Emergencies and World Disasters
Two Bodies on Fox Island - The Ship That Vanished Forever
19 min•12 augusti 2026
Om avsnittet
Two Bodies on Fox Island - The Ship That Vanished Forever
Ice-cold Lake Michigan kept its secret for 130 years: two men found ashore on Fox Island on November 18, 1892, still wearing life preservers, while the 301.5-foot steel freighter they sailed from simply disappeared without a trace. The W.H. Gilcher had carried 3,080 tons of coal and 18 men when she left Buffalo on October 26 - so why were two bodies on the shore and no wreck ever found?
In this episode, we tell the sequence of events recorded around the Gilcher’s final voyage and the immediate aftermath, laying out what was built, what it carried, who sailed on her, and what the lake left unanswered. How could a record-setting steel ship with a 1,200-horsepower engine vanish so completely between 2:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. on October 28, 1892?
Ship: W.H. Gilcher
Date: November 18, 1892 (bodies found); October 26-28, 1892 (voyage)
Cargo: 3,080 tons of coal
Crew: 18 men
Length: 301.5 feet
- The Gilcher was built as Hull Number Ten and launched December 18, 1890.
- She measured 41 feet wide and 21 feet deep from deck to keel.
- Her triple-expansion steam engine produced roughly 1,200 horsepower fed by two Scotch boilers.
- On October 28 she passed the Straits of Mackinac at about 2:30 p.m.; a schooner sighted her struggling at ~8:00 p.m. about 20 miles northwest of North Manitou Island.
- Two unnamed men were found on Fox Island on November 18 still wearing life preservers; sixteen crewmen left no trace and no hull has ever been located.
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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
Ice-cold Lake Michigan kept its secret for 130 years: two men found ashore on Fox Island on November 18, 1892, still wearing life preservers, while the 301.5-foot steel freighter they sailed from simply disappeared without a trace. The W.H. Gilcher had carried 3,080 tons of coal and 18 men when she left Buffalo on October 26 - so why were two bodies on the shore and no wreck ever found?
In this episode, we tell the sequence of events recorded around the Gilcher’s final voyage and the immediate aftermath, laying out what was built, what it carried, who sailed on her, and what the lake left unanswered. How could a record-setting steel ship with a 1,200-horsepower engine vanish so completely between 2:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. on October 28, 1892?
Ship: W.H. Gilcher
Date: November 18, 1892 (bodies found); October 26-28, 1892 (voyage)
Cargo: 3,080 tons of coal
Crew: 18 men
Length: 301.5 feet
- The Gilcher was built as Hull Number Ten and launched December 18, 1890.
- She measured 41 feet wide and 21 feet deep from deck to keel.
- Her triple-expansion steam engine produced roughly 1,200 horsepower fed by two Scotch boilers.
- On October 28 she passed the Straits of Mackinac at about 2:30 p.m.; a schooner sighted her struggling at ~8:00 p.m. about 20 miles northwest of North Manitou Island.
- Two unnamed men were found on Fox Island on November 18 still wearing life preservers; sixteen crewmen left no trace and no hull has ever been located.
To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.
© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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