D. Campbell

D. Campbell is the second youngest of eleven children of Neil and Betsy (McKinnon) Campbell, natives of Scotland, and was born at Owen Sound, Canada, March 1, 1865. He attended school and assisted his parents at farming until sixteen years old, when he began steamboating, shipping from Montreal as deckhand on the Magnet. He remained on that boat all of one season, and the next was wheelsman on the sidewheeler Spartan, after which he spent one season each on the Scotia, Elburta and Frances Smith as wheelsman.

In 1887 he became master of the tug Rover, of Owen Sound, and in 1888 went as lookout on the Ontario, the following season engaging as wheelsman on the United Empire. In the spring of 1890 he went to Buffalo and shipped as lookout on the Gordon Campbell, remaining on her five months and finishing the season on the Vanderbilt as wheelsman. In 1891 he was wheeling the Conemaugh until the 15th of September, at which time he was advised of his father's death and left for home. He then went to Erie, Penn., working on the docks there until November 1, when he went onto the Emily P. Weed, laying her up and keeping ship on her. The next season he wheeled the Philadelphia, leaving her the trip before she sunk to go on the Alaska, on which he made several trips; on the last one, while on Lake Michigan, she was steering very hard, and he was caught and thrown over the wheel, dislocating his shoulder, and being injured to such an extent as to lay him up in the hospital for nine months. On his release he went as second mate of the China, remaining on her two seasons, when, in 1896, he was promoted to the first mate's berth on the Conemaugh, and held that position throughout the season of 1897. Mr. Campbell has had his share of mishaps. He was on the Magnet when she ran ashore off Cedar island, and was stuck there for five days; and was also on the Scotia when she sunk off Goderich; but lately he has been more fortunate. Mr. Campbell is a single man, and resides at No. 215 West Eleventh street, Erie.

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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.