1888.

The First Whaleback. -- Steel barge 101, 412 tons, was the first whaleback vessel on the lakes built under the patents of Capt. Alexander McDougall, at Duluth, Minn. She was brought out by Capt. Wilbur Holbridge. This was a radical departure in construction of lake craft. When loaded, the boat is hermetically sealed and presents an oval appearance above water. The work of steering and managing is done from turrets. The following account of this novel tow barge is taken from the Marine Record of June 28, 1888: "This cigar-shaped barge, which has been named 101, was launched on June 23, in the presence of 3,000 incredulous people. She is built of steel and her extreme length is 187 feet, 25 feet beam, and 18 feet 3 inches molded depth of hold. The bottom of the barge is nearly flat, with a shallow keel of bent steel plates; about 20 feet from either end the bottom slopes upward and both bow and stern come to a point on the line of the upper deck. It is especially above the load line where the new type of lake barge shows the great variance from accepted models, and here the difference is in her favor as a coarse freight carrier. The curve of her sides is carried up and around so that all that will show above water when she is loaded is about five feet of the surface of a long steel cylinder. Twenty feet abaft the bow, and the same distance forward of the stern, turrets are raised, each 8 feet in diameter and 7 feet high. Within the after turret is the barge's steering wheel. Above the turret aft is raised an oaken pilot house 10 by 12 feet in size, and in this as well as on the forward turret is a Providence capstan. The molded ends are divided from the cargo hold by tight bulkheads. In the forward compartment is placed the apparatus for working the vessel, while the after one forms the cabin and accommodations for a small crew. Her cost is about $40,000."

Loss of an Unlucky Vessel. -- The schooner Walter H. Oades collided, August 20, with the schooner R. Halloran, two miles from the Dummy, Lake Erie, and sank in half an hour. There was no loss of life. The captain, his daughter and the crew reached the lighthouse and were cared for. The Oades was built in Detroit by Capt. John Oades, in 1869, and measured 219 tons. She was one of the most unlucky vessels on the lakes. While she was under construction a fire broke out on her, and one side was almost consumed. When nearly ready to launch the ways settled and she fell three feet, necessitating heavy expense in getting her into the water. Then she ran ashore at Rondeau point, after which she was sold by her builders. Later, while she was at anchor in St. Clair river, she was ran into by a big steamboat. She went on the bank in shallow water, and while the wreckers were at work she slipped off into deep water. She was repaired and while waiting settlement with the insurance companies she was ran into and lost her jibboom. At one time she was thrown upon the Buffalo breakwater by a heavy sea, and her minor mishaps would fill a book. When she was lost there was no insurance on her as the agents refused to take the risk because she was "unlucky."

Wreck of the St. Clair. - The Sand Beach life-saving crew, Captain Plough, took the crew off the barge St. Clair, wrecked October 1 near the harbor of refuge. The crew found both anchors down and Capt. C.H. Jones disposed to stay with the vessel. The life-savers then left her, and after a long and tedious pull dead to the windward in the teeth of the gale made the dock, thoroughly drenched and nearly exhausted. They had only been ashore a few moments when a torch was shown from the St. Clair, and they immediately started back and got every soul into the lifeboat, as the vessel was fast going to pieces. By this time it was impossible for the life-savers to pull back to the harbor, and it was decided to run before the gale, so they squared away for Port Sanilac. Heavy seas came aboard several times during the night, one carrying away the rudder, and two surfmen had their hands full steering with oars. At dawn the rescued crew were almost perishing, and it was decided to land south of the dock at Port Sanilac. As they were rounding the dock a heavy sea struck the boat and she rolled down on her beam ends, and throwing all but two seamen and three surfmen out of the boat, which beached immediately. Captain Plough and the rest of the surfmen were washed ashore. Capt. C.H. Jones and four of the crew were drowned.

The schooners Cromwell, Branden and Tim Baker and the propeller Matawan were wrecked in this same storm, but in widely different localities.

An Old Timer Disappears. - The barge Banner after 42 years' service on the lakes, succumbed to a northeast gale November 11, and was wrecked near Fish Point. She was owned and sailed by Captain Webb, of Mt. Clemens. His wife and a crew of five sailors were aboard. The captain lashed his wife and then himself to the rigging. Night came on and the gale increased, but at last help came. A number of local sailors manned a yawl and went to the rescue. After much difficulty the entire company were taken off the wreck, which soon after broke up.

Season Free From Disaster. - The season of 1888 will be memorable in the history of lake navigation for many reasons, not the least of which is the light loss of life and property from shipwreck. Old mariners fail to recall the time when the season, as a whole, has been so free from disastrous storms. October and November, the months most dreaded and usually attended with great material losses, passed without a blow worthy of being designated as a gale. The list of lost tonnage foot up 48 boats, of which 10 were destroyed by fire, with a carrying capacity aggregating but 17,700 tons, and total valuation of $439,000. These figures represent barely half the losses of 1887. Only 16 lives were lost from actual shipwreck during 1888.

Statistics. - The tonnage constructed and launched upon the lakes during the year 1888 included 64 large steamers, 48 of which were built of wood, 11 of steel and 5 of composite construction, all of which classed high in Lloyd's register.

Other Events of 1888 - April: Tug Paddy Murphy burned off Dover bay. May: Dredge General Gilmore sunk off Fairport. Barge Pacific sunk at Sandusky. Tug John F. Whitelaw sunk at Cleveland. Barge Brooklyn sunk by collision with schooner C.N. Johnson. Schooner Maggie McCrea sunk off Thunder Cape. Steambarge Georgian sunk near Owen Sound. Tug Maud S. sunk near Cheyboygan. Schooner Monguagon sunk at Milwaukee. June: Scow Venture sunk by collision with schooner Ford River, near Two Rivers. Steambarge Point Albino sunk at Marysville. Schooner H.F. Church sunk at Cleveland. July: Steamer Cumberland damaged by fire to the extent of $40,000 at Fairport. Schooner M.C. Upper sunk at Toledo. Schooner Alva Bradley sunk at Bois Blanc island. Schooner Willie Keller sunk near Au Sable, by collision with the Robert Mills. Schooners Bay Trader and John Tibbetts wrecked at Cedar Creek. Schooner Maggie Thompson capsized off Port Washington. Steamer Leander Choate burned at Northport. Barge Old Concord sunk off Lion's Head. August: Schooner Delos DeWolf collides with barge Roanoke, damaging the latter to the extent of $10,000. Steambarge Belle Wilson sunk off Harrisville. Schooner D. Freeman wrecked at Ford's Shoals. Morey sunk at Escanaba. Barge Arcturus sunk in Saginaw bay. Barge Sweetheart sunk at Marquette. Schooner Isaac Munson wrecked near Loosemore's Point. Steambarge Wm. Crossthwaite sunk at the Sault. September: Tug Forest City sunk off Cleveland. Steambarge Handy Boy burned at Sandusky. Steambarge Kincardine wrecked and sunk at French River. October: Schooner Australia wrecked near Holland. Schooner Delos DeWolf severely damaged by collision with Racine piers. Propeller A.M. Foster foundered off Point aux Barques. Schooner Henry W. Sage sunk in St. Clair canal. Steamer City of Montreal wrecked at Michipicoten island. Schooner Pensaukee sunk at the Flats. Schooner Swallow sunk at Fairport. Tug A.W. Laurence explodes her boiler on Lake Michigan. November: Steamer Robert Noble burned at Green Bay. Schooner Huron waterlogged at Tonawanda. Steamer Don Dickinson burned near Belle Isle. Schooner Helena wrecked at Fox island. Steambarge Leland burned at Huron. Steambarge C.H. Plummer burned at Kelley's island. Tug Anna P. Dore sunk near Dunkirk.

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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.