Rouse Simmons, the Christmas Tree Ship – Kent Bellrichard A-Roll

Silent footage for documentary on the shipwreck of the Rouse Simmons, a three-masted schooner also known as the Christmas Tree Ship, that went missing in a winter storm on Lake Michigan in November 1912. This segment features scuba footage led by Kent Bellrichard, the diver who discovered the wreckage in October 1971. It shows the ship on the lake bed and recovery of small items like dead conifers, ceramic mugs from the mess hall, and an electric light bulb that is shown to still function.

This is the second of three reels on the Rouse Simmons, and may be documentary material for “The Christmas Tree Ship” that first aired on Channel 4 in November 1975.