Charles Lorimer

Charles Lorimer, the subject of this sketch, was born at Banffshire, Scotland, in 1854. He is the son of John and Isabella (Taylor) Lorimer. His father was a veterinary surgeon of high repute among horsemen. Charles acquired his education in the public schools of his native shire. In 1876 he entered the employ of the Tochineal Brick Company, and ran a stationary engine in their works, remaining with that company six years. In the spring of 1882 he came to the United States, locating in Detroit, Michigan, where he worked for Messrs. Ferguson & Co. until the spring of 1886, when he shipped as oiler on the passenger steamer City of Mackinaw, holding that berth six years. In the spring of 1893 he took out an engineer's license and shipped on the Republic Iron Company's steam monitor Chocktaw, remaining one season, when, in 1894, he was appointed assistant engineer on the steamer James Fisk. In 1895 he sailed as assistant engineer on the passenger steamer State of Ohio, out of the Cleveland and Buffalo Transit Company. In the spring of 1896 Mr. Lorimer transferred to the new steamer City of Buffalo, of the same line, as first assistant engineer, which berth he held two seasons, and in 1898 was chief engineer of the steamer State of Ohio. He has four issues of marine engineer's license.

Mr. Lorimer is a man of genial disposition, a careful and competent engineer, and has gained for himself a host of friends during his residence in the United States.

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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.