Charles A. McPhail
Charles A. McPhail is a promising young engineer sailing out of Lorain, Ohio, and was born in Lorain in 1866, son of Capt. Alexander and Annie (Loveland) McPhail. His father was for a long time master and mate of many good lake vessels, among which may be mentioned the David Wallace. He is of Scotch descent, and came to the United States at the age of twenty years, locating at Black River, now Lorain, Ohio.
After attending school Charles A. McPhail entered the employ of the Cleveland, Lorain & Wheeling Railway Co., to learn the machinist's trade, remaining in their shops two years. In 1880 he engaged to run hoisting engines on the docks at Lorain, continuing thus for seven years, after which he went to Fairport, where he was similarly employed for four seasons. In the spring of 1891 he entered upon his lakefaring life as fireman on the steamer Vulcan, holding that berth until June, when he shipped as oiler on the steamer Aurora. Late he remained ashore at Fairport to run a hoisting engine. In the spring of 1892 he shipped as lookout on the steamer Vulcan, closing the season as wheelsman, and the next year going as oiler on the same boat. In the spring of 1894 he took out engineer's papers, and was appointed first assistant on the Vulcan, which position he has continued to hold to this date.
Mr. McPhail is a member of the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association, of Cleveland. Although he is not a married man, he has purchased five acres of land near Lorain, which is proof that he is clear-sighted, as Lorain is destined to become a great lake port in the near future.
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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.
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