Ed. C. Helbing

Ed. C. Helbing, second engineer of the Russell Sage, is one of the seven children of Edward and Augusta (Clapp) Helbing. He was born November 24, 1864, at Toledo, Ohio, at which place he attended school until he was sixteen years of age, and then started his marine life.

He did ordinary work on a tow barge for about five months, after which, during the season of 1881, he was firing on the Morning Star, and served on the Mackinaw in the same capacity for the two succeeding seasons. During the seasons of 1884, 85-86-87, he was on the Milton D. Ward, Wellington R. Burt, Greyhound, and city of Milwaukee, all passenger boats, as fireman, and also on the river tug Wilcox, of Detroit, as oiler. In 1888 he was firing on the Corsica part of the season, and served the balance as oiler. The following season he received his first issue of license as second engineer, filling that berth on the Corsica until she was burned to the water's edge, after which he transferred to the Torrent, where he remained the balance of that and all of the next season, 1890. In 1891 he was second engineer of the Swain (of which his brother was chief) for about three months, spending the balance on the Business, and in 1892 was second mate of the Marquette. Since that time he has been second to George Kohlbrenner on the Russell Sage, the season of 1897 being his fifth consecutive year at that post. Mr. Helbing has nine issues of license, and is a member of the Cleveland No. 2, M.E.B.A.

He was married, in June 1892, to Miss Jennie Hicks, of Toledo, and they make their home in that city, at No. 2041 Ontario street.

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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.