'The distance of 3.8 miles between the bowsprit and main sections highly suggests the Indians did not sink it either, nor did La Salle's men mutiny and sink the ship. The furs on board would have cost 640,000 in today's value, sinking with the vessel. "It's very difficult to access a wreck based on photo and film footage," Anderson said. Wood can break up. 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. ", 'Fifty-one years later, I am still intrigued by this story.'. The vessel dragged its anchor for about nine miles to the east before grounding and breaking up near present-day Thirty Mile Point. La Salle decided to stay behind with four canoes to explore the head of Lake Michigan. After disembarking, the ship and the exploration disappeared into history. The exact size and construction of Le Griffon is not known but many researchers believe she was a 45-ton barque. 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. More than 5,000 ship wrecks are scattered throughout the Great Lakes, and Porter said the Le Griffon is the most precious one. Eric Freedman is professor of journalism and former associate dean of International Studies and Programs. Zebra mussels cover what may be a griffin on the bow of the ship. Where are the cannons? The entire 29-member crew went down with it in what has become the greatest Great Lakes Shipping Tragedy of all time. By 26 August the violence of the gale caused them to "haul down their topmasts, to lash their yards to the deck, and drift at the mercy of storm. "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. 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 unrest of the Seneca and dissatisfied workmen were continually incited by secret agents of merchants and traders who feared La Salle would break their monopoly on the fur trade. They believe the carving is of a mythical creature known as a griffon, half lion and half eagle. I was mesmerized by what he was saying. La Salle took personal command at this point due to evidence that the pilot was negligent. 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. Le Griffon is reported to be the "Holy Grail" of Great Lakes shipwreck hunters. The loss of the Griffon is one of the great mysteries of the Great Lakes. 3. The divers said they found Le Griffon in 2011, but are just announcing the discovery because they were consulting experts to confirm it. $19.95 plus $3 S&H. He recounts his hunt and discovery in Le Griffon and the Huron Islands, 1679 (Mission Point Press), written with his wife. Until there is an expedition (to the site) with politically unaligned professionals, I will not weigh in one way or another, said Vrana, whose nonprofit group has consulted with Libert. According to legend, natives even cursed the ship. La Salle and Father Louis Hennepin set out on the ship during its maiden voyage on August 7am , 1969 along with a crew of 32. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. From the web site of Libert's company: "There were plenty of theories of what happened to the flagship. The Le Griffon was discovered in Sept. 2018 after going missing in 1679.Steven Libert. [8], La Salle's men first had to build their lodging and then guard against the Iroquois who were hostile to this invasion of their ancient homeland. Certainly not not without a lot more information but these are very compelling. A ship in shallow water gets beat up quickly. ", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Le_Griffon&oldid=1121719205, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2018, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2020, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from January 2015, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from August 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Disappeared on the return trip of her maiden voyage in 1679, This page was last edited on 13 November 2022, at 19:58. On the evening of 10th November 1975, Edmund Fitzgerald sank around 17 miles north-northwest of Whitefish Point, Michigan. While smaller canoes were used on rivers and streams, lake canoes were more commonly larger vessels measuring up to about 35 feet (11m) long. [4] She had the figure of a griffin mounted on her jib-boom and an eagle flying above. Several historical and genealogical references show Griffin making such journeys in 1633 and 1634. The Griffin sank to the murky depths of. ', Shipwreck hunters Steve and Kathie Libertset 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, A scan of the wreck taken by the Great Lakes Exploration Group. The Griffin shipwreck at the bottom of Lake Michigan. A bowsprit discovered a few miles away in 2001 is another part of the vessel, they claim. Shipwreck of the SS American Star. Tests on the ship part are dated to 1679; close to a year, dating of the wreck is 1632 to 1982. [1], Le Griffon's pattern closely followed the prevailing type used by explorers to cross the Atlantic Ocean to the New World. French explorer Ren-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle built the Griffin in 1679, but it was lost in Lake Michiganthe same year. "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. 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. By Jack Timothy Harrison. Mr Libert then spent two years sifting through satellite imagery before he made a breakthrough. Local shipwreck explorer Valerie van Heest spent a week on Manitoulin Island in August of 2018 searching for Le Griffon. Quick Facts about Griffins. [10] The vessel carried anchors, chain, guns, cordage, and cable for Le Griffon, as well as supplies and provisions for the anticipated journey. While there La Salle selected a site for building Le Griffon. 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. 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. There are three acceptable English spellings of the word: griffin, griffon and gryphon. He put ashore near present-day Rochester, New York, and arrived at Tagarondies very shortly after La Motte and Hennepin had left. 1 Answer. This Virtual History Talk will feature Valerie van Heest, who's a Michigan historian, underwater explorer, and author, talking about the facts and legends surrounding the Le Griffon shipwreck . 2 is a much sought after shipwreck. This ship was 471 tons. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. June 3, 2022 . She was the largest sailing vessel on the Great Lakes up to that time. "It's the holy grail of shipwrecks in the Great Lakes.". This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. If it exists in the physical world, we think it will be there in deep water, she says. "Can we call this the Griffin? "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. Crude tools, green and wet timbers, and the cold winter months caused slow progress in the construction of Le Griffon. "[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. 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. [citation needed], La Salle arrived on 20 January 1679 from Fort Frontenac with the full rigging, anchors, chains, cordage, and cannon that were transported by barge, then salvaged and dragged 30 miles (48km) overland to the construction site. Griffin is an English East India Company ship which sank in Sulu Sea near Basilan Island in 1761. When a strong wind suddenly arose, they could not make it back to the ship. Some say La Salle made multiple trips, especially after the spring thaw. 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. 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. He was planning to map the Great Lakes, initially thinking they might be a connecting gateway to the Orient. They dragged the materials to the mouth of the Niagara, rested and warmed up a few days in an Indian village, then carried the materials single file through the snow to their settlement above the falls. Over the years there have been 22 claims of the discovery of the Griffon. They attempted to sail further upstream, but the current was too strong. 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. It has become one of the most sought after and perhaps one of the most "found" shipwrecks in the Great Lakes! 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. 'Many believed the Jesuits were responsible for the ship's disappearance. The nail, which has since been observed by historians, is believed to have been on the ship at the time of it's disappearance, being hauled for building purposes. At the time, no other wreckage was found, but scientists noted other wreckage may not be far away.[16][17]. Le Griffon. He noted that the wreck is near the western Michigan coast, not near Beaver Island, the area mentioned in La Salle's journal. Ghost Ship of the Great Lakes: With Josh Gates, Joan Forsberg, Brendon Baillod, Greg Busch. 'She will sink beneath the deep waters and your blood shall stain the hands of those in whom you trusted!'. So, if the Griffons final resting place isnt where Libert believes it to be, where is it? He also teaches public affairs reporting, international journalism, feature writing and media law and serves as director of the schools Capital News Service. The ship disappeared 343 years back on its maiden launch without a trace. That is my question. [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. Megan SampVoters at the Hannah Community Center share why voting matters to them. Le Griffon is considered by some to have been the first ship lost on the Great Lakes. Some sources confuse the two vessels.
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