Captain Daniel P. Craine

Captain Daniel P. Craine, who has been remarkably fortunate with the vessels and steamers under his command during his lake-faring life, is a son of Thomas and Esther (Gellen) Craine, and was born in Mentor, Ohio, March 28, 1847. His father was a native of Liverpool, England, and his mother of Douglas, Isle of Man.

Thomas Craine, the father of our subject, had mastered the science of navigation, which, as a private tutor, he taught pupils at Liverpool for nine years with good results, also engaging in shipbuilding, being an expert in that capacity also. He crossed the Atlantic with his family in the year 1845, first establishing his home at Mentor, Ohio, where he remained about three years, going thence to the Headlands, two miles above Fairport, where he purchased a farm. The next scene of his labors was in the shipyard of Quayle & Martin, during the winter months, but occupying himself during the season in fishing at the Beavers, operating his own outfits. This continued about three years, followed by four seasons at Sand Beach; he also operated in the fishing business out of Pentwater, Mich., later his son, Daniel P., lending him material assistance in all of his enterprises at this time.

To revert to the subject of this sketch, Capt. Daniel P. Craine, as been has said[sic] assisted his father in the fishing business in the summer and became a good boatman, but during the winter months he attended the public schools in Cleveland. His first independent enterprise was in the fruit trade on the east shore of Lake Michigan, with the little schooner Abby, in which he owned an interest. This was followed by an invest- ment in the schooner Frances and scow Minnie Corbitt, which he built at Pentwater, and which he operated between Pentwater and Chicago, selling her at the close of the season. In the spring of 1868 he purchased a fishing outfit and operated out of Pentwater on his own account, and the next spring, after disposing of his outfit, he shipped before the mast in the schooner Hamilton, of Oswego, with his brother, Capt. William G. Craine. In 1870 he purchased a half-interest in the schooner Souvenir, which he sailed between east-shore Lake Michigan ports, Chicago and Milwaukee, in the lumber trade, his schooner carrying about 87,000 feet. He sold his interest that fall, and the next season sailed as mate.

In the spring of 1872 Captain Craine was appointed master of the schooner North Star, owned by Phillips & Brown, of Chicago. After the close of the season he purchased a one-third interest in a shingle-mill on the Muskegon river, selling at the end of the year, and going as mate of the schooner Winnie Wing, the next season assuming command of the schooner Beloit. In the spring of 1876 the Captain entered the employ of Capt. J.S. Dunham, as master of the schooner Moses Gage, transferring to the Lottie Wolf, and Pensaukee, remaining about eight years, and giving eminent satisfaction to the commodore. In 1884 Captain Craine assisted in the construction of the schooner James Mowatt, at Milwaukee, took a fourth interest in and brought her out new, sailing her three seasons. In 1888 he returned to Milwaukee to take charge of the schooner Davidson, building at Wolf & Davidson's shipyard, brought her out new and sailed her two seasons, after which he went to work in the shipyard to superintend the construction of the steamer Fred Pabst, which he also brought out and sailed that season. In 1892 he was appointed master of the large steamer Ferd Schlesinger, which he has continued to command at the time of this writing, making an enviable record as vessel and steamboat master, one which has been free from serious casualty or disaster, due in a great measure to his strict temperance principles, and coolness and resource in time of danger.

Capt. Daniel P. Craine was wedded to Miss Elizabeth Underhill, of Pentwater, Mich., on September 17, 1866. The children born to this union are Elmer W., at present master of the steamer John Duncan; and Arthur D., bookkeeper for the firm of Murphy Bros., wholesale tailoring establishment in Chicago. The Captain's first wife passed to the spirit world in 1871, and two years later, on September 14, 1873, he led to the altar Mrs. Nellie E. Elms, of Milwaukee. When not on the steamer the Captain makes his home at the "Schlitz Hotel" MIlwaukee, Wisconsin.

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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.