Charles W. Adler

Charles W. Adler, chief engineer on the fireboat George R. Potter, was born at Buffalo October 1, 1862, a son of Max and Caroline (Woodthrop) Adler, the former a German and the latter of English extraction.

Charles W. Adler was educated in the public schools of Buffalo and began the work of his life when about fourteen years as deckhand on the tug Dave & Mose. Later he became assistant engineer of steam canalboats and canal tugboats, following this occupation four years, and then ran a stationary engine for a year, and a half at Statts, manufacturer of billiard tables, etc. For the next three months be was second engineer on the steamer Joseph Farnham, and then held the same position on the Eber Ward. When about twenty-seven years of age he was made chief of the steamer A.A. Turner, afterward acting in the same capacity on the Huntress, and in 1890 went to Sault Ste. Marie and took charge of the tug Clara Heckler as captain for the season. Previous to going to the Sault Ste. Marie he was captain of the tub Comet, which blew up at Buffalo in 1889. In 1891 he went to Port Huron, and while there was captain of the tug Schriven, in the same year also serving as captain of the Huntress. For the season of 1892 he became engineer of the Niagara, of the International Ferry Company. He was next engineer of the Excelsior at Au Sauble, Mich., for part of the season, and then became engineer on the tug Waubun at Chicago. Since August 25, 1893, he has been chief engineer on the fireboat George R. Potter. Mr. Adler has been a member of the National Association of Masters and Pilots for one year, and a member of the Tug Pilots Association for six years, being a charter member of the Local Harbor and a charter member of the Tug Pilots Association. He has always taken quite an active interest in both of these associations.

On July 3,1880, Mr. Adler was married at Buffalo to Emma J. Griffith, and they have one child. Carrie.

Return to Home Port

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.