1895.

Loss of the Chicora. - In a terrible mid-winter storm the steamer Chicora, of the Graham & Morton Transportation Company's line, was lost January 21 between Milwaukee and St. Joseph with her crew of 23 and her only passenger. The steamer left Milwaukee for St. Joseph about 5 o'clock on the morning of January 21 while the weather was mild and the lake smooth, shaping her course directly for her destination. The barometer was unusually low, but Capt. Edward George Stines, her commander, nevertheless left port promptly on time. President Graham at his home in St. Joseph that morning discovered the alarming atmospheric conditions, and hastily notified the commander of the steamer Petoskey, then lying at St. Joseph, not to sail till the storm had passed. He wired the same instructions to Captains Stines, of the Chicora, but a little later learned that the vessel had already departed. The storm burst upon the lake as the day advanced, and no tidings to this day have come from the ill-fated Chicora, save that her spars and other wreckage drifted ashore between South Haven and Saugatuck, some days later. The Chicora was due at St. Joseph at 12:30 in the afternoon, and for a day it was believed she might have sought shelter in some neighboring port; but hope fled as rescuing vessels plowed their way in vain through thick fields of ice and in zero weather which followed and continued for several weeks. It is believed she went down a few miles off South Haven.

Propeller Chicora. Built at Detroit in 1892. Foundered during a gale in Lake Michigan, January 21, 1895; all on board perished. From "American Steam Vessels." Copyright 1895, by Smith & Stanton.

The Chicora was built in Detroit in 1892. She was 217 feet long, 35 feet beam and 15 feet in depth. She was built for the heavy freight traffic of the Graham & Morton line, but the passenger quarters were luxuriously furnished. Her guaranteed speed was seventeen miles an hour. As she was engaged in mid-winter service, there was no insurance. The loss of vessel and cargo was $175,000.

Nixon Waterman wrote the following versus, "Song and Sigh," in commemoration of this disaster:

Wreck Scenes. Propeller St. Magnus; [lower left] A Whaleback collision;. [center] Propeller Corsica after a collision; St. Magnus keeled over at Cleveland; [lower right] Schooner Samana on the beach.

Loss of the St. Magnus. - One of the singular disasters of the season was the fate of the Canadian line propeller St. Magnus, of Hamilton, Ont. While lying at dock at Cleveland on the evening of June 7, she listed and quietly sank. At great expense she was raised some weeks later and towed to Port Dalhousie. While on dry dock there, September 5, she took fire and was totally destroyed; one life was lost.

Foundering of the Africa. - The steamer Africa, of Owen Sound, having in tow the barge Severn, both being loaded with coal, from Ashtabula, Ohio, to Owen Sound, Ont., encountered a severe gale on Lake Huron. The tow line parted and the Africa fell into the trough of the sea and foundered, all hands on board, 13 in number, being lost. The Severn went ashore in the vicinity of Lyal island, and went to pieces, though her crew were all saved.

Low Water. - The influence of low water upon cargoes was shown by a table compiled by the Marine Review. It gives the first cargoes of 43 vessels for the season of 1894 at 90,769 tons. For the season of 1895 the first cargoes of the same vessels were only 83,467 tons, an average loss of 8 percent. The average draft at the Sault canal was about 13 feet 8 inches, or about 10 inches less than the draft of 1894.

Five Fatal Disasters. - The tug Pearl B. Campbell became heavily encompassed with ice in a heavy northeast gale and blinding snowstorm on Lake Superior, December 27, and foundered off Huron islands, carrying down her crew of seven. The schooner Kate Kelley foundered, May 14, off Racine Point, during a heavy gale of wind; the entire crew of seven were lost. Two lives were lost from the schooner Naiad, dismasted during a sudden squall, in July, off Charlevoix. The schooner Nellie Duff foundered off Lorain, in October, with the loss of three lives out of the crew of four. The steamyacht Gitana foundered near Tibbett's light, St. Lawrence river, in June; the crew of three were drowned.

Loss of the Missoula. - The steamer Missoula broke her shaft in a heavy southwest gale on Lake Superior, November 1. She broached to, foundered and became a total loss of Caribou island. The crew took to the small boats, and finally reached the Canadian shore after great suffering. Several days elapsed before they reached an inhabited district.

Other Events of 1895. - April: Steambarge Sakie Shepard foundered off Turtle island. Barge Fostoria waterlogged at Port Huron. Steamer A. Everett sunk off Point aux Barques. Barge Bahama sunk at Alpena. May: Steamer N.K. Fairbank burned at Morgan's Point. Steamer Guide burned and sunk at Oswego. Schooner S.H. Kimball sunk off Point aux Barques by collision with steamer George Stone. Steamer Cayuga sunk near Skillagalee light by collision with steamer Joseph L. Hurd; damage to both vessels and cargoes about $300,000. Quickstep wrecked at St. Clair. Schooner Reindeer stranded at Black River. Steamer Niagara sunk at Port Colborne. Steamer Norman sunk on Lake Huron by collision with the Canadian steamer Jack; valued at $200,000; insured for $175,000; three lives lost. June: Tug John Evanson sunk by collision with the schooner Watson, near Ahnapee. Steamer Salina sunk by the Lizzie A. Law, near Bay City. July: Canadian passenger steamer Cibola burned at Lewiston; the boat was launched at Deseronto, in 1887, and cost $200,000; one life lost. Steamer Nyanza sunk by collision with the Northern King at the foot of Sugar island; valued at $110,000. Schooner Republic sunk off Lorain. Schooner Ida May Brown capsized on the beach at Michigan City, and became a total loss. August: Steamer Alva sunk by collision with whaleback barge 117 at the Sault. Steamer Burlington burned in Weldrum bay. Steamer Britanic sunk by the steamer Russia, near Upper Grosse Isle: one man drowned. Tug Siskiwat burned at Port William. Steamer Idlewild collides with and sinks the schooner Ferret, at Toledo. Steamer John Otis damaged by lightning, on Lake Michigan. Canadian steamer Daisy, of Port Hope, totally destroyed by fire. September: Steamer C.A. Forbes burned near Bay City. Schooner Evaline capsized near Kewaunee. Tug Ella Smith sunk near French river, Georgian Bay. Schooner J.H. Magruder wrecked near Harrisville. Schooner Arctic sunk by collision with the propeller Clyde near Point aux Barques. Tug W.F. McRae sunk near Marine City. Schooner Queen City wrecked at Hog island reef. Schooner A.W. Comstock foundered off Standard rock during a 70 mile gale. Schooner E.R. Williams sunk on Green bay. Schooner C.H. Johnson went to pieces at Groscap. Steamer Mark Hopkins sunk by the steamer Vanderbilt in Hay lake. Steamer Montana sunk in the Portage Lake canal. Steamer Gracie Barker burned at Harbor Springs. Steamer Robert L. Fryer sunk in Hay lake by collision with the steamer Corsica; subsequently raised. Steamer Mark Hopkins sunk in the Sault passage. Schooner Odd Fellow stranded at Sauk's Head. Schooner Phantom foundered off Little Sable Point. Schooner C.A. King foundered off Point aux Barques. Barge R.J. Carney wrecked at Shelldrake. Schooner Elma wrecked on Lake Superior; one life lost. Steamer C.J. Kershaw stranded at Chocolay reef during a heavy northeast gale; the vessel broke in two and sank in deep water, becoming a total loss; the schooners H.A. Kent and Moonlight, in tow also wrecked. October: Schooners Itasca and Mary sunk above Port Huron by the steamer Parks Foster; Schooner Otter wrecked near Sturgeon Bay. Schooner Hanlon burned off Bushy island. Schooner C.N. Johnson sunk near Amherstburg. Steel steamer America sunk by the steamer W.H. Gilbert at Rains island. Schooner B.F. Bruce sunk at Sailors Encampment. Steamer John Craig sunk at Ballard's reef. Schooner H.C. Richards foundered off Little Point Sable. Steamer Alexandria sunk in St. Lawrence river. Canadian steam yacht Sea Gull burned at Port Perry. Schooner G.W. Davis foundered near Point Maitland, Lake Erie. November: Schooner Columbia sunk in Niagara river. Steamer Missoula foundered on Lake Superior. Canadian schooner Dauntless wrecked near Fort Gratiot. Tug Elk sunk by steamer Syracuse at Buffalo. Steamer Michael Groh totally wrecked off Pictured Rocks. Schooner Mattie Bell stranded at Big Summer island. Propeller J.M. Almendinger stranded and lost at Fox Point. Barge Nicholson stranded and lost near Lakeside, Lake Michigan. December: Tug Wright sunk at Green Bay. Schooner Geo. W. Adams sunk by ice near Colchester. Tug Erwin sunk at Sandusky. Tug Roy sunk by ice on Lake Erie. Schooner Julia Willard sunk near Middle Sister island.

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Volume II

Some of the transcription work was also done by Brendon Baillod, who maintains an excellent guide to Great Lakes Shipwreck Research.