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Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott
for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/
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Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott
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History of the Great Lakes
Illustrated, In Two Volumes, Vol. II
Chicago, J. H. Beers & Co., 1899

        [144-145]

              CAPTAIN ANGUS J. MCDONALD, master of the steamer Hudson for
           the seasons of 1896-97-98, is of Scotch extraction, and a native
           of St. Catharines, Ont. His father, DONALD MCDONALD, was a
           master of lake vessels. He died about 1884 at St. Catharines,
           where the principal part of his life was spent. HANNAH (DOYLE),
           his mother, who was American-born, resides in Buffalo at the
           present time. They had five children, of whom WILLIAM was mate
           of the Grand Traverse during the season of 1896, ISAAC of the
           Commodore, and FREDERICK of the Milwaukee. The daughter, MARY,
           resides in Buffalo.
              The subject of this sketch was born August 18, 1857, and
           after passing through the public schools of St. Catharines, he
           by means of a scholarship entered the grammar school, where he
           spent about one year. In 1870, when he was but thirteen years of
           age, he commenced life as a horse-boy on the schooner Fanny
           Campbell, which plied between Kingston and Toledo in the timber
           trade. After a couple of seasons on the Campbell he shipped from
           St. Catharines as porter on the steamer Prussia for the seasons
           of 1873 and '74. He was lookout on the Colorado for season of
           1875, shipping from Buffalo, for the following seasons until
           October, 1877, at which time he rose to the position of second
           mate. In 1878 he was second mate of the Commodore, in 1879 of
           the China, of the Anchor line, and of the Commodore, and wheels-
           man of the Egyptian. In 1880 he was mate of the Oneida for four
           months, and in August was second mate a couple of trips on the
           Boston, continuing on the Arabia for the rest of that season as
           mate. CAPTAIN MCDONALD has been in this company's employ twenty-
           one years, and is one of the most successful of the younger men.
              From the spring of 1881 until June, 1885, CAPTAIN MCDONALD
           was mate of the Boston, and for the rest of the last named
           season was master of the Vanderbilt, this being his first boat
           as master. In 1886 he was mate of the Chicago until September,
           when he was promoted to the master's berth, filling same until
           September 1 of the season of 1887. On that day he was given the
           command of the ill-fated Albany, on which he remained until the
           7th of November, 1893, when she was lost in the collision with
           the Philadelphia at two o'clock in the morning off Point aux
           Barques, Lake Huron. The Albany was struck on her port side
           about midships, but did not sink immediately, because her cargo
           of grain prevented the water from rushing into the hole in her
           side. The Philadelphia was badly stove in at her bow, but
           remaining afloat because of her water-tight compartments took
           the Albany in tow and attempted to reach shallow water, although
           the distance to shore was about nine miles. The Albany sank on
           the way about an hour after the collision, in about 210 feet of
           water, and the Philadelphia went down shortly thereafter in 120
           feet. The crews of both vessels took to the two small boats of
           the Philadelphia, only one of which reached shore in safety,
           it being supposed from the condition of the lost small boat and
           the injured condition of some of the bodies afterward recovered
           that it had been struck by the wheel of the Philadelphia just
           after the men got into it. The Albany's crew lost eight men:
           THOMAS PIERCE, second mate; S. B. MUIRHEAD, chief engineer;
           JAMES MALLOY, oiler; SAMUEL MCMURTY, second cook; a watchman,
           porter and two deck hands, names unknown. The Philadelphia lost
           seventeen men in all, among them being the mate, whose name
           was HUNT, and chief engineer LEGGETT. The master, ALBERT HUFF,
           was among those saved. The Albany had a cargo of grain and
           package freight, and was east bound; the Philadelphia had 900
           tons of coal aboard, besides some miscellaneous merchandise.
           Both vessels were a total loss, and no attempts were made to
           recover either of them. CAPTAIN MCDONALD was master of the
           steamer Hudson for the full season of 1894-95 and 1896.
              CAPTAIN MCDONALD was married at Buffalo in 1879 to Miss ANNIE
           HIGGINS, by which union they have four children: GEORGE D. (at
           this writing fourteen years of age), EDITH (twelve), Charles
           (nine) and ANNIE (six). The family reside at No. 264 Grant
           street, Buffalo, New York.

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