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Individuals desiring to use this material in their own research may do so. ========================================================================= Formatted by U.S. Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== MARINE DISASTERS on the WESTERN LAKES during the NAVIGATION OF 1871 with the LOSS OF LIFE AND PROPERTY, VESSELS BOUGHT AND SOLD, NEW VESSELS AND THEIR TONNAGE; ALSO, THOSE WHICH HAVE PASSED OUT OF EXISTENCE, WITH A SKETCH OF EARLY MARINE HISTORY, AND VESSELS LAID UP AT VARIOUS PORTS. --------------------------- Carefully compiled by CAPT. J. W. HALL, Marine Reporter at Detroit. --------------------------- DETROIT: Free Press and Job Printing Establishment. 1872 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -70- DEATHS OF SEAMEN ---------------- During the past season, so far as has been ascertained, 23 old gators died from natural causes, 214 persons were drowned on the lakes, 3 were murdered, 6 committed suicide, and 26 were killed by accident - making a total of 271. The record of 1868 contained 321 names, and that of 1869 contained 209 names. The following is a record of the past year: MARCH - Capt. Dennis H. McBride, an old lake mariner, died at Milwaukee, aged 52. - Capt. C. O. Andrews, a vessel master, died at Painesville, Ohio, aged 39 years. - Capt. Halver O. Smith died at Sheboygan. No age given. - John Stalken, belonging to the schooner Twin Brother, drowned at Chicago. - Peter Tyson, mate, drowned from schooner Spy at Milwaukee, aged 25. - William Anderson, seaman, fell from masthead of schooner Cuyahoga, at Chicago, and was killed. - F. Weeks, a seaman, died at Marine Hospital at Detroit, age 23. - Peter Martin, seaman, killed by a fall from aloft on board H. Crocker at Chicago. - Charles Ott, Peter Broderick and Jacob Kissinger, drowned from schooner Emma 10 miles northwest of St. Joseph. - John Melcher, of same vessel, drowned same time. - Capt. Thomas Collins, of bark Sonora, died at Sisters of Charity, Milwaukee. - Capt. Green, Louis Garrity, Patrick Waters, and Lewis B. Johnson drowned by tug S. V. R. Watson sinking outside Chicago, by colliding with schooner Dick Somers. - Chesley B. Stewart, mate, drowned from tug Satellite in Lake Huron. APRIL - Francis Murray, second mate, drowned from schooner Plover in Lake Erie - Capt. Daniel Gilbert, of schooner J. F. Tracy, died at Amboy, Ohio, aged 37. - William Harding, seaman, of schooner West Side, died suddenly at Oswego, aged 43. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -71- DEATHS OF SEAMEN - Frank Pomeroy, of barge Katy Brainard, killed at Toledo by getting crushed in a yawl. - James Coyne, seaman on schooner Barbarian, dropped dead at the wheel off Kewaunee, Lake Michigan. - Eight men drowned by capsizing of a boat at Fort Niagara, Lake Ontario MAY - Barge Bolton lost a Frenchman overboard at Bay City. - Walter Scott, seaman of bark Alexander, died at St. Catherine's, aged 19. - Three men go over Niagara Falls in a small boat. - Dexter, a colored hand of steamer Jay Cooke, drowned by falling off the dock at Detroit. - Capt. G. W. Rounds, a well-known lake navigator, died at Buffalo, aged 50. - A. Rathbun, mate; Thomas Blanchard, first engineer; Hugh Campbell, second engineer; Patrick McGuire and A. Preston, wheelsmen; Charles Miller and one unknown fireman, and a stranger on board, killed by explosion of tug B. Jones at Port Huron. - Malcomb McKaskit, seaman, killed by fall from aloft on board of the bark P. C. Sherman outside of Chicago. - Three men died by capsizing of a sloop below Cleveland. - Capt. Saxon Bigelow, an old lake navigator, died at Chicago. JUNE - Capt. John Hines, of the brig Fanny Gardner, drowned in Green Bay. - Robert Williams, seaman of the schooner Harvest Queen, drowned in Lake Huron. - James Schupp, a hand, drowned from a craft at Duluth. - ______ Christiansen, seamen, drowned from the schooner S. P. Ely, at the same place. - Capt. P. Lavin, of schooner B. Parson, knocked overboard off Port Burwell. - Wm. Mitchell, cook of schooner Lavinia, drowned in Lake Michigan. - H. F. Fishedisk drowned from propeller Ironsides on Lake Michigan, a passenger. - An unknown sailor drowned from the bark Gibralter at Sandwich Point. - Capt. Alexander Gonilot, an old mariner, died insane at Kalamazoo. - Mate of schooner Selkirk drowned in Lake Huron. - Capt. James Gallinau, formerly of steamer Burlington, died at St. Johns, Mich. - Capt. Thomas Chilvers, long connected with the Detroit ferry, died at Windsor. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -72- DEATHS OF SEAMEN - M. H. Downer, first engineer; Halbert Butterfield, passenger; Kelly, a deck hand, and two deck hands, killed by explosion of the pro- peller Maine, opposite Brockville. - James Hanson, cook on schooner M. Mueller, commits suicide by cutting his throat at Racine. - Isaac James, a colored deck hand, drowned from propeller Sheridan at Saginaw. JULY - Edwin A. Adams, seaman, killed by a fall from aloft on board the schooner Montezuma at Buffalo. - Charles Rosenfelt, seaman, killed by a stab from a laborer at Buffalo. - Peter Enworth, deck hand, drowned from propeller Olean at Detroit. - A deck hand and fireman drowned by the burning of the propeller BARBER on Lake Michigan. - Thomas Hilliard killed on board tug C. M. Carter in Welland Canal - caught by the shaft. - Walter Buntin, seaman, drowned from the bark Maria Martin at Buffalo. - _____ Foster, a boy passenger, drowned from propeller Lowell in Lake Huron. - Capt. Hurst, of schooner Union Jack, fell overboard and drowned in Lake Huron. - John Coan, a passenger, drowned from propeller City of Boston in Lake Erie. - John Allen, seaman, drowned from schooner G. D. Russell in Saginaw Bay. - A. Lovelot and Edward Bogardus went over Niagara Falls in a boat. - A German sailor drowned from schooner Champion in Lake Michigan. - Alexander Moody killed by a fall from aloft on board schooner F. A. Morse in Lake Huron. - Charles Switzer, seaman, drowned from bark P. C. Sherman in Lake Huron. - Capt. Harmon, of schooner Franklin, died suddenly at Milwaukee. AUGUST - Wm. Wheeler, mate, drowned from schooner Mary Ann, 12 miles out from Chicago. - C. Cole, sailor of propeller Concord, died at Marine Hospital, Detroit. - Francis Shaw, seaman, drowned from scow Rough and Ready in Lake Erie. - John Gilbert, cook, drowned from tug Witch of the West at Bay City. - Eight lives lost by capsizing of the schooner Stella on Lake Michigan. - Daniel Mahoney, a boy sailor, killed on board schooner Atmosphere by foreboom falling on him on Lake Michigan. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -73- DEATHS OF SEAMEN - Toney Riley, fireman on tug Old Jack, rolled overboard while drunk at Cleveland and drowned. - A. Zimmerman, a hand, drowned from tug Gen. Grant in Lake Erie. - Capt. John Bruce, of schooner Juliette, died suddenly is hospital at Buffalo. - A passenger jumps overboard and drowns from propeller Idaho, at Milwaukee. - George Melchoir, drowned from propeller Westford, while in a fit, in Welland Canal. - Walter Mott, porter, drowned from propeller City of Concord, at Port Colborne. - David McCousland, seaman, drowned from schooner Exchange; locality not stated. - Dr. W. K. Brown, dentist, jumped overboard and drowned himself from steamer Island Queen in Detroit River. - Dennis Denahoe, a hand, drowned from a tug at Little Sturgeon. - Peter Jordan, mate, drowned from schooner Skylark, which was wrecked at Port Stanley. - Joseph Constantine, drowned from schooner Lummis while entering Ludington Harbor. SEPTEMBER - John Doran, seaman, drowned from bark Superior, in Detroit River. - Minnie Berthwick, cook, drowned from schooner Skylark at Port Stanley. - Five lives lost from capsizing of scow Durham in Lake Erie. - John Johnson, colored deck hand, drowned from propeller Galena at Alpena. - Christian Nelson, sailor, drowned from schooner Ever Ready, in Lake Winnebago. - David Solomon, deck hand, killed in an affray, by A. Williamson, another deck hand, on board the steamer Ward at Detroit. - A deck hand drowned from tug Mills, at Port Huron; name unknown. - W. C. Houston, mate, late of schooner Morning Light, commits suicide at Detroit. - Archie Dickey, James Steele, John Davidson and James Merchie, seamen, drowned by a yawl capsizing going ashore from schooner Pomeroy, at Menominee. - Ashley Ames, knocked overboard by foreboom from schooner Alabama, off Port Stanley. - Malcolm McIntosh, seaman, drowned from schooner R. Simons, near Chicago. - James Kegh, seaman, drowned from the bark C. K. Nims, at Buffalo. - John Davis, second porter, drowned from propeller Lac la Belle's yawl, at Grand Haven. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -74- DEATHS OF SEAMEN - Ira Allen, a passenger, killed on board propeller Wenona, by a kick from a horse, on St. Clair River. - Capt. Dimmick, an old lake mariner, and late of bark Scandinavia, died at Buffalo. - George Meyer, drowned by falling overboard while in a fit from scow Two Nellies, at Chicago. - Sidney M. Harrison, mate, C. Oleson, second mate, J. Babcock, cook, captain's wife and child, and four seamen, unknown, drowned by schooner C. H. Hurd foundering near South Manitou, Lake Michigan. - Three lives lost by small schooner Miranda capsizing near Michigan City. Whiskey was the cause of this disaster. - Jas. McLaughlin, deck hand, was thrown into Buffalo Harbor and drowned by a colored hand, John Hawkins, both of propeller Canisteo. - Capt. Wm. McMinn, of schooner Persia, died at Chicago, aged 27 years. - A fireman fell into the hold of the propeller Vanderbilt, at Port Huron, and was killed. OCTOBER - John Unsley, watchman of the steamer Rice, drowned by falling off the dock at Detroit. - Capt. Patrick Lyon, Robert Brown, mate, Peter Brandt, the steward, and one unknown, perished by schooner Levant waterlogging in Lake Michigan. - Mrs. Paul Kingsley, her two daughters, and a passenger, drowned by the schooner H. C. Winslow capsizing in Lake Michigan. - Thos. Williams, seaman, drowned from barge Forest City, in Saginaw Bay. - A crew of nine persons, including the captain, drowned by schooner Excelsior foundering in Lake Huron; only one saved. - Capt. Gilbert Dumont, Wm. Simmons, mate, Carson, second mate, W. S. Robinson, first engineer, Wm. Hutchinson, second engineer, E. Major, clerk, George Westcott, steward, Robert W. Hutchings, passenger, and 32 others, lost by the propeller R. G. Coburn's disaster in Lake Huron. - Sam'l W. Thompson, sailor, killed by a fall from aloft on board schooner F. Morrell, on Lake Michigan. - John Dewey, cook, drowned by schooner Olivia capsizing in Lake Ontario - Capt. Thomas Gail, E. M. Hanson, ____ Hals, seamen, ____ Louis, sea- man, W. Beebe, and one unknown, drowned by schooner R. P. Mason rolling over in the Straits. - Capt. Lawson and one sailor drowned by the schooner Eliza Logan foun- dering in Lake Erie. - Mona Botsford, chambermaid, drowned by the burning of the propeller Dean Richmond, in Mud Lake. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -75- DEATHS OF SEAMEN - Charles G. Braddish, seaman, drowned from schooner New London, in Saginaw Bay. - Capt. John McDonald, of barge L. Hotchkiss, committed suicide by drowning at Buffalo. - John Hudson, seaman, of schooner Orion, drowned while going ashore at Kingston. - Sailor, name unknown, drowned from schooner C. H. Johnson, in Saginaw Bay. - Capt. James Hardison, of schooner Pandora, knocked overboard and drowned off Cabot's Head. - Jet Lucas, colored sailor, drowned from scow John Bruce, off Hamtramck, Detroit. - Capt. W. R. Smith, of steamer Francis Smith, died at Owen's Sound. - Two lives lost by tug McClellan running foul of a bridge at Chicago. NOVEMBER - Five lives lost by schooner Juliette foundering in Lake Erie. - Three lives lost from scow H. G. Williams, at mouth of Cleveland harbor. - Two lives lost from schooner Resolute, wrecked at Long Point; names, Robert W. Adams, seaman, and Sarah Donahue, cook. - A sailor drowned from schooner Ashtabula, in Lake Michigan. - Capt. Gibbs, John Henwood, first mate, Charles Wilson, cook, William Wilson, Julius Williams, Alex. Rupert, and two seamen, drowned by schooner Twilight foundering off Rock Falls, Lake Huron. - John Boyle, seaman, of bark Nelson, drowned off Rond Eau, Lake Erie, while nailing a board on the side of the vessel. - Frederick McDermott, drowned from schooner Emma Mayes, in Lake Huron. - Capt. Timothy McEwan, Mathew Collins, mate, Benjamin Dill, seaman, and six others, drowned by schooner Eli Bates foundering in Lake Erie. - Capt. M. Ryan, Wm. Brown, mate, Emily J. Philips, cook, and five unknown, drowned from schooner Jessie Anderson, off Long Point Cut. - Edward White and J. Cummings drowned from propeller East Saginaw, at Chicago. - Capt. James Barclay, drowned from schooner Two Brothers, on Lake Michigan. - Capt. D. M. Hagadone, died at Port Huron; an old navigator. - Hiram Ormstead, of tug Balize, died at Marine Hospital, Detroit. - Capt. Robert Stoddard, of schooner P. Scoville, died suddenly on board, near Milwaukee. - John Enos, colored deck hand, drowned from steamer Marine City, at Detroit. ===========================================================================