Capt. John M. Scott

Steamer Persia, Capt. J. M. Scott, Master

There is not a better-known or more popular captain on the lakes than Skipper John H. Scott of the propeller Persia. His fund of really entertaining "short yarns" is remarkable. He was born in the County of Frontenac in 1840, and in the Public Schools of that county and Kingston he received a good education. The captain's bluff sea-breezy manner he has inherited from his grandfather. That worthy salt, Capt. Nixon Scott, was master of a vessel which sailed out of Belfast, Ireland, for many years. He died in 1810.

It was in the season of 1852 that Capt. J. H. Scott began sailing. Then he was twelve years of age. During that year and throughout the season of 1853 he was in the schooner Junius trading on Lake Erie and on Lake Ontario, under the command of Captain Hudson, an ex-Royal Navy seaman. In 1854 Capt. Scott had a lurid experience, for he sailed on the River Mississippi as a cabin boy. Before he began sailing the captain was at a trade ashore for six months, but the old salt in his veins would not permit him to follow so humdrum a calling, and he practically ran away to rough it afloat.

After many vicissitudes, Capt. Scott passed through several vessels in different positions, until he became captain of the schooner Hannah Butler, and then master successively of the steamers Colonist,St. Lawrence,City of London,Scotia, and Persia. The latter vessel he still commands, and will do so during the season of 1898, which is about to open.

Thrilling escapes from drowning the captain can tell about. While he was purser on the propeller Banshee, in 1861, she foundered on Lake Ontario in a gale, and one life was lost, the others being rescued after great hardship. When the captain had charge of the steamer Colonist as master she was lost in a terrible wind and snowstorm, November 27, 1869, on Lake Huron. For fourteen hours he and his crew were in small boats. Finally they were picked up by the propeller Free State. Some of the men had their hands and feet badly frozen. Again in 1871, Capt. Scott weathered a fierce hurricane on Lake Michigan, whilst he was master of the steamer Scotia. The fires of the vessel were extinguished by the enormous seas which she shipped, and before she could be saved the captain had to jettison 600 barrels of pork. Before she reached port the water had damaged 9,000 bushels of wheat.

Many people can recall that frightful storm on Lake Ontario in 1881, when the steamers Zealand, spoken of in a recent issue in connection with Capt. Zealand, and Norway and many others were cast away, with all hands. That same night Capt. Scott weathered the gale in the Scotia, but her entire deckload of flour was carried away.

With his other honors, Capt. Scott was from 1871 to 1884 consulting master for Mr. James Norris, of St. Catharines, Ont. That the captain had a deep respect for Capt. Norris is shown by the fact that he has called his only son, who is nine years of age, James Norris Scott. The captain was married in 1884 to Miss Russell, of Kingston. Capt. Scott's father came to Canada from Ireland in 1827, when he was 21 years of age, on a survey at the time that Colonel By of the Royal Engineers was commissioned to construct the Rideau Canal.Ottawa originally was called Bytown, after the lustrous colonel. Capt. Scott's sire eventually, in 1834, married Miss Smith, of Kingston and settled on a farm, in the vicinity of Sydenham, and on that farm our hero was born. His esteemed father died in 1847, whilst he was yet only 41 years old.

Return to Home Port

The entire file of the Globe and Mail and its predecessors is now online via subscription at Micromedia ProQuest