I had the day off of work and it was a nice warm June day in Chicago so I wanted to get out on the water and dive the famous george Morley.

 

  We went to the harbor in Evenston and asked the lifeguards if we could visit the Shipwreck. 

 

We presented our C cards and produced a dive flag so we were granted access to visit the shipwreck. It was fun swimming out and searching for the freighter as there were no bouys placed to make the wreck site. 

 

 

The George Morley is about 150 yards off shore in about 20ft of water. Back in 1892 a year before the Chicago Exhibition, the wooden freighter caught fire on her way to Chicago.  The crew docked the boat at the old Greenwood Pier and the decision was made back out into the bay where it was pushed out and burned to the waterline.

 

We see a faint outline of a haul and upon swimming closer, we come up to the wreck of the Morley.  For a shroe dive in Chicago, i thought this one was rather intersting to visit as the haul boarding, fasteners, and skeletal reamins are still present but the keelson is under the sand. 

 

 The bowsprit and boom are visiable and the bowsprit almost pushed the surface waterline. We found some artifacts including a interesting bottle, but I decided to hide it back where I found it so others can enjoy discovering this artifact.

 

We were in the water for around 20 minutes or so and enjoyed our dive on the morley.  I recommend this wreck as one of the best shore dives on lake michigan and a great piece of history for all levels of divers to visit at least once.