Revision 1/25/2012 12:36 PM
At the time of her sinking in 1907, the Illinois was the largest hydraulic dredge on the Lake. Today she rests in 35 feet of water near another dive site, the Holly Barge, Chicago’s first intentional shipwreck. The Illinois was a tug guided sand dredge. There is a pile of plates and general wreckage mess including a large centrifugal pump lying at an oblique angle. A slightly spooky feel at night, simply because of the amount of wreckage and yet no life or seaweed around it. There is a newly sunk barge nearby (the Holly Barge), sunk specifically for divers. This wreck is upright and in excellent condition. It is possible to penetrate inside.