C. E. Walsh

C.E. Walsh, of Cleveland, Ohio, was born October 23, 1861, at Douglastown, County of Gaspe, Quebec, son of Capt. James and Eliza H. Walsh, the former an old navigator. He attended the district schools in his native place until he reached the age of fourteen, when he commenced sailing with his father, who built, owned and commanded the Undaunted, 150 tons, out of Gaspe, trading between that port and Quebec, and the Island of Anticosti, with fish and oil. He then went on an expedition to Labrador, trading in oil, etc., with the Esquimaux, and during this trip built a boat about twenty-two feet long which he used in cruising along the Labrador coast, making one hundred miles alone, and learning to speak the Esquimaux language quite fluently. He described the habits and customs of that strange people in a very interesting manner, and may, in the near future, write a book setting forth his experiences among them. His little boat was driven ashore on one of the rocky points, but he managed to repair sufficiently to make his way to Esquimaux Point, where he joined his brother and thence they crossed to Gaspe the home port. This expedition was full of adventure, and Mr. Walsh being of an observing nature, profited much by it.

On October 3, 1885, he went as apprentice in a machine shop in Ottawa, Canada, where he remained two years and a half, and after sailing a tug one season he crossed over to the United States and worked in Duluth for about six months. He then went on the Yellowstone division of the Northern Pacific railroad, and was engaged in operating a derrick for bridge and pile work in 1888. This work being completed he returned to Duluth and commenced sailing, shipping as oiler on the steamers George T. Hope and Mariska, after which he served two seasons on the La Salle. In the spring of 1893 he took out engineer's license and shipped as second on the steamer Colonial; in 1894-95 he was second on the La Salle; in 1896 he engaged in the same capacity on the William Chisholm, laying her up at the close of the season, and in 1897 he held chief engineer's berth on the Choctaw.

Mr. Walsh was wedded to Miss Winifred Gaul, of Ottawa, Canada, on December 21, 1894. He is a member of the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association.

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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.