Thomas Reilly

Thomas Reilly was born December 7, 1865, in Buffalo, N. Y., and received his education in the common schools of his native city. He commenced sailing at the age of seventeen years, in the spring of 1882 shipping as fireman on the tug R. F. Goodman, with Captain James Doyle, for one season. In 1883-84 he went as fireman on the tug Edward Fisk, with Capt. R. L. Byers, and during this season he and the other members of the crew performed a meritorious act, running out in the face of a terrible gale and rescuing the crew of seven men of the barge Little Jake, off the Buffalo breakwater. In 1885-6 he shipped on the tug John B. Griffin, as fireman, and in 1887 on the tug Alpha, in the same capacity. In the spring of 1889 he was appointed chief engineer of the tug Annie L. Sloan; in 1890 chief of the Thomas Edwards; in 1891 chief of the tug Genevieve, finishing the season on the tug Cheney; in 1892 chief of the Kelderhouse, finishing on the W. F. Halstead, on which he remained till the close of navigation in November, 1896.

Mr. Riley was united in marriage, July 19, 1891, to Miss Mary Safe, of Buffalo, N. Y., and they have three daughters, Mary, Elizabeth and Margaret. The family residence is at No. 150 Sandusky street, Buffalo.

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Volume I

This version of Volume II is based, with permission, on the work of the great volunteers at the Marine Captains Biographies site. To them goes the credit for reorganizing the content into some coherent order. The biographies in the original volume are in essentially random order.

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