19th-Century Lake Erie Shipwreck Bottle from the Sultan, 1864
19th-Century Lake Erie Shipwreck Bottle from the Sultan, 1864
A survivor of the Sultan shipwreck — Lake Erie, 1864
On 24 September 1864, the two-masted wooden brigantine Sultan sank in a violent storm on Lake Erie, off Euclid, Ohio.
Built in Chicago in 1848 and rebuilt in Cleveland in 1863, the vessel measured 127 feet long. She was heavily laden with grindstones, lumber and barrel staves when she encountered the storm. According to the account accompanying this bottle, the Sultan struck the Cuyahoga River bar, took on water and went down in around 50 feet of water, approximately two miles off Euclid.
More than 160 years later, this substantial green-tinted glass bottle offers a tangible connection to that episode of Great Lakes maritime history.
Around its neck is a white-metal collar engraved:
“LAKE ERIE, SULTAN, SEPT 1864”
The glass has acquired a beautifully time-worn, encrusted surface through prolonged exposure to water and the elements. Rather than detracting from the piece, this weathering gives it a distinctive sculptural quality — a striking object with a story to tell.
Whether displayed in a maritime collection, an Americana interior or alongside other historical curiosities, it is an evocative reminder of the vessels and lives connected with the Great Lakes.
Details
- Date associated with the wreck: 24 September 1864
- Material: Green-tinted glass with white-metal collar
- Inscription: “LAKE ERIE, SULTAN, SEPT 1864”
- Height: 32.5 cm
- Condition: Heavily weathered and encrusted, consistent with the appearance described; please study the photographs carefully.
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Extraordinary Things. Americana