1873.

Propeller Ironsides. Built at Cleveland, O., in 1864. Length over 231 feet; tonnage 1,123; an elegant passenger propeller built for the Lake Superior line; transferred to Lake Michigan and lost at Grand Haven in 1873 with twenty-four lives.

Loss of the Propeller Ironsides. - The propeller Ironsides sank in a furious gale near Grand Haven September 15, 1873. She had been built in 1864, and had been overhauled in the spring of 1873. The Ironsides lost control of her machinery, and a flag of distress was run up, but no aid was near. The last lifeboat left the vessel shortly before she sank, but the occupants were lost in plain sight of those on shore. Twenty- eight lives were lost.

Lost on Lake Superior. - The schooner Gilbert Mollison was lost with all hands near the South Manitou in October. She sailed from Chicago October 25, and two days later, just prior to a terrible storm, was seen near the Manitou by the schooners Montblanc and Margaret Muir. The Mollison was 305 tons burden, and had come out in 1871. A small boat belonging to the Mollison was found at Good Harbor November 3. The oars were lashed, and from appearances the painter had been cut.

A terrible snowstorm swept the upper lakes November 11, doing great damage to shipping and driving all craft back to harbor. Fortunately the loss of life was small.

Other Events of 1873. - In 1873 the steamers Manitoba and the City of Montreal formed a line between Montreal and Winnipeg, the Persia being also placed on the line the same year. May: Propeller Arizona sunk by collision with the propeller Blanchard near St. Clair Flats. June: Tug G. W. Farrar explodes her boiler at Port Huron and sustains injuries thereby. Steam barge Petronolia sunk at Sister island. July: - Canadian propeller Georgian damaged by fire at Ogdensburg. Propeller Philadelphia sunk by collision with a rock at the head of Lake Erie. Scow Alpena waterlogged at Cleveland. Schooners Madeira and Prince Albert damaged by collision in Welland canal. Schooner City of Milwaukee damaged by lightning at Cleveland. Schooner Northern Belle sunk by collision with schooner Annie Vought near Skillagalee. Schooner Ida struck by lightning at Manistee and injured. Tug W. B. Aldrich burned at Ludington. August: Steamer Atlantic, sunk in 1851 off Long Point, raised. Schooner A. Rust waterlogged by collision with a rock at Alpena. Propeller Meteor, sunk in Detroit river, raised and towed to Detroit. Schooners Flying Mist and Mary A. Wand collide in St. Clair river. Scow H. G. Williams ashore at Cedar Point and abandoned. Barge J. D. Morton lost on Lake Erie. Brig Sunbury waterlogged at Point Pelee. Schooners Aetna and Gifford collide off Thunder Bay island. Barges Sunshine and St. Clair waterlogged on St. Clair river. Schooner Maggie McRae sunk at Detroit. September: Propeller Passaic and bark Richard Winslow damaged by collision. Schooner Conquest sunk at Milwaukee. Schooner Etta Belle sunk off Sodus. Propeller John A. Dix damaged by collision with the propeller Russia. Bark Erastus Corning damaged by collision with a boulder at Bar Point. Bark City of Painesville damaged by collision with the propeller Merchant at Chicago. Prince Alfred and schooner Oriental collide in Welland canal. Scow-schooner Dacotah sunk at Beaver Harbor. Bark Cecelia sunk by collision with the schooner Oriental at Point Pelee. Schooners Skidmore and Argo collide near Racine. Schooners Annie Sherwood and Alva Bradley collide at Buffalo. Barge Juno sunk in St. Lawrence river. Scow Whittlesey abandoned on the piers at Cleveland. Schooners John Burt and Two Friends damaged by collision on Lake Erie. October: Tug Monitor sunk at Muskegon. Schooner Hartzell and propeller Vanderbilt collide at Chicago. Propeller Asia sunk at Port Colborne. Tugs Frank Moffatt and River Queen collide near Port Huron. Schooner Mary wrecked on Lake Ontario near Charlotte. Schooner T. B. Rice and Grace Whitney collide at Cleveland. Schooner New York wrecked at Oswego. Tug L. P. Smith damaged by collision with the propeller Benton. Severe storm on Lake Huron. Barge Ocean lost at Tawas bay. Propeller City of Boston disabled at Mackinaw. Propeller St. Lawrence burned at Kingston. Bark Frank Perew foundered near the South Fox. Steamer Vienna foundered on Lake Superior. Schooner Hippogriff and Josephine collide at Chicago. Schooner J. M. Nicholas sunk at Pigeon Bay. Barge David Morris wrecked at Leamington. Barge Globe wrecked at same place, and barge Saginaw sunk. Schooner Sultan wrecked at Port Hope. Schooner Champion damaged by collision on Lake Erie. Propeller Buckey damaged by collision with scow Franklin Wilcox at Cleveland. Schooner Pulaski damaged by colli- sion at Cheboygan. Tug May foundered on Lake Michigan. Schooner Annabella Chambers wrecked near Toronto. Tug Kate Reid burned in Saginaw river. November: Schooner R. J. Sanborn wrecked at Manitowoc. Scow E. F. Gain severely damaged by collision with the J. P. March. Schooner Challenge sunk at Milwaukee. Schooner Hamilton wrecked at South Harbor. Schooner M. D. Cardington sunk off Au Sable. Propeller City of Boston abandoned at Frankfort. Scow Rosa Ann capsized at the Flats; crew rescued by City of Dresden. Tug Anthony explodes her boiler at Milwaukee. Bark Canada, of St. Catherines, bound for South America, burned near Quebec. December: Schooner Granada a total loss at Mackinaw. Tug Hector wrecked at Sugar Loaf Point. Steam barge Cormorant stranded at Fox Point Reef.

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Volume II

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