William H. Tyler

William H. Tyler, chief engineer of the steamer Choctaw, was born in Cleveland, September 2, 1870, a son of William W. Tyler, one of the most successful engineers on the lakes. Mr. Tyler passed through the Cleveland public schools, and commenced sailing at the age of seventeen as oiler on the steamer Gladstone. After two years' service in this vessel he became second engineer of the steamer Nahant, and then of the Oneida, Gladstone, William Chisholm and Yuma in succession, in 1896 taking the berth of chief engineer in the steamer Choctaw. He was in this boat when she was sunk in the Sault river in a collision with the steamer L. C. Waldo.

Mr. Tyler was married, on July 26, 1892, to Miss Maud Brown, of Berg Hill, Ohio, and they have two children: William W. and Effie E.

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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.