', Shipwreck hunters Steve and Kathie Libertset out their case for having discovered the ship in a new book, Le Griffon and the Huron Islands 1679: Our Story of Exploration and Discovery, A scan of the wreck taken by the Great Lakes Exploration Group. TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) A debris field at the bottom of Lake Michigan may be the remains of the long-lost Griffin, a vessel commanded by a 17th-century French explorer, said a shipwreck . She also reports on general science, including archaeology and paleontology. Heres how it works. On 27 December 2014, two divers, Kevin Dykstra and Frederick Monroe, announced the discovery of a wreck that they believe is Le Griffon, based on the bowstem, which to some resembles an ornamental griffin. That would also put their forward progress on 8 January, at about 20 miles (32km) from Niagara. 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. LaSalle's Griffon has not been found. [4] La Salle left Italian officer Henri de Tonti and Father Hennepin in charge while he journeyed to Fort Frontenac to secure replacements for lost supplies. fremont hospital deaths; what happened to tropical tidbits; chris herren speaking fee; boracay braids cultural appropriation; the griffon shipwreck facts. ", 'Fifty-one years later, I am still intrigued by this story.'. the griffon shipwreck facts the griffon shipwreck facts. He was more successful in securing the Indians' tolerance of his proposed "big canoe" and support buildings. Armament: 50 iron cannons total. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Characteristics Physical Description [4] Some charged fur traders, and even Jesuits with her destruction. The traders had collected 12,000 pounds (5,400kg) of furs in anticipation of the arrival of Le Griffon. Until there is an expedition (to the site) with politically unaligned professionals, I will not weigh in one way or another, said Vrana, whose nonprofit group has consulted with Libert. The Griffon was built by La Salle near Niagara Falls and was the first ship to sail on the upper Great Lakes. Navagio Beach in Greece is famous for its shipwreck. Its fate has been a puzzlement for maritime historians for more than three and a half centuries. Many explorers have claimed to havefound Le Griffon in the past, but Dykstra and Monroe are the only ones who've foundan actual ship wreck. They made their way north and west to Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron where they were becalmed until noon of 25 August. While some of these were made from a single carved log ("dugout" or "pirogue"), most were bark canoes. [19][20] Their claim was quickly debunked when Michigan authorities dove down on 9 June 2015 after receiving the coordinates to verify its authenticity. About 30 adventurers have claimed to have found the Griffin, usually by happenstance, Baillod said. In 2011, Michigan-based treasure hunters Kevin Dykstra and Frederick Monroe found a shipwreck as they were searching for the $2 million in gold that, according to local legend, fell from a ferry. 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. Beckwith's conclusion was that he chose one of his existing vessels, one of about ten tons burden, for sending the first group of men to Niagara. Libert said the book reveals the location of the Huron Islands where Robert La Salles ship, Le Griffon, met her fate. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Ghost Ship of the Great Lakes: With Josh Gates, Joan Forsberg, Brendon Baillod, Greg Busch. La Salle seized two of the deserters and sent Tonti with six men to arrest two more at Sault Ste. Like Le Griffon, the steamship Marquette and Bessemer No. La Salle never saw the Griffin again. Some time later, Hennepin would use this little vessel to sail to Fort Frontenac and again back to Niagara. It's not clear what led to the ship's sinking more than 340 years ago. Le Griffon may have been found by the Great Lakes Exploration Group but the potential remains were the subject of lawsuits involving the discoverers, the state of Michigan, the U.S. federal government, and the Government of France. After disembarking, the ship and the exploration disappeared into history. The Griffin - 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. In 2011, Michigan-based treasure hunters Kevin Dykstra and Frederick Monroe found a shipwreck as they were searching for the $2 million in gold that, according to local legend, fell from a ferry crossing Lake Michigan in the 1800s, they told WZZM, a western Michigan news station. The ship was lost in the depths of northern Lake Michigan over 300 years ago. 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.. French historical documents and shipbuilding techniques, colonial-era maps, contemporary reports, what he says is a bowsprit retrieved from the wreckage, carbon-4 dating and underwater photographs of submerged parts of a vessel. Cris Kohl and wife Joan Forsberg have conducted over 20 years of research in order to write their new book The Wreck of the Griffon, the explorer La Salles ship that disappeared in 1679 on its return voyage from Lake Michigan. They are considered to be symbolic of power . Eric Freedman is professor of journalism and former associate dean of International Studies and Programs. [citation needed], After La Salle and Tonti left, the pilot and the rest of the crew were to follow with the supply vessel. Over the years there have been 22 claims of the discovery of the Griffon. "[7] None of these sources ascribe a name to any of these vessels. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 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 Salles ships. "Can we call this the Griffin? 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. Already have an account? Libert said some theories are supposed to explain what happened to the vessel. When he and Monroe later reviewed the video, they realized it might be the Griffin. It was built by the French explorer Ren Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, with a view to finding a route through the lakes to China and Japan. [1][4], The short open-water season of the upper Great Lakes compelled La Salle to depart for Green Bay on 12 September, five days before Tonti's return. As for the pieces of wreckage Libert photographed, they cant be the Griffons because they would have broken to bits long, long ago if theyd been in shallow water battered by storms and ice for more than three centuries, van Heest says. Menu viscount royal caravan. [6][8][11][pageneeded] There the keel was laid on 26 January 1679. He put ashore near present-day Rochester, New York, and arrived at Tagarondies very shortly after La Motte and Hennepin had left. Wirehaired pointing griffons are famously known as a 'supreme gundog.'. Divers and shipwreck enthusiasts have spent years trying to piece together clues from the ship's last days to. Every one of these shipwreck hunters finds a bone pile and claims its the Griffon.. They made their way around Long Point, Ontario, constantly sounding as they went through the first moonless, fog-laden night to the sound of breaking waves and guided only by La Salle's knowledge of Galine's crude, 10-year-old chart. She carried a cargo of furs valued at from 50,000 to 60,000 francs ($10,000 $12,000) and the rigging and anchors for another vessel that La Salle intended to build to find passage to the West Indies. According to Father Louis Hennepin, one of them was caught in a violent storm and never survived, notedthe Daily Mail. In 2011, Michigan-based treasure hunters Kevin Dykstra and Frederick Monroe found a shipwreck as they were searching for the $2 million in gold that, according to local legend, fell from a ferry. Francis Parkman says that by 1677, "four vessels of 25 to 40 tons had been built for the lake Ontario and the river St. Most often described as a 45-ton barque, Le Griffon is considered the first full-sized sailing ship to ply the upper Great Lakes. These social birds live in vulture colonies. LANSING Historical mysteries may take decades, even centuries, to solve if ever. In September 1679, French explorers loaded the boat with furs and left Green Bay. Kids Encyclopedia Facts. Libert added the wooden timbers of the ship show no evidence of damage done by fire. The Griffin - 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.. The divers who discovered the wreck believe it to be the Griffin, an exploration ship laden with furs, cannon, muskets and shipyard supplies that went down in a storm in 1679 in Lake Michigan, on . Heres the backstory as Libert tells it: LaSalle built the Griffon as his flagship upriver from Niagara Falls, probably on what is now the Canadian side of the Niagara River. "When we had it looked at, they [the archaeologists] could tell that the nail was very old," Dykstra said. Griffin was the name of a 17th-century ship known to have sailed between England and English settlements along Massachusetts Bay in British America. Below Niagara Falls: first ships on Lake Ontario. Le Griffon. Content is produced by MSU students under the guidance of journalism faculty. The wreck lies in Lake Michigan. They're not going back to the wreckage for a while, so they don't make the site vulnerable to other treasure seekers. Newsroom Calendar @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. La Salle and Father Louis Hennepin set out on the Le Griffon's maiden voyage on August 7, 1679 with a crew of 32, sailing across Lake Erie, Lake Huron and Lake Michigan through uncharted waters that only canoes had previously explored. On its maiden voyage, it sailed across Lake Erie, up the Detroit and St. Clair Rivers, and across Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. 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. All Rights Reserved. By Michael Havis and Harry Howard For Mailonline, Published: 12:24 GMT, 16 June 2021 | Updated: 13:02 GMT, 16 June 2021. There are three acceptable English spellings of the word: griffin, griffon and gryphon. The photos were taken in 1997 from the roof of the cofferdam that surrounded the ship and kept it in a semi-dry environment. Libert became instantly fascinated by the Griffon mystery as a 14-year-old student in Dayton, Ohio, where he first heard from a teacher about the missing ship with its figurehead of a griffon, a mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head of an eagle. 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. 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. If the state underwater archaeologist were to look at the wreck, he would look for artifacts that could be dated, such as ceramics or glass. He recounts his hunt and discovery in Le Griffon and the Huron Islands, 1679 (Mission Point Press), written with his wife. Two divers say they have found "Le Griffon," a 17th-century sailing ship widely considered the "holy grail" of shipwrecks. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Scholastic, Popular Science and Spectrum, a site on autism research. The ship was a work of art, featuring a majestic griffin (half lion, half eagle) figurehead on its front and an eagle on its stern. The Griffin, a large ship built by Frenchman Rene Robert Cavalli, disappeared on its maiden voyage some 343 years ago. Biden Student Loan Forgiveness Plan To Be Weighed By US Supreme Court, San Antonio Couple Allegedly Trained Their Dogs To Be Aggressive Before Air Force Veteran Gets Mauled to Death, Hungary Says Sweden Is Spreading Fake News Concerning Budapest Will Not Help Its NATO Bid, Vanderpump Rules' Tom Sandoval-Ariana Madix Split: Raquel Leviss Admits Doing 1 Thing Amid Affair Rumors. They were concerned for their safety in as much that they tried to burn the ship during construction. 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. Tonti's journal says it was adverse winds. Using sonar, two treasure hunters found the remains of a shipwreck in Lake Michigan. [15] On 19 June 2013, teams of scientists determined the wood pole discovered was not attached to a ship, after it came loose and was placed on the lake bed during an excavation. If it exists in the physical world, we think it will be there in deep water, she says. (Image credit: Father Louis Hennepin Public Domain ). It would be busted up, she said. They fly at an altitude of 4,900 and 11,500 feet. In any case, Le Griffon was larger than any other vessel on the lakes at the time, and as far as contemporary reports can confirm, the first named vessel. Crude tools, green and wet timbers, and the cold winter months caused slow progress in the construction of Le Griffon. [12] A number of sunken old sailing ships have been suggested to be Le Griffon but, except for the ones proven to be other ships, there has been no positive identification. 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. Negotiations with the Senecas were only moderately successful, so when they left the village they still wondered if the natives would permit them to finish their project. The griffin (also called gryphon, gryphen, griffon, griffen, and gryphin), is a legendary creature.It has the head, front legs, and wings of an eagle.The rest of the body looks like a part of a lion.. He walked right behind me and put his hand on my shoulder and said, Perhaps someone in this class will find it someday. I was listening to every word, says Libert, now 67. The griffin is a legendary creature with the head and wings of an eagle, and the body, tail, and hind legs of a lion. Around 4:00pm the Shannon passed Oswego light and headed out into the lake. From the web site of Libert's company: "There were plenty of theories of what happened to the flagship. It was built with the intention of finding a route across the Great Lakes of North America to reach China and Japan. An explorer claims to have found the long lost French ship Le Griffon at the bottom of Lake Michigan. 'La Salle was certain that the captain and his men committed mutiny, sank the ship and absconded with all the furs. These films range from comedies to dramas to long and short films. Every one of these shipwreck hunters finds a bone pile and claims its the Griffon.. [In Photos: Arctic Shipwreck Solves 170-Year-Old Mystery]. The Griffon, built in 1679, sank that same year somewhere in the Great Lakes. The details of these discoveries along with numerous illustrations are contained in the pages of this thought provoking book. MARIE, CHEBOYGAN AND ALL POINTS. Copyright 2023 HNGN. No cannons have been found near the site Libert identified. On 8 January 1679, the pilot and crew decided to spend the night ashore where they could light a fire and sleep in some warmth. THE WRECK OF THE GRIFFON by Cris Kohl and Joan Forsberg, published and distributed by Seawolf Communications Inc. 224 pages. A Eurasian griffon vulture can be found throughout Spain, Saudi Arabia, and Iran among other areas. A griffin (or gryphon) is a chimeric creature, part eagle and part lion. This Virtual History Talk will feature Valerie van Heest, who's a Michigan historian, underwater explorer, and author, talking about the facts and legends surrounding the Le Griffon shipwreck . Join the discussion, Playing Nov. 3-10: East Lansing Film Festivals silver anniversary. The straight-line distance is about 75 miles (121km). The Le Griffon was discovered in Sept. 2018 after going missing in 1679.Steven Libert. 2 - The Almiranta, Santo Cristo de San Roman, Nuestra Seora del Rosario y San Jose (Presumably a galleon). 'Father Louis Hennepin said it was lost in a violent storm. Forsberg said several of the bolts. While smaller canoes were used on rivers and streams, lake canoes were more commonly larger vessels measuring up to about 35 feet (11m) long. "[6] H. W. Beckwith says that in September 1678, La Salle "already had three small vessels on Lake Ontario, which he had made use of in a coasting trade with the Indians. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Several French explores built the exploratory vessel Ren-Robert Cavalier and Sieur de La Salle. Le Griffon set off on 7 August with unfurled sails, a 34-man crew, and a salute from her cannon and musketry. [1][4], La Salle found some of the 15 men he sent ahead from Fort Frontenac to trade with the Illinois but they had listened to La Salle's enemies who said he would never reach the Straits of Mackinac. 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. The ship was lost on the return leg of her maiden voyage due to a violent boiler A rare daggerboard schooner, Three Brothers, has been discovered in deep water off Oswego, New York by a team of shipwreck enthusiasts. 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. Darkness like a cloud is ready to envelop you. She says American marine archaeologists concluded that what Libert claims is the bowsprit was beyond a doubt part of a Native American fishing trap. [6] Some of La Salle's associates called this vessel a brigantine; others called it a bark. the griffon shipwreck facts. They added that a bowsprit was found close by in 2001, assuming it is another part that broke off from the ship. Do not reproduce without permission. Legions of searchers have tried to track down its. 1 Answer. Only then did the Liberts and the Great Lakes Exploration Group discover that the bowsprit was separate from the remainder of the vessel. [citation needed], La Salle arrived on 20 January 1679 from Fort Frontenac with the full rigging, anchors, chains, cordage, and cannon that were transported by barge, then salvaged and dragged 30 miles (48km) overland to the construction site. 'It is just a matter of time before we achieve our goal. One candidate is a wreck at the western end of Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron, with another wreck near Escanaba, Michigan, also proposed. La Salle was convinced that the pilot and crew treacherously sank her and made off with the goods. The 1633 journey left at Downs, England and landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts on September 3. . On September 18, 1679, the bark Griffon was sent back toward Fort Frontenac (a French trading post and military fort at the mouth of the Cataraqui River where the St. Lawrence River leaves Lake Ontario). So, if the Griffons final resting place isnt where Libert believes it to be, where is it? I was mesmerized by what he was saying. REVEALED: Huge sonic boom felt by thousands across the country was caused by RAF Typhoon jets scrambling to Wakey Wakey! Updated. [14] After years of legal squabbles the Michigan Department of Natural Resources issued a permit, and on 16 June 2013, an underwater pit was dug allowing US and French archeologists to examine the object for the first time. ', He continued: 'Both the Seneca and Iroquois felt threatened by the construction and sight of Le Griffon, and felt that it was a threat to the 'Great Spirit. [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. "It's the holy grail of shipwrecks in the Great Lakes.". We hear from the Association of Counties, state court administrator and the president, from Gratiot County, of the Michigan Judges Association. As noted above, sources give its size as either 20 tons or 40 tons. While they were at times fitted with mast and sails, their primary propulsion was either oars or poles. He says that the ship must have been caught in a four-day storm, where the ship part found farther away would have broken off due to a powerful storm. It is now believed to be the famous ship, The Griffin, which disappeared on its maiden voyage in 1679, has been called the 'holy grail' for shipwreck hunters probing North America's Great Lakes. Since its disappearance in 1679, the Griffon has taken on a mythic air. Cruise-goers reveal their most terrifying incidents at sea - from watching a ferocious Do YOU know your Adam and Eve from your Ruby Murray? Their sonar caught a mass below, and Dykstra dove into the water to take video. Laura is the archaeology/history and Life's Little Mysteries editor at Live Science. A shipwreck is the remains of a ship that has been wrecked. Le Griffon mysteriously went missing in 1679 and no one knows what happened between the time it was last seen until it was discovered three years ago, Libert said. 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. by | Jun 6, 2022 | ephesus elementary school principal | kristen modafferi kristin smart | Jun 6, 2022 | ephesus elementary school principal | kristen modafferi kristin smart Hennepin said she was named to protect her from the fire that threatened her. 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. Lake Erie covers 2,000 of them, among the highest concentration of wrecks in the world. The Griffin sank to the murky depths of. We asked the experts - and their answers will terrify you Five unexpected signs in your 20s and 30s you're at risk of developing heart disease later in life. Libert became instantly fascinated by the Griffon mystery as a 14-year-old student in Dayton, Ohio, where he first heard from a teacher about the missing ship with its figurehead of a griffon, a mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head of an eagle. Carbon dating of the bowsprit places suggests an age range within a year of the sinking. But Dykstra and Monroe said they'll wait until they hear the final word. Majestic, strong, and imbued with magic, the griffin is a common heraldic symbol which joins the lion's valor with the eagle's elegance. Other experts insist Liberts absolutely wrong. 1. After Le Griffon was launched, she was rigged with sails and provisioned with seven cannon of which two were brass. While there have been many theories over the years, there is no clear consensus as to the fate or current location of Le 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. 'The imagery depicted the keelson and frames,' he said. [1][4] also was the first ship to sail the Great Lakes. Widely considered the Holy Grail of undiscovered Great Lakes shipwrecks, the Griffon carried no treasure, nor anything.