She sank for her final time in fair weather in Whitefish Bay in Lake Superior after she received a mortal blow when she was inexplicably rammed by the steamer Nipigon.

[3] In 1887, she was assisted by the tug Leviathan when she was stranded on an uncharted 14 feet (4.3 m) deep shoal 1.5 to 2 miles (2.4 to 3.2 km) southwest of Waugoshance Light in the Straits of Mackinac with $1,800 in damages.

[3] In fair weather at 12:25 am on 17 September 1892, the steamer Nipigon was light and upbound in Whitefish Bay in Lake Superior towing the schooners Melbourne and Delaware.

[6] Shipwreck historian Gerred wrote of Bellrichard and Farnquist's dives to Vienna: They had made many trips to the wreck and brought up some interesting artifacts.

Among them were a hand carved eagle atop the pilot house, the ship's wheel, wooden blocks, portholes, a telegraph bell, whistle pull, dishes, crocks, and a large grindstone.

Farnquist, who is an expert on making lamps, book ends, and tables from wreck material, refinished the wheel.

[10] The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) 1992 raid on the GLSHS offices and Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum included seizure of artifacts that were illegally removed from the Vienna.

[2][13] However, the greater accessibility of Vienna belies her ability to ensnare even technically skilled, experienced scuba divers.

[13] In 1994, 102 years after Vienna sank, an experienced male diver who was a member of the Chippewa County Sheriff's Department died while diving her wreck.

[14] In 1995, an experienced male diver died of massive emboli after deeply penetrating the wreck, likely running out of air, and attempting an uncontrolled ascent without staged decompression.