Chapter 38
1861-1870
Table of Contents

Title Page
1 Introductory
2 Geological
3 Poetry of the Lakes
4 Description
5 The Aborigines
6 French Discovery and occupation
7 Story of La Salle and the Griffin
8 Struggle for Possession
9 Under English Rule
10 Beginnings of Lake Commerce
11 War of 1812
12 War of 1812, Continued
13 War of 1812, Concluded
14 Growth of Traffic
Commerce Through St. Mary's Canals
15 Early Navigation on Lake Superior
16 The Convention of 1847
17 A Half Century Ago
18 Lake Canals
19 Lake Canals, Concluded
20 Harbors
21 Lighthouses
22 Life Saving Service
23 Development of Lake Vessels
24 The Lake Carriers
25 The Sailor
26 Navigation
27 Lumber Traffic
28 Grain Traffic
29 Coal Traffic
30 Iron Ore and Iron Industries
31 Miscellaneous
33 CHRONOLOGY.The Beginnings
33 After the War of 1812
34 1821-1830
35 1831-1840
36 1841-1850
37 1851-1860
38 1861-1870
[Introduction]
1861.
1862.
1863.
1864.
1865
1866.
1867.
1868.
1869
1870
39 1871-1880
40 1881-1890
41 1891-1898
42 List of Lake Vessels
Table of Illustrations

1870

Losses During 1870. - During 1870 the total loss on hull and cargo amounted to $760,700; other loss $210,700; total for the season $971,400.

The steam barge Empire, noted among the lost at Long Point, Ont., was formerly the famous side-wheel steamer, built by Capt. G.W. Jones at Cleveland in 1844, and was first commanded by Capt. D. Howe. She was of 1,220 tons burden and was the pride of the lakes, both in accommodation and speed. She met with but few mishaps during her career until her remains were cast upon a foreign shore.

The steamer T.F. Parks, which is enumerated among the total losses, was originally the Plough Boy, built at Chatham in 1851 by the Eberts Brothers, and was 450 tons burden. Her first route was between Chatham, Detroit and Malden, and afterwards between Detroit, Windsor and Goderich. Later she was sold to T.F. Parks, of Malden, who had her name changed, and in whose hands she remained up to the time of her des- truction by fire as she lay anchored in the stream at Detroit.

Departures for Europe. - On July 27, the bark Thermutus departed from Cleveland on a voyage to Liverpool with a cargo of oil and staves. She and the Wirralite, which sailed earlier in the season, were the only vessels to make European voyages during this season.

Other Events of 1870. - January 21: Navigation opened at Cleveland by the schooner Varnie M. Blake. April: Steamer Magnet collides with the schooner Commodore Perry at Detroit. Schooner Allie Thiel wrecked at Chicago. Schooner E.B. Ward capsized on Lake Michigan. May: Schooner Sanborn damaged by collision at Chicago. Bark Alice and steam barge Saginaw collide near Milwaukee. Bark Glenbeulah damaged by collision with the bark Woodruff near Long Point. Steamer Haliburton burned at the wharf at Haliburton, Ontario. Steamer Vampire capsized at Pigeon bay during a storm. Propeller Toledo disabled near Point Pelee and taken in tow by the propeller Olean. Scow Adair sunk at Point Pelee. June: Schooner Honest John and scow Skidmore collide at Chicago. Schooner Kate Bully abandoned near Sleeping Bear Point. Schooners Hattie Johnson and White Squall collide on Lake Michigan. Schooner Juliet sunk at Port Burwell. Propeller Bruno sunk near Welland. July: Schooner Eagle capsized on Lake Ontario and was taken in tow by the tug Alida. Schooner Marquette sunk by collision with the bark H.P. Baldwin. Propeller B.F. Wade and schooner Gertrude collide at Chicago. Schooner Phalarope damaged by lightning at Milwaukee. Propeller Guiding Star explodes her boilers at Point Maitland; seven lives lost. Schooner Edith sunk by collision with the propeller Bristol. Brig Roucius damaged by collision with the schooner Aetna near Chicago. Tug W.H. Wood cap- sized in Mud Lake. Barge B.C. & Co. sunk at Saginaw. Propeller St. Joseph and schooner E.C.L. collide at Oconto. Schooner Falcon damaged by collision at Kewaunee. Scow Mary Ann wrecked at Marblehead. Scow Henry Young wrecked on Lake Erie. Brig Marie Julie foundered near the Magdalen islands. Barge Schuyler Colfax sunk from injuries sustained from lightning. Scow Mary Eden capsized on Lake Michigan. August: Schooners Cambridge and Ketchum collide in Straits of Mackinac. Schooner Hippogriffe and bark Cleveland damaged in Chicago river. Schooners W.W. Brigham and Radical collide at Manistee. Propeller St. Louis injured by collision with schooner Atlanta at Buffalo. Schooner E.B. Gannett sunk near Oswego. Propeller Plymouth, schooner Barbarian and scow Ravenna collide at Chicago. Schooner Ralph Campbell and propeller James Fisk, Jr., damaged by collision. Tug Magnolia and schooner J.E. Gilmore damaged by collision at Chicago. Schooner Thornton sunk. Brig Helfenstein collides with propeller Mohawk in the Straits. Tug Nellie Mayo burned near Saginaw. Bark F. Morell collides with the schooner Mary Morton on Lake Huron. Schooner Oriental collides with three schooners in tow of the tug Murbur near Point Pelee. Tug Faranda explodes her boilers at Oswego. Propeller Ontonagon sunk on Lake Superior near the Sault canal. Propeller Free State and scow C.G. Messel collide near Malden. Schooner Jennie Kimball damaged by collision with piers at Kincardine, Ont. August: Scow Gould sunk off Cedar Point. Schooner G.L. Seaver and scow M.I. Wilcox collide at Chicago. September: Schooner S.V.R. Watson collides with the Mary Morton at Buffalo. Schooners E.S.J. Bemis sunk at Long Point Cut; 22, propeller Dominion sunk at Gananoque. Bark Indiana sunk near Erie. Scow Venture capsized at Sturgeon bay. Steamer Manitowoc and scow Hunter collide at Milwaukee. The steam-barge Jennie Briscoe sunk by collision with propeller Free State near Grosse Isle. Scow Meisel sunk at Detroit. Barks Board of Trade and Butcher Boy collide at Chicago. Scow-schooner Ellen White burned on Lake Erie. October: Barge Mohawk lost at Point aux Barques. Scow Union wrecked at St. Joseph. Schooner Carrington sunk in Green bay. Schooner Mary Ann Rankin wrecked at Port Colborne. Schooner Nellie Brown capsized near Sacket's Harbor. Schooner Northern Belle and bark City of Buffalo collide at the Straits. Schooner Buckingham sunk at Saginaw bay. Propeller Sun collides with the bark Levi Rawson at Chicago. Tug Diamond explodes her boiler at Michigan City. Propeller Shickluna burned at Port Colborne. Schooners Advance and Flying Cloud abandoned on Lake Ontario. Barge Lyre sunk at foot of Beauharnois canal. Scow Silver Cloud and schooner Gem damaged by collision. Brig Fannie Gardner and schooner Charley Hibbard collide at Chicago. Scow Emma Blake totally wrecked near the Duncan. Tug Ontario burned at Algonac. Wreck of the Guiding Star sold for $5,000 to Capt. J.N. Nicholson. Schooner Anna Henry lost near Little Point Sable. Canadian schooner Annie Mulvey damaged by lightning off Pt. Betsey. Propeller Day Light partially burned at Grand Haven. November: Schooner Dauntless a total wreck at St. Martin's reef. W.R. Hanna capsized on Lake Michigan. Schooner Ariel wrecked near Collingwood. Tug Union burned at Saginaw bay. Tug Allen burned at Toledo. Scow Windsor sunk at Benton Harbor. Schooner Dreadnaught wrecked at Grand island, Lake Superior. Schooner Darien wrecked on Lake Huron. Schooner Jessie wrecked at Salmon Point. Brig Mohegan lost at Point aux Barques. Schooner Glad Tidings lost on Lake Ontario. Scow Kitty wrecked at Painesville, Lake Erie. Bark Sweetheart and brig Lucy J. Clark collide at the Straits. Schooner A.B. Ward a total loss at Grand Haven. Schooner Swift a total loss at Wolf island, Lake Ontario. Propeller G. J. Truesdell damaged by explosion of her cylinder head. Scow John Lilly went to pieces at Grand Haven. Bark Badger State a total loss at Sleeping Bear point. Tugs Tiger and C.W. Armstrong burned at Bay City. Schooner Dolphin capsized near Milwaukee. December 1: Schooner Tartar abandoned at Point Pelee.

Other losses for the season were as follows: Steamer Orion wrecked at Grand Haven. Propellers: Wabash sunk by propeller Empire State at Port Huron. Tonawanda foundered off Point Albino. Tugs: Stag, Challenge, Active, Kate Fletcher and Harrison. Bark: Sir E.W. Head wrecked in Lake Erie and four lives lost. Brig: Michigan wrecked at Point aux Barques. Schooners: Ellen Teal wrecked near Chicago. Illinois sunk by collision in Lake Michigan. Azoo sunk by propeller Bristol in Lake Ontario. Flora Temple wrecked at Racine. Norwegian lost near Oswego. Bermuda wrecked on Lake Superior. Joseph Cochran lost at Bailey's harbor. Britannia wrecked at Erie. Elyria wrecked at Erie; two lives lost. William John wrecked on Lake Ontario. Leviathan wrecked at Port Burwell. Jefferson wrecked on Lake Michigan. C.T. Richmond wrecked at Dunkirk. H.B. Steele wrecked at Point Betsey. Comet wrecked at Point Betsey. Horned wrecked at Good Harbor, Lake Michigan. Norway lost at Muskegon. Mary Morton wrecked on Long point. Hemlock burned on the St. Lawrence. Kelley wrecked at Windmill point, Lake Erie. Ben Flint wrecked on Lake Michigan. Afria wrecked on Round island, Lake Superior. Ostrich wrecked on Green bay. Kate wrecked near Coburg, Lake Ontario. D.R. Braman wrecked at Black river. Sardis Burchard wrecked at Point aux Barques. Hercules (barge) wrecked at Point aux Barques. Joseph A. Holland lost in Lake Huron with three lives.

 


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Some of the transcription work was also done by Brendon Baillod, who maintains an excellent guide to Great Lakes Shipwreck Research.