Alfred E. Welch

Alfred E. Welch, engineer on the City of Rome, is a well-known and efficient marine engineer. He was born in Erie county, N.Y., September 1, 1846, and received the limited educational advantages afforded by the county district schools during the winter months.

In 1870 Mr. Welch shipped as engineer on the tug Mary E. Pierce, of Buffalo harbor, and for seven years thereafter was employed in a planing-mill ashore. In 1878 he returned to the lakes as engineer on the steamer Missouri, Capt. Lyman Hunt, engaged in the lumber trade between Buffalo and Bay City, Mich., remaining in that position for two years. In 1880 he entered the service of the Anchor line as chief engineer on the propeller Conemaugh, running from Buffalo to Chicago, and continued in that vessel for four years. During the season of 1884 he was engaged ashore as machinist, and in 1885 he became chief engineer of the steamer H.E. Packer, of the Lackawanna line, remaining one season. He then shipped as engineer on the steamer Wocoken, belonging to the Winslow line, of Cleveland, Ohio, and for one year afterward was employed in the same capacity by the Buffalo and Lake Superior line. In 1887 he became chief engineer of the steamer City of Rome, of Chicago, engaged in the coal trade between Buffalo and Chicago, which position he still holds.

Mr. Welch was married, in 1873, to Miss Elizabeth P. Harrison, of Buffalo, and they have one son. Mr. Welch is the efficient secretary of the Marine engineers Beneficial Society, which position he has filed with ability for four years. The family reside in Buffalo, New York.

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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.