the southern coast of the Upper Peninsula, possibly within sight of shore between what are now Manistique and Naubinway. Crude tools, green and wet timbers, and the cold winter months caused slow progress in the construction of Le Griffon. The divers said they found Le Griffon in 2011, but are just announcing the discovery because they were consulting experts to confirm it. While frozen rivers made traveling easy, finding food was not. She says American marine archaeologists concluded that what Libert claims is the bowsprit was beyond a doubt part of a Native American fishing trap. Acknowledging that French archeologists side with Libert, she asks what they know about Native American fishing practices. The Le Griffon was discovered in Sept. 2018 after going missing in 1679.Steven Libert. The Wilhelm Gustloff (1945): The deadliest shipwreck in history On January 30, 1945, some 9,000 people perished aboard this German ocean liner after it was torpedoed by a Soviet submarine and . Long a subject of local lore and backed up with some convincing historical archival work and artifacts, including 16th century coins and several bodies, the Mississagi Straits wreck, which local Native oral tradition had named "the whiteman's ship," remains a strong candidate. Around 4:00pm the Shannon passed Oswego light and headed out into the lake. Great Lakes Exploration Group is not connected to this story or Kevin Dykstra and Frederick Monroe. They attempted to sail further upstream, but the current was too strong. Those left behind proceeded with needed building projects. "It's the holy grail of shipwrecks in the Great Lakes.". Where are the cannons? But Libert says, Many people believe I continue to cry wolf and contact the press every time we find a wreck claiming them to be the Griffon. In September 1679, French explorers loaded the boat with furs and left Green Bay. Editor's Note:In our original version of this story, we inadvertently used video that belonged to Great Lakes Exploration Group, LLC. Their mission was to begin selecting a site for the construction of Le Griffon and to erect necessary structures for shelter, storage, and defense. 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. It's the only artifact so far to be brought back from the ship wreck. The ship was lost in the depths of northern Lake Michigan over 300 years ago. Zebra mussels cover what may be a griffin on the bow of the ship. A ship in shallow water gets beat up quickly. [4] La Salle had instructed Hennepin and La Motte to go 75 miles (120km) into wilderness in knee-deep snow on an embassy to the great village of the Seneca tribe, bringing gifts and promises in order to obtain their good will to build "the big canoe" (Le Griffon), but many tribal members did not approve. [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). Laura is the archaeology/history and Life's Little Mysteries editor at Live Science. (Image credit: Father Louis Hennepin Public Domain ). The sails were merely supplemental for traveling down wind. Its fate has been a puzzlement for maritime historians for more than three and a half centuries. Now, more than 335years later, the wreck of the Griffon has not definitively been found. Steve Libert diving on the ship in 2018. They were trying to chart a path from Great Lakes in North America to China and Japan if a route is there. Carbon dating of the bowsprit places suggests an age range within a year of the sinking. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Widely considered the Holy Grail of undiscovered Great Lakes shipwrecks, the Griffon carried no treasure, nor anything. Somewhere near present-day Toronto they were frozen in and had to chop their way out of the ice. [1][4], Father Hennepin wrote that Le Griffon was lost in a violent storm. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Your comment will appear after being approved. No villain can mess with the griffin! [citation needed], On 18 November 1678, after just over a month of preparations at Fort Frontenac, La Salle dispatched Captain La Motte and Father Louis Hennepin together with 15 men and supplies in a vessel of 10 tons. 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. "[5] He also says that at Fort Frontenac in 1676, La Salle "laid the keels of the vessels which he depended on to frighten the English. Test yourself with this Cockney Rhyming Slang quiz. 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. [notes 6][pageneeded], After La Salle's departure, Tonti refloated the little brigantine, and attempted to use it for more salvage work at the wreck, but the winter weather prevented success. POTUS Had Cancerous Lesion Removed From His Chest Last February! Many explorers have claimed to havefound Le Griffon in the past, but Dykstra and Monroe are the only ones who've foundan actual ship wreck. B. Mansfield reported that this "excited the deepest emotions of the Indian tribes, then occupying the shores of these inland waters". It would be busted up, she said. [1], French explorer Ren Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, sought a Northwest Passage to China and Japan to extend France's trade. 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. "When we had it looked at, they [the archaeologists] could tell that the nail was very old," Dykstra said. They reached Niagara again on 14 January. Copyright 2023, Michigan State University. Josh Gates tackles an enduring maritime mystery, the first ship to be lost in the Great Lakes, the Griffon. $19.95 plus $3 S&H. 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.. 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. Beneath the cold waves of Lake Michigan rests an aging shipwreck, its wooden planks encrusted with brown-and-gray zebra mussels, that may be the remnants of a 17th-century ship called the Griffin, two Michigan-based treasure hunters say. Le Griffon launched August 7, 1679 from Cayuga Island (Niagara Falls, NY). Libert may be a secret agent by day-- he works as a senior defense analyst for the U.S. Navy -- but by night he's a passionate hunter for the old and precious. The Griffon was the first ship ever to sail the Great Lakes, originally built to haul furs from the Green Bay area to Detroit. Negotiations with the Senecas were only moderately successful, so when they left the village they still wondered if the natives would permit them to finish their project. Several historical and genealogical references show Griffin making such journeys in 1633 and 1634. The Plaque reads: 3 Griffon Vulture Amazing Facts. Now, treasure hunters who believe they found it, said to have stumbled upon it by accident. La Salle never saw Le Griffon again. In the past griffin was a symbol of strength and dexterity.It often looked after a treasure.. Wirehaired pointing griffons are famously known as a 'supreme gundog.'. turtix/Shutterstock. Green and Ken Vrana, the principal of Maritime Heritage Consulting, advocate an independent assessment by professionals. Order from www.seawolfcommunications.com or call them at 630-293-8996. by Anonymous - 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. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. The griffin is featured on one side of coins minted in Abdera, Greece. 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. 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. Joe Porter, publisher for Wreck Diving Magazine, has penned articles on famous ship wrecks including the Titanic, but saidthe Griffon is the most fascinating. He recounts his hunt and discovery in Le Griffon and the Huron Islands, 1679 (Mission Point Press), written with his wife. However, 36 years later in 1911, the Rosabelle was found again overturned and floating with no sign of any . Where to Find the Griffon Vulture. "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. It was the first big ship to sail the Great Lakes. It wanted to sail across Lake Erie, Lake Huron and Lake Michigan through waters only canoes had previously explored. The first full-size cargo ship to sail the inner Great Lakes, Le Griffon was built by explorer Robert de La Salle in 1679. "We like to turn the sonar on and just go to places that we haven't been before, and just try and see what we can find down there," Dykstra said. Some said that the Ottawas or Pottawatomies boarded her, murdered her crew, and then burned her. It vanished while loaded with furs and other trade goods gathered in Lake Michigan after the captain ordered it return towards Niagara. By Michael Havis and Harry Howard For Mailonline, Published: 12:24 GMT, 16 June 2021 | Updated: 13:02 GMT, 16 June 2021. Tonti's journal says it was adverse winds. 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. 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. [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. La Salle decided to visit the Senecas at Tagarondies himself. "It's a mystery ship that got in our way," Dykstra said, "and now, we're going for the gold.". Marie. He says that the ship must have been caught in a four-day storm, where the ship part found farther away would have broken off due to a powerful storm. Related Article:Adolf Hitler's Lost German U-Boat Allegedly Has Dead Nazis Aboard Along With Gold, Treasure, Get HNGN's Top Stories Newsletter Everyweek. At noon the waves ran so high, and the lake became so rough, as to compel them to stand in for land. [8], Meanwhile, La Salle and Henri de Tonti, had departed Fort Frontenac in a second vessel some days after La Motte and Hennepin. She carried a cargo of furs valued at from 50,000 to 60,000 francs ($10,000 $12,000) and the rigging and anchors for another vessel that La Salle intended to build to find passage to the West Indies. While diving in Lake Michigan, two men stumbled upon a shipwreck they think is a 1676 French ship named 'Le Griffon,' or The Griffin. MICHIGAN -- Le Griffon, a well known ship that sunk in Lake Michigan during the 17th century, has been hiding at the depths of the lake for more than 300 years. Creating a fur trade monopoly with the Native Americans would finance his quest and building Le Griffon was an "essential link in the scheme". [8], Progress on Le Griffon was fraught with problems. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. 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. That is my question. 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. 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. 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. Some say Le Griffon was named for Count Frontenac whose coat of arms was ornamented with the mythical griffin. He recounts his hunt and discovery in Le Griffon and the Huron Islands, 1679 (Mission Point Press), written with his wife. A bowsprit is the spar that extends forward from the bow. No cannons have been found near the site Libert identified. The wind did slightly decrease but they drifted slowly all night, unable to find anchorage or shelter. [citation needed]. He continued exploring the Mississippi River until his murder in Texas in 1687. 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. When the wind suddenly veered to the southeast they changed course to avoid Presque Isle. The Griffon was the first European ship ever to sail the Great Lakes. The Ruppell's griffon vulture is Critically Endangered. 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. But the explorer ran out of money, so he disembarked with the other expedition leaders, leaving the ship and its crew to pay off his debts with furs. Le Griffon may have been found by the Great Lakes Exploration Group but the potential remains were the subject of lawsuits involving the discoverers, the state of Michigan, the U.S. federal government, and the Government of France. So you want to make a news show? While there La Salle selected a site for building Le Griffon. La Salle seized two of the deserters and sent Tonti with six men to arrest two more at Sault Ste. It would no longer exist. "Some would believe that the Griffon sank somewhere in Lake Michigan in the northern part of the lake and has yet to be found," explained Van Heest. Using sonar, two treasure hunters found the remains of a shipwreck in Lake Michigan. Thirty Mile Point is an established location and fits better with the rest of the narrative. [In Photos: Arctic Shipwreck Solves 170-Year-Old Mystery]. 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 . 'She will sink beneath the deep waters and your blood shall stain the hands of those in whom you trusted!'. The Griffon, built in 1679, sank that same year somewhere in the Great Lakes. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, Follow Laura Geggel on Twitter @LauraGeggel. Le Griffon was constructed and launched at or near Cayuga Island on the Niagara River and was armed with seven cannons. [Shipwrecks Gallery: Secrets of the Deep]. They fly at an altitude of 4,900 and 11,500 feet. While the journals of Tonti, Hennepin, and LeClercq (participants with La Salle) do mention a little vessel of 10 tons, none of them apply a name to it. Wherever the Griffon is, if its in deep water somewhere, there are cannons near it, she says. They made their way north and west to Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron where they were becalmed until noon of 25 August. The 1633 journey left at Downs, England and landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts on September 3. . It would no longer exist. On its maiden voyage, it sailed across Lake Erie, up the Detroit and St. Clair Rivers, and across Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. 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. The photos were taken in 1997 from the roof of the cofferdam that surrounded the ship and kept it in a semi-dry environment. It's not clear what led to the ship's sinking more than 340 years ago. Suffering from cold and low on supplies, the men were close to mutiny. 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. 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. Laura holds a bachelor's degree in English literature and psychology from Washington University in St. Louis and a master's degree in science writing from NYU. La Salle disembarked and on 18 September sent the ship back toward Niagara. Several French explores built the exploratory vessel Ren-Robert Cavalier and Sieur de La Salle. Majestic, strong, and imbued with magic, the griffin is a common heraldic symbol which joins the lion's valor with the eagle's elegance. The bowsprit is thespar running out from the bow (front) of a ship), He said: 'My interest began the day my teacher reached over and touched my shoulder, and said out loud in class, "maybe one day, someone in this class will find it. The male wirehaired pointer weighs around 50-70 lb, and the females are around 35-50 lb. After Griffin sank, it was a ghost ship with the souls of the sailors heard chanting by anyone who could see the ship sailing in the moonlight. But members of the Potawatomi tribe brought pieces of the ship to the explorer, including some moldy beaver furs and a pair of sailor's britches, said Baillod, who translated La Salle's journal from French to English. ", 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. 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.. It was built with the intention of finding a route across the Great Lakes of North America to reach China and Japan. 'Michel was spot on when he said the main body of the wreck would be within four miles of the bowsprit. The Liberts have since published their book, Le Griffon and the Huron Islands 1649: Our Story of Exploration and Discovery.. Le Griffon (French pronunciation:[l if], The Griffin) was a sailing vessel built by Ren-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle in 1679. 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. Several French explores built the exploratory vessel Ren-Robert Cavalier and Sieur de La Salle. The Griffon has not been found, Wayne Lusardi, the state archaeologist in the Department of Natural Resources, says bluntly. Shipwreck explorers Jim Kennard, Roger Pawlowski and A group of maritime history enthusiasts have the announced the discovery of the schooners Peshtigo and St. Andrews, lost in 1878 in northern Lake Michigan. 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. Despite photos from several underwater dives, it's still unclear whether the wreck is the 1679 French Griffin. It has become one of the most sought after and perhaps one of the most "found" shipwrecks in the Great Lakes! This was a "great bark" (Hennepin's words) of about 20 tons burden[8] although Tonti's journal says this was a 40-ton vessel. [1][4], La Salle found some of the 15 men he sent ahead from Fort Frontenac to trade with the Illinois but they had listened to La Salle's enemies who said he would never reach the Straits of Mackinac. The British steamship Nisbet Grammer, the largest steel steamer to have foundered in Lake Ontario has been discovered by a team of shipwreck explorers. Mobile Reporting Kit The ship disappeared 343 years back on its maiden launch without a trace. 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. A couple in Charlevoix . Rochester, New York - The wreckage of the schooner Atlas which sank in 1839 during a gale has been located in Lake Ontario. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. [13] Originally discovered in 2001 near Poverty Island, Michigan sonar has shown an object approximately 40 by 18 feet (12.2 by 5.5m) (similar to the dimensions of Le Griffon) located under several feet of sediment. They sailed from the Straits of Mackinac to an island (either Washington Island or Rock Island)[1] located at the entrance of Green Bay. LaSalle's Griffon has not been found. [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. University Hospitals receives $10 million donation from Ahuja family to support community health center, reach underserved populations, Rousing The Choir of Man makes it a memorable reopening night at Playhouse Square, RTA receives no workable proposals for new railcars, will start search over, Paddleboards and kayaks suddenly in high demand amid supply chain shortage, Cleveland resident accused of starting fire at REBol during downtown riots May 30. [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. But Dykstra and Monroe said they'll wait until they hear the final word. He was 43. It was another vessel used by La Salle and Tonti, however, that was the first loss on 8 January 1679. 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. 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.. 'The ship has no indications of fire damage to the wooden remains,' said Mr Libert. Ice flowing down the river threatened to damage their little brigantine and after a cable was broken, they hauled the vessel ashore and into a small ravine for protection. 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.