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There can be little doubt why
this six mile long chunk of land is named Outer Island. It's out there! On Sept. 28, 1905, a huge storm rolled over Lake Superior. When the gale was over, the losses were heart breaking. 78 seamen were dead. |
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Outer Island |
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There can be little doubt why
this six mile long chunk of land is named Outer Island. It's out there! On Sept. 28, 1905, a huge storm rolled over Lake Superior. When the gale was over, the losses were heart breaking. 78 seamen were dead. |
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| The 262' "Ira H.
Owen" was east of Outer Island when she disappeared that day. Floating wreckage was found two days later near Michigan Island with the ships' name upon it. But the ship - and 19 crew were never seen again. |
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| The same day a 338' wood
schooner named "Pretoria" snapped her tow NE of Outer Island and drifted out of
control until the anchor grabbed 1-1/2 miles from the island. The storm tore her apart there, sunk her in 52 feet of water. The ten crew boarded a lifeboat, which was flipped just feet from shore. Five men drowned, the others were helped ashore by the lighthouse keeper. |
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| Tales told to teach respect
for Lake Superior always have their place. Consider my sons in the photo above; no life jackets (there were two on the cockpit floor) the schooner sailing with the foresail lashed down, mainsail fully reefed and jib - yet still she leaned past 30 degrees in a 25 knot wind. We were sailing
just south of Outer Island that day, and having great fun. Nothing broke. No one got hurt.
But what if? Back to Outer Island as a destination. Great lighthouse. Local gossip is that Warren Nelson was looking out from the top of this lighthouse when he started to write "I'm The Keeper of the Light." I'll have to check that out with himself. You can find out much more about Outer Island Lighthouse with a click to NPS. Like the rest of the Apostle Islands, Outer has been logged over and over, and evidence of the fish camp days can still be seen. We'll leave Outer Island now, and sail west along the north edge of the Apostles. Next stop is Devils Island, but on the way we'll take a look at North Twin Island. |
