The smokestack of the Phoenix shipwreck was discovered in Lake Michigan in Sheboygan 175 years after the tragedy.
The steamer Phoenix was designed to carry passengers and freight after being built in 1845. On its final voyage, the Phoenix left the Netherlands and was bound for Sheboygan. On Nov. 21, 1847, it caught fire from overheated boilers. Between 200 and 300 crew and passengers, who were nearly all Dutch immigrants, died, according to the Wisconsin Maritime Museum.
Until now, it was unknown where on the lake the fatal fire took place. However, during the filming of a documentary and podcast in July, members of a Netherlands journalism company "Omroep Gelderland", discovered the smokestack of the Phoenix shipwreck.
It was discovered in 85 feet of water off Sheboygan by shipwreck hunter Steve Radovan. It was then confirmed by Wisconsin Maritime Museum and Underwater Archaeologists with the Wisconsin Historical Society.
The new evidence is included in a five-part podcast series called "De Ramp met de Phoenix." It became available on Spotify, Google podcasts, and Apple podcasts on Monday, marking the 175th anniversary of the Phoenix wreck.
The Wisconsin Maritime Museum says it has a Bible, which was printed in Amsterdam in 1693, on display. The Bible washed ashore from the Phoenix wreckage shortly after it burned.
