Robert A. Noone

Robert A. Noone holds the responsible position of chief engineer of the Kellogg Elevator and Linseed Oil Works, at Buffalo, N. Y., which is the largest linseed oil mills in the world. He was born in Paterson, N. J., February 26, 1864, the elder of the two sons of Alexander and Mary (Kissock) Noone, the former of whom was a native of Ireland, the latter of Scotland. The father was a boilermaker by trade, and made several trips on the lakes in the engineering department, in his earlier days.

When our subject was two years and six months old his parents came to Buffalo, where he attended Public School No. 4, and began the first practical work of his life in Farrar & Trefts Boiler Works. Here he remained about five years, during which he served an apprenticeship, and then going to Erie, Penn., entered the employ of the Erie City Iron Works. After a year's employment there, he spent seven months with the Birdsall Manufacturing Company, at Auburn, N. Y., and several months in the Lake Erie Boiler Works of Buffalo, N. Y. In 1884 he started steamboating as oiler on the Juniata, putting in that season on her, and the following one on the Lycoming. In 1887 he was appointed second engineer of the Susquehanna, which berth he retained three seasons, and in 1890 fitted out the Anna Young, of the Anchor line, and then shipped as chief engineer on her, which craft burned on the water's edge off Lexington, on Lake Huron, October 22, that season, nine of her crew, who took to the boats, losing their lives, and the balance, including Mr. Noone, being picked up by the Edward Smith, Captain Mitchell, who cut her tow loose and spared no effort to save the Young's crew, bringing them to Port Huron. The Anchor line presented Captain Mitchell with a handsome gold watch and chain, in recognition of his bravery on this occasion. Mr. Noone went direct to Buffalo after the disaster, and the following season was appointed chief engineer of the Wissahickon, which berth he held three seasons, at the close of 1894 retiring from the lakes to accept the position of chief engineer of the Temple Electric Company at Montreal, Canada. He resigned this after two years to accept his present situation with the Kellogg Elevator and Linseed Oil Works, in June, 1896, as mentioned above. Mr. Noone has eleven issues of chief's license, and it will be noted that all of his steamboating has been with the Anchor line. He is a member of Local Harbor No. 1, of Buffalo, M. E. B. A.; of Elgin Lodge No. 7, F. & A. M.., Montreal; and of Erie No. 327, K. of P., of Erie, Pennsylvania.

In April, 1888, Mr. Noone was married to Miss Lizzie Summers, of Buffalo, N. Y., and they have one daughter, Jessie, aged seven years. They reside at No. 498 Swan Street, Buffalo, N. Y. Mr. Noone has had a good English education, has been a general reader, and is a well informed man. When in Montreal he took a six-months' course of lectures in McGill College in applied sciences, and his attention was drawn especially to the engineering part. He is now taking a mechanical electrical course of lectures in the Scranton School of Correspondence.

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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.