She offered luxurious accommodations for customers that included heated cabins, ornate wood design, and oil paintings to decorate the rooms.

123 cabins were built and were said to be the grandest on the lakes, decorated with velvet carpets, furniture and oil paintings.

It was typical for Great Lakes shipping trade to halt during the winter months, but an early thaw in February prompted it to resume.

As soon as ships left port with cargo, however, a strong winter storm engulfed the region, dropping three feet (0.91 m) of snow in two days.

The captain ordered that the sailors ration supplies, and also enlisted a 17-man team to venture across the frozen lake, to land, as the condition of the ship had worsened.

The group, using ice picks, axes, and ropes, covered 12 miles (19 km) and reached shore in Allegan County, Michigan.

Late that night, the hull of the Michigan became inundated with water, and the captain ordered to abandon ship.