Captain B. Cole

Captain B. Cole, of Detroit, Mich., was born in Lewiston, N. Y., in the year 1840, and in 1844 was brought by his parents to Detroit, where he has resided ever since. He attended the Detroit public schools for a few years, and went on the lakes when very young, starting as cook on the scow Bertrand. After one season as cook Captain Cole served before the mast on several vessels, among them the brig Virginia and the schooner Die Vernon, and he soon worked his way up to the position of mate, in which capacity he was engaged for two of three seasons. In 1861 he secured his first command, the schooner Howes, owned by John P. Clark, which he sailed for one season, and the next season he took charge of the schooner Poland, sailing her for eight years. Later he sailed the schooner Dolphin two years, and then took command of the Iris, of which he was half-owner, continuing as master of this boat for eight seasons, after which he sailed the schooner India, the Melbourne (owned by D. C. Whitney) and the steambarge Nicolet, one season each; he has also commanded many other well-known vessels. Captain Cole spent three seasons tugging on the Effie L. McKennon, and then sailed the schooner Wayne for D. C. Whitney four seasons. During the season of 1896 he was in command of the passenger steamer Daisy. He has had several adventures on the lakes, having gone ashore twice while sailing before the mast on the brig Virginia, which went ashore near Long Point, Lake Erie, and while before the mast on the Annie Salina, which went ashore while on Lake Michigan. In 1857, while the Captain was sailing on the schooner Die Vernon, about six of those on board were badly frozen, some losing their hands, others their feet, and the ship was given up for lost. They were towed into Chicago by the tug McQuinn, then commanded by Captain Prindiville.

Captain Cole is married, but has no children. He is a member of the Detroit branch of the Ship Masters Association.

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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.