La Salle never saw the Griffin again. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Titanic Artifacts Found, New Discovery Mission "Like Opening a Treasure Box", Adolf Hitler's Lost German U-Boat Allegedly Has Dead Nazis Aboard Along With Gold, Treasure, Antony Blinken Urges End to War in Face-to-Face Meeting with Sergei Lavrov on Sidelines of G20 Summit, Ukraine Official Says Kyiv Forces May Pull Back From Bakhmut as Wagner Surrounds Key City, Post-COVID Lung Health: Coping with Shortness of Breath and Other Respiratory Symptoms, Japan Hits Record Low in Birth Rate as Officials Consider Child Care Policy, Blame Citizens' Lack of 'Romantic Ability', Tom Sizemore Update: No Further Hope for Saving Private Ryan Star After Brain Aneurysm, TikTok Develops Tools To Help Parents Prevent Teens From Accessing Inappropriate Content, Set Time Limit. The ship was lost on the return leg of her maiden voyage due to a violent boiler A rare daggerboard schooner, Three Brothers, has been discovered in deep water off Oswego, New York by a team of shipwreck enthusiasts. He put ashore near present-day Rochester, New York, and arrived at Tagarondies very shortly after La Motte and Hennepin had left. Welcome to the Coronation! [8], Meanwhile, La Salle and Henri de Tonti, had departed Fort Frontenac in a second vessel some days after La Motte and Hennepin. 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. Prince Harry shares struggles to be his 'authentic true self' growing up, saying he felt pressures to 'come As Prince Harry says he felt like the film 'the boy in the bubble' before having therapy, who was What will the next pandemic be? Pictures show the bow of the ship with a carved sculpture. [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. Order from www.seawolfcommunications.com or call them at 630-293-8996. by Anonymous - "It's not a pond net stake. Navagio Beach in Greece is famous for its shipwreck. 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. I thought, I gotta find this ship. The story my history teacher proceeded to tell immediately caught my full attention and like most young men, stirred the imagination of early exploration in an unknown country. They attempted to sail further upstream, but the current was too strong. However, 36 years later in 1911, the Rosabelle was found again overturned and floating with no sign of any . The Griffon was the first European ship ever to sail the Great Lakes. turtix/Shutterstock. Ghost Ship of the Great Lakes: With Josh Gates, Joan Forsberg, Brendon Baillod, Greg Busch. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. While there have been many theories over the years, there is no clear consensus as to the fate or current location of Le Griffon. 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. 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. [1], Le Griffon's pattern closely followed the prevailing type used by explorers to cross the Atlantic Ocean to the New World. Hennepin said she was named to protect her from the fire that threatened her. It would be busted up, she said. 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. 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. They sailed from the Straits of Mackinac to an island (either Washington Island or Rock Island)[1] located at the entrance of Green Bay. "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? It dragged anchor and ran aground near Thirty Mile Point on Lake Ontario, where it broke apart. Some said that the Ottawas or Pottawatomies boarded her, murdered her crew, and then burned her. [4] They entered Lake St. Clair on 12 August, the feast day of Saint Clare of Assisi, and named the lake after her. On 23 June 2014, Steve Libert told the Associated Press he believed he found Le Griffon in Lake Michigan after extensive searching, in a debris field near where a wood slab was found the previous year. [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. Le Griffon was the largest fixed-rig sailing vessel on the Great Lakes up to that time,[3] and led the way to modern commercial shipping in that part of the world. 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). One candidate is a wreck at the western end of Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron, with another wreck near Escanaba, Michigan, also proposed. In July 2010 the Great Lakes Exploration Group issued a press release stating that they, the state of Michigan and France had reached agreement to co-operate in the next phase of an archaeological site assessment for identifying the shipwreck. Using a state of the art two-man submersible, Josh dives in to find a ship so elusive it's known as "The Holy Grail of Shipwrecks." [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. 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. Pictured: Some of the wreckage. Join the discussion, Playing Nov. 3-10: East Lansing Film Festivals silver anniversary. As noted above, sources give its size as either 20 tons or 40 tons. That evidence? [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. Le Griffon was constructed and launched at or near Cayuga Island on the Niagara River and was armed with seven cannons. Their sonar caught a mass below, and Dykstra dove into the water to take video. Here are 26 other famous shipwrecks around the world. Inside Prince Harry's finances from when he met Meghan Markle to landing 100M with Netflix and book Spare Royally hard work! [1][4] Beginning on Christmas Day, 1678, La Motte and Hennepin together with four of their men, went by snowshoe to a prominent Seneca chief who resided at Tagarondies[notes 2] a village about 75 miles (120km) east of Niagara[notes 3] and about 20 miles (32km) south of Lake Ontario. Several French explores built the exploratory vessel Ren-Robert Cavalier and Sieur de La Salle. The exact place where the Griffon was constructed is marked by a boulder and historical plaque at 9317 Buffalo Avenue, just north of the city marina. In January of 1679, the Griffon's building party arrived at the mouth of Cayuga Creek on the Niagara River (about a mile from my high school) where the ship would be built. Around 4:00pm the Shannon passed Oswego light and headed out into the lake. [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. It was the first big ship to sail the Great Lakes. [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. Now, more than 335 years later, the wreck of the Griffon has not definitively been found. The Griffin, a large ship built by Frenchman Rene Robert Cavalli, disappeared on its maiden voyage some 343 years ago. Acknowledging that French archeologists side with Libert, she asks what they know about Native American fishing practices. Test yourself with this Cockney Rhyming Slang quiz. The Griffon, built in 1679, sank that same year somewhere in the Great Lakes. 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.. Baillod said he is "99 percent sure" that the wreck is not that of the Griffon. 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. Joe Porter, publisher for Wreck Diving Magazine, has penned articles on famous ship wrecks including the Titanic, but saidthe Griffon is the most fascinating. Pictured: Images of the 2018 dive on a wreck found in 2018 near Poverty Island, Lake Michigan. Le Griffon Shipwreck. A bowsprit is the spar that extends forward from the bow. 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. [1][4], Father Hennepin wrote that Le Griffon was lost in a violent storm. [4] La Salle left Italian officer Henri de Tonti and Father Hennepin in charge while he journeyed to Fort Frontenac to secure replacements for lost supplies. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook& Google+. 'She will sink beneath the deep waters and your blood shall stain the hands of those in whom you trusted!'. Keen to get away from the neighbours? NY 10036. They're not going back to the wreckage for a while, so they don't make the site vulnerable to other treasure seekers. "[1] THE WRECK OF THE GRIFFON by Cris Kohl and Joan Forsberg, published and distributed by Seawolf Communications Inc. 224 pages. Those left behind proceeded with needed building projects. once I broke the surface. The loss of the Griffon is one of the great mysteries of the Great Lakes. 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 sources confuse the two vessels. La Salle took personal command at this point due to evidence that the pilot was negligent. 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 . 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 Griffin shipwreck at the bottom of Lake Michigan. According to Father Louis Hennepin, one of them was caught in a violent storm and never survived, notedthe Daily Mail. Many authors since Mansfield have followed suit. These social birds live in vulture colonies. 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. Using sonar, two treasure hunters found the remains of a shipwreck in Lake Michigan. The Ruppell's griffon vulture is Critically Endangered. He was 43. Some say that this vessel was named the Frontenac, while others say the other vessel used on La Salle's expedition was Frontenac. $19.95 plus $3 S&H. The Griffon has not been found, Wayne Lusardi, the state archaeologist in the Department of Natural Resources, says bluntly. 'Michel was spot on when he said the main body of the wreck would be within four miles of the bowsprit. Only then did the Liberts and the Great Lakes Exploration Group discover that the bowsprit was separate from the remainder of the vessel. Eric Freedman is professor of journalism and former associate dean of International Studies and Programs. He continued exploring the Mississippi River until his murder in Texas in 1687. 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. When they arrived there La Motte and Hennepin had not yet returned. 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 accounts agree that this little vessel played a part in the building of Le Griffon. All rights reserved. (https://news.jrn.msu.edu/2022/03/charlevoix-couple-offers-theory-on-mysterious-1679-shipwreck/). 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). Like Le Griffon, the steamship Marquette and Bessemer No. Some say La Salle made multiple trips, especially after the spring thaw. Spartan Newsroom The griffin was a favourite decorative motif in the ancient Middle Eastern and Mediterranean lands. fremont hospital deaths; what happened to tropical tidbits; chris herren speaking fee; boracay braids cultural appropriation; the griffon shipwreck facts. But other experts aren't convinced that the wreck is the Griffin. 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. So you want to make a news show? The Griffin (Le Griffon) was a sailing ship built byRen-Robert Cavelier in 1679 that mysteriously disappeared during its maiden voyage on the Great Lakes. 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. The wreck's discoverers agree that more evidence is needed. Now after more than 40 years of searching, Charlevoix diver Steve Libert says hes 99.99% sure he found the answer, and he tells how in a new book. 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. 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. The Atlas may be the oldest confirmed commercial schooner discovered in the Great Lakes. She was found by an aircraft belonging to the US Navy on 14th November 1975. The traders had collected 12,000 pounds (5,400kg) of furs in anticipation of the arrival of Le Griffon. ', 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. Interactive map reveals when you may see SNOW. The exact size and construction of Le Griffon is not known but many researchers believe she was a 45-ton barque. Below Niagara Falls: first ships on Lake Ontario. At noon the waves ran so high, and the lake became so rough, as to compel them to stand in for land. Le Griffon is considered by some to have been the first ship lost on the Great Lakes. Every one of these shipwreck hunters finds a bone pile and claims its the Griffon.. La Salle decided to visit the Senecas at Tagarondies himself. 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. [4] She had the figure of a griffin mounted on her jib-boom and an eagle flying above. Lawrence. [19][20] Their claim was quickly debunked when Michigan authorities dove down on 9 June 2015 after receiving the coordinates to verify its authenticity. [notes 1], Before 1673, the most common vessel on the lakes was the canoe. LANSING Historical mysteries may take decades, even centuries, to solve if ever. A 2015 book The Wreck of the Griffon by Cris Kohl and Joan Forsberg argues that the best "discovery" proposed to date remains the 1898 find by Albert Cullis, lighthouse keeper on the western edge of Manitoulin Island in northern Lake Huron. Great Lakes Exploration Group is not connected to this story or Kevin Dykstra and Frederick Monroe. But the latest finding, made popular again by Wreck Diving Magazine in its latest issue, holds a number of clues about the ship's past. The photographer was an archaeologist working on the project. In the meantime, the duo plans to continue their hunt for the gold bullion. 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. the griffon shipwreck facts. The 2001 discovery of a bowsprit sticking out the lakebed sparked a 10-year legal battle with the State of Michigan, preventing the explorers from excavating for the rest of the ship until 2013. Tests on the ship part are dated to 1679; close to a year, dating of the wreck is 1632 to 1982. Wood can break up. A 'cursed' shipwreck which sank almost 350 years ago has been identified in one of North America's Great Lakes, bringing to an end a maritime mystery. But the wreckage suggests that The Griffin was lost in a storm. "The [American] Indians told the captain not to sail out, to wait the storm out, but he wouldn't listen to them," Baillod said. Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Alex Murdaugh unanimously found GUILTY of murder of wife and son, Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA, Fleet-footed cop chases an offender riding a scooter, Two Russian tanks annihilated with bombs by Ukrainian armed forces, Isabel Oakeshott clashes with Nick Robinson over Hancock texts. The ship was constructed and launched on Cayuga Creek on the Niagara River as a seven-cannon, 45-ton barque. 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. 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. The mythical griffin is a creature of ferocity and nobility. Bateaux were also common. 2 - The Almiranta, Santo Cristo de San Roman, Nuestra Seora del Rosario y San Jose (Presumably a galleon). The details of these discoveries along with numerous illustrations are contained in the pages of this thought provoking book. Each November, the East Lansing Film Festival showcases independent films. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. From the web site of Libert's company: "There were plenty of theories of what happened to the flagship. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. A ship in shallow water gets beat up quickly. [1][4] The exact size and construction of Le Griffon is not known. An infamous 'cursed' ship that disappeared more than 340 years ago has been found. WHITEFISH POINT, MICH.- The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS) is proud to announce the discovery of the 292-foot Whaleback vessel, Barge 129. [6] Some of La Salle's associates called this vessel a brigantine; others called it a bark. [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. Only about 375 of Lake Erie's wrecks have been found. "When the Griffin left from Wisconsin, headed back to Niagara, it was never heard from again," Porter said. 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. New York, At 42.5 inches tall, the "Pisa Griffin" is the largest bronze medieval Islamic sculpture on the planet and was made in the 11th Century CE. They reached Niagara again on 14 January. 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. The 1633 journey left from Downs, England and landed at Plymouth in Plymouth Colony on September 3. La Salle followed the southern shore of the lake. 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. On 6 December, they landed safely on the east bank of the river at about where Lewiston, New York is today. Michel L'Hour, a French government archaeologist who's been called 'Indiana Jones in a diving suit', took part in the excavation and theorised that the rest of the ship was nearby. Tonti's journal says it was adverse winds. Le Griffon was the first ship of thousands to disappear in our upper Great Lakes, Libert, president of Great Lakes Exploration Group LLC, told cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. Valerie van Heest, a member of the board of directors of the Michigan Shipwreck Research Association, says, There have been 30 or more discoveries of the Griffon dating back to early 1800s. Unless the Legislature acts, local taxpayers would then be saddled with those expenses. But the ship vanished while delivering a valuable cargo of furs, amid rumours that she had been cursed by a prophet from the Iroquois tribe. 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. "[6] H. W. Beckwith says that in September 1678, La Salle "already had three small vessels on Lake Ontario, which he had made use of in a coasting trade with the Indians.