Capt. W. O. Zealand

Captain W. O. Zealand is descended from a family of sailors as far back as his ancestry can be clearly traced. His grandfather Captain Ed Zealand at an early age served under Nelson and towards the close of the war of 1812-14 was in service on the lakes. He remained in this country, making his home at Hamilton Beach. He was the first to take a craft through the Hamilton Beach having had to race up the lake to achieve that feat. He had five sons, all of whom became master mariners. The youngest, Captain Harry, is still in command on the upper lakes.

Capt. W. O. Zealand began his marine life with his father on leaving school. After about three years he came off the water and worked in the hardware business. In leaving the water when he did he escaped the accident by which his father met his death, the boat [str. Zealand] having foundered with all hands, sixteen in number on Lake Ontario, on November 6, 1880. Returning in the spring of 1884, he went on the steamer St. Magnus as purser. But the following five years he was employed on the steamer Canada as purser, as second mate and as chief mate. Then he sailed the steamer J. W. Steinhoff, and in the following year he had command of the steamer Macassa on the Hamilton to Toronto run. In 1895 he was in the steamer St. Magnus, wrecked at Cleveland, in which vessel he acted as purser. During the latter end of that season he was on the steamer Arabian.

Captain Zealand in 1896 sailed the steamer Modjeska, making four seasons in command with the Hamilton Steamboat Company. Last season, 1897, he was master of the steamer Lake Michigan.

Captain Zealand is a member of the Central Presbyterian Church, of the Masonic fraternity, also of the Scottish Rite Order, of the Knights of Pythias, of the Ramblers' Bicycle Club, and of the Canadian Club, besides being an honorary member of the Sergeant's Mess of the 13th Battalion of Hamilton, of which battalion he is an ex-sergeant.

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