Website User Guide The Native Americans told La Salle the crew planned to sail toward the Straits of Mackinac in stormy weather. 'The ship has no indications of fire damage to the wooden remains,' said Mr Libert. They were trying to chart a path from Great Lakes in North America to China and Japan if a route is there. The Griffon was built by La Salle near Niagara Falls and was the first ship to sail on the upper Great Lakes. 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. Armament: 50 iron cannons total. REVEALED: Huge sonic boom felt by thousands across the country was caused by RAF Typhoon jets scrambling to Wakey Wakey! The two men did not bring up the nail on purpose, and they plan to return it to the state, said Dean Anderson, the state archaeologist for Michigan. From the web site of Libert's company: "There were plenty of theories of what happened to the flagship. 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. Your comment will appear after being approved. LaSalle's Griffon has not been found. More than 100 Native American bark canoes gathered around Le Griffon to look at the "big wood canoe". A ship in shallow water gets beat up quickly. The Griffin shipwreck at the bottom of Lake Michigan. 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. 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.. But other experts aren't convinced that the wreck is the Griffin. That is my question. That would also put their forward progress on 8 January, at about 20 miles (32km) from Niagara. Brooklyn celebrates turning 24 by heading out in Paris with wife Nicola Peltz and Nicola Peltz's fans question if 'feud' with mother-in-law Victoria Beckham is REALLY over as she posts Supermarkets strip vape device from stores after being found to be at least 50 per cent over legal nicotine Tragedies of Everest: The adventurers forever frozen in ice after losing their lives scaling the world's 'Why the last-minute delay?' A couple in Charlevoix . When they arrived there La Motte and Hennepin had not yet returned. "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. The horror of Japan's death railway captured by cartoon: Top secret US mission to scatter Pearl Harbour mastermind Isabel Oakeshott receives 'menacing' message from Matt Hancock, Dozens stuck in car park as staff refuses to open gate for woman, Incredible footage of Ukrainian soldiers fighting Russians in Bakhmut, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' But Dykstra and Monroe said they'll wait until they hear the final word. "That was kind of telling to us that the ship probably weathered a storm; otherwise, there would probably be a rudder on it.". 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. Join the discussion, Playing Nov. 3-10: East Lansing Film Festivals silver anniversary. The vessel dragged its anchor for about nine miles to the east before grounding and breaking up near present-day Thirty Mile Point. In Photos: Arctic Shipwreck Solves 170-Year-Old Mystery, 'Runaway' black hole the size of 20 million suns found speeding through space with a trail of newborn stars behind it, 'Unreal' auroras cover Earth in stunning photo taken by NASA astronaut. "They lost the ship from sight," Baillod said, "and that's the last anybody has ever seen the Griffin.". We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Somewhere near present-day Toronto they were frozen in and had to chop their way out of the ice. The couples book shares details of how they believed the ship sank near the Huron Islands, a group of small, rocky islands northeast of Green Bay. Their sonar caught a mass below, and Dykstra dove into the water to take video. Revealed: The top 10 fastest-growing destinations for UK pensioners retiring overseas. Kingsford says it was either contrary wind or they were becalmed. 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. They hadn't sailed far before a storm picked up. the griffon shipwreck facts. 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.. [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. In the meantime, the duo plans to continue their hunt for the gold bullion. They may be deliberate or accidental. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, Excellence in Education Award Nominations. The Liberts have since published their book, Le Griffon and the Huron Islands 1649: Our Story of Exploration and Discovery.. 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. 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. 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. Many authors since Mansfield have followed suit. The details of these discoveries along with numerous illustrations are contained in the pages of this thought provoking book. 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. It takes nine months for the puppies to reach the adult weight and can take up to one and a half years for larger dogs to achieve adult weight. 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. While there have been many theories over the years, there is no clear consensus as to the fate or current location of Le Griffon. Tornadoes Hit Central US; Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Columbus Ohio Brace For Intense Weather. Here are 26 other famous shipwrecks around the world. Possibly a cannon, hopefully with the date stamped on it.' Wood can break up. Megan SampTickets can be bought online or at Studio C in Okemos. (Image: Great Lakes Exploration Group via Pen News) The wreck was found near Poverty Island on Lake Michigan, almost 350 years after it vanished. He put ashore near present-day Rochester, New York, and arrived at Tagarondies very shortly after La Motte and Hennepin had left. THE WRECK OF THE GRIFFON by Cris Kohl and Joan Forsberg, published and distributed by Seawolf Communications Inc. 224 pages. La Salle never saw Le Griffon again. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. The Griffin was last seen struggling off Washington Island and was never heard from again. 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. He also teaches public affairs reporting, international journalism, feature writing and media law and serves as director of the schools Capital News Service. State archaeologists reviewed the footage, and "They've been very diligent to say, 'This is really interesting; these are some neat pictures,'" Dykstra said. The sails were merely supplemental for traveling down wind. I was mesmerized by what he was saying. The male wirehaired pointer weighs around 50-70 lb, and the females are around 35-50 lb. A shipwreck is the remains of a ship that has been wrecked. 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. [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. Inside Prince Harry's finances from when he met Meghan Markle to landing 100M with Netflix and book Spare Royally hard work! Now, more than 335 years later, the wreck of the Griffon has not definitively been found. 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. The wind did slightly decrease but they drifted slowly all night, unable to find anchorage or shelter. More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23, Le Griffon and the Huron Islands 1649: Our Story of Exploration and Discovery. 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. In the past griffin was a symbol of strength and dexterity.It often looked after a treasure.. 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. On its return trip from the island, said to be located in the mouth of the body of water which is now known as Green Bay, it vanished with all six crew members and its load of furs. Its fate has been a puzzlement for maritime historians for more than three and a half centuries. Keen to get away from the neighbours? It wanted to sail across Lake Erie, Lake Huron and Lake Michigan through waters only canoes had previously explored. Lake Erie covers 2,000 of them, among the highest concentration of wrecks in the world. The Griffon has not been found, Wayne Lusardi, the state archaeologist in the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, says bluntly. Every one of these shipwreck hunters finds a bone pile and claims its the Griffon.. [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. By Michael Havis and Harry Howard For Mailonline, Published: 12:24 GMT, 16 June 2021 | Updated: 13:02 GMT, 16 June 2021. 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. When he and Monroe later reviewed the video, they realized it might be the Griffin. The Le Griffon, a barque ship, was carrying bison and furs at the time it disappeared, Libert said. Mr Libert said: 'Our extensive research and deciphering of historic documents led us precisely to the resting place of an undiscovered colonial-age ship.'. 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. 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. Griffin is an English East India Company ship which sank in Sulu Sea near Basilan Island in 1761. 175 Year Old Great Lakes Atlas Schooner Located in Lake Ontario, Early 1800s Dagger-board Schooner Three Brothers Discovered in Lake Ontario, 1926 Steamship Nisbet Grammer Discovered in Lake Ontario, 158 year old Canadian Schooner Royal Albert Discovered in Lake Ontario, Mid-Nineteenth Century Canadian Schooner Ocean Wave Discovered by Shipwreck Explorers, Major Shipwreck Discovery in Lake Michigan. "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? Mr Libert believes the Griffin was caught in a four-day storm and the bowsprit, which was held in place only by wooden wedges, broke off before the rest of the ship sank. Griffin was the name of a 17th-century ship known to have sailed between England and English settlements along Massachusetts Bay in British America. The figurehead likely isn't the remains of a griffin, he said, but a "big encrustation of zebra mussels," on burned wood. [1][4], Father Hennepin wrote that Le Griffon was lost in a violent storm. 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. Newsroom Calendar Baillod said he is "99 percent sure" that the wreck is not that of the Griffon. 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. A history teacher inspired Libert in school. 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. Some said that the Ottawas or Pottawatomies boarded her, murdered her crew, and then burned her. 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. They again sounded their way through the narrow channel of the St. Clair River to its mouth where they were delayed by contrary winds until 24 August. Since its disappearance in 1679, the Griffon has taken on a mythic air. 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. It is not clear if the ship had advanced west after the departure of La Salle and Tonti. 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. Le Griffon was constructed and launched at or near Cayuga Island on the Niagara River and was armed with seven cannons. 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 Mysterious Shipwreck of Le Griffon | Expedition Unknown 17,600 views May 8, 2019 The Griffon, a ship built by famed explorer Ren-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, sailed out of Lake. Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. As the eagle was considered the 'king of the birds', and the lion the 'king of the beasts', the griffin was perceived as a powerful and majestic creature. They were driven northwesterly until the evening of 27 August when under a light southerly breeze they finally rounded Bois Blanc Island and anchored in the calm waters of the natural harbor at East Moran Bay off the settlement of Mission St. Ignace, where there was a settlement of Hurons, Ottawas, and a few Frenchmen. JRN@MSU Code of Ethics Loaded with furs in what's now Wisconsin, the Griffon was said to have sunk somewhere in northern Lake Michigan in 1679. However, 36 years later in 1911, the Rosabelle was found again overturned and floating with no sign of any . The Griffon, built in 1679, sank that same year somewhere in the Great Lakes. It just sparked my interest and I started researching more and more. Steve Libert diving on the ship in 2018. Rochester, New York - The wreckage of the schooner Atlas which sank in 1839 during a gale has been located in Lake Ontario. ", 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. Pictured: Images of the 2018 dive on a wreck found in 2018 near Poverty Island, Lake Michigan. The exact size and construction of Le Griffon is not known but many researchers believe she was a 45-ton barque. 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. Carbon dating of the bowsprit places suggests an age range within a year of the sinking. On a subsequent dive, Dykstra took a magnet with him to help determine the metal composition of the ship. 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). Now shipwreck hunters Steve and Kathie Libert say they have found the infamous vessel, which was the first to sail the Great Lakes beyond Niagara Falls. [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. While there La Salle selected a site for building Le Griffon. Moreover, Baillod said he hasn't heard of anyone looking for the Griffin near the Beaver Island archipelago, which is likely the area mentioned in La Salle's journal, Baillod said. Mr Libert said: 'I believe the state feels we are encroaching upon their sovereignty and feels we are nothing more than treasure hunters intruding on the rights of academia and archaeologists. 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. [21], There has yet to be any consensus regarding the location of the shipwreck of Le Griffon. The two treasure hunters were taking measurements of the ship when Dykstra's magnet, tethered to his scuba gear, picked up an object that few people have ever seen: a hand forged nail that dates back to 1679. She was found by an aircraft belonging to the US Navy on 14th November 1975. He learned to dive, and the quest was on. After disembarking, the ship and the exploration disappeared into history. 'Michel was spot on when he said the main body of the wreck would be within four miles of the bowsprit. WHITEFISH POINT, MICH.- The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS) is proud to announce the discovery of the 292-foot Whaleback vessel, Barge 129. They concluded it was likely a bowsprit dating from a ship hundreds of years old, although some think it was a common pound net stake used for fishing nets in the 19th century. Most of the ship remnants were in shallow, not deep water makes the other claims inaccurate. [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. Charlevoix couple offers theory on mysterious 1679 shipwreck. La Salle whose full name was the noble-sounding Ren-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle wasnt aboard the Griffon. Copyright 2023, Michigan State University. They added that a bowsprit was found close by in 2001, assuming it is another part that broke off from the ship.