1882

Appalling Casualty. - The most appalling casualty of the season of 1882 was the loss of the Canadian steamer Asia, of the Northwestern Transportation Company. She had taken the place of the Manitoulin, burned in May, and was a "canaler" of 350 tons burden, built in 1873. She had been sunk in 1881, but was raised and repaired. The Asia left Collingwood September 13 for French river and the Sault. Of the passengers and crew aboard only two were saved -- a young passenger, D.A. Tinkis, of Manitowaning, and Miss Christy Ann Morrison, from near Owen Sound. The loss of human life was estimated to have exceeded 100. Tinkis, who was 17 years of age, says he had gone aboard the Asia at Owen Sound about midnight, September 13. At 11 o'clock the next morning the storm broke. Panic soon seized the passengers, and the vessel slowly foundered. All who could climbed on the hurricane deck. Three overcrowded boats were shoved off, and young Tinkis was in one of them. Thinking it overfilled he swam to the metallic boat, in which were Capt. J. Savage, the mate and others. He managed to get in at one end and Miss Morrison sat at the other end. Tinkis let go every time the lifeboat rolled over, but always caught on again. Miss Morrison was equally fortunate. They thus clung to the boat till it drifted ashore, 20 miles distant. An Indian was given the young man's watch to pilot the two survivors to Parry Sound.

Loss of the Clayton Belle. - The schooners Clayton Belle and Thomas Parsons collided on Lake Huron, ten miles from Port Huron, April 10, and the former sank to the bottom in seven minutes, carrying down four of the crew. Three of the crew escaped by leaping aboard the Parsons. Capt. Fred Colvin and three others were below when the Parsons struck her on the quarter. They rushed up and launched a boat, but it became entangled in the wreck and sank. The Clayton Belle was bound from St. Ignace to Erie with pig iron. She was built at Clayton in 1863, and was 300 tons burden. The Parsons, bound up with coal, was injured and towed into Port Huron.

Burning of the Manitoulin. - The Canadian passenger steamer Manitoulin burned with great loss of life off Shoal Point, Georgian Bay, May 18. Captain Campbell was at the dinner table when the fire was discovered, and immediately ran up to the hurricane deck and ordered the wheelsman to "hard starboard" and steer for shore, two miles distant. The first engineer at the great risk of his life, jumped down into the engine room and put on all steam. The fire had made great headway below deck, and the passengers becoming panic-stricken many jumped overboard and were lost. A boat was lowered, but it was so overcrowded that the davits gave way and plunged the occupants into the bay. The Manitoulin had by this time almost reached the shore, and was quickly beached. The loss of life was estimated at between 25 and 40.

Loss of the Collingwood. - The schooner Collingwood, loaded with cedar posts and going from St. Helena to Chicago, encountered a gale November 23, and becoming waterlogged, went over on her beam ends and kept that way for about an hour. The deck finally burst up, and she went down head first. The crew of eight clung to the taffrail, and after the boat went down four succeeded in getting upon a raft, Captain Willits and three of the crew perishing in the water. One of the survivors became a maniac and died. After enduring exposure and hunger upon the raft for 31 hours, the three survivors were picked up in an almost exhausted condition by the propeller Wisconsin and taken to Milwaukee.

Other Events of 1882. - The new steamer H.J. Jewett, in November, made the run from Buffalo to Milwaukee in 2 days, 14 hours and 15 minutes then said to be the fastest trip between those ports on record. The Montreal & Kingston Company reported the season of 1882 the poorest in 14 years. The autumn of 1882 was generally conceded among old vesselmen to have been the best for navigation that they had known for many years previous. A furious gale swept over the lakes November 23-24. The big schooner J.W. Doane went to pieces at Buffalo, and many other vessels were wrecked or seriously injured. March: Steambarge Grace Patterson ashore at Twin River Point; total loss. Schooner Christie totally wrecked near Ludington. Tug Uncle Sam destroyed by ice in the Straits. April: Little schooner Queen of the West totally wrecked at Bailey's Harbor. Steam Yacht Angelique a total loss at entrance to Dunkirk harbor. Schooner Espinola totally wrecked at Chicago. Schooner Nellie Teresa totally wrecked at Big Sandy, Lake Ontario. Schooner Gallatin foundered off Point Pelee. Schooner May Queen totally wrecked at South Haven. May: Steambarge Prindiville wrecked near Oscoda. Schooner J.J. Hill waterlogged at Detroit. Steamer American Eagle explodes her boiler near Kelley's island; three men killed. Schooner Rocket capsized and water- logged off Frankfort. June: Schooner Industry wrecked in a storm off South Haven June 3, and crew of three were lost. Schooner J.P. de Coudres totally wrecked at Milwaukee. Barge Vanderbilt burned in Georgian Bay, and beached on Serpent island. Tug Colton sunk by collision at Marine City. Steam barge Araxes sunk near Prentiss bay. Tug Ben Drake sunk at Peshtigo. Propeller Hickox sunk at Chicago by collision with propeller Albert Soper. July: Scow Champion sunk by the schooner W.L. Higgie near Marine City. Schooner L.B. Wilson sunk near Racine by collision with the steambarge Campbell. Schooner Sam Cook ashore in Jones' Narrows, Lake Erie; total loss. August: Steambarge Thomas Kingsford sunk at Belleville, Ont., by collision with the steambarge Saxon; total loss. Schooner Mountaineer ashore at Tyrconnell; total loss. Canadian schooner Florida sunk in Lake Erie. Propeller Chicago No. 1 burned to the water's edge off North Fox island, Lake Michigan. Steambarge Albert Miller burned off Point Sable. Tug Mockingbird sunk by collision with tug Gladiator in Detroit river. September: Schooner Russell sunk in St. Mary's river by collision with propeller Northerner; three lives lost. Tug Mary Anna totally wrecked at Owen Sound; captain and engineer lost. Schooner St. Andrews sunk on Lake Erie. Schooner Mockingbird totally wrecked near Charvoix. Canadian schooner Nellie Sherwood foundered in Georgian Bay; all on board, five in number, lost. Steamer Picton totally wrecked off Rondeau Point. Steamer Richelieu explodes her boiler near Montreal, three persons killed and seven badly injured. Schooner C.H. Barton ashore on Fisherman's shoal. October: Barge George H. Ely sunk near Detour; total loss. Little steamer Grace ashore on Whitefish Point; two lives lost. Schooner Little Georgie burned off Milwaukee. Schooner Contest ashore on at Whitehall; total wreck. Tug Wetzel, of Racine, explodes her boiler ten miles from Milwaukee, total loss; all on board lost. Schooner Frank Crawford ashore at Parent's bay; total loss. November: Propeller Josephine Kidd burned on Georgian Bay. Schooner Canada wrecked off Colchester reef; total loss. Barge City burned by incendiary fire at Toledo, no one aboard. Small schooner Lady Elgin capsized near Chantry islands, Lake Ontario; all on board, three in number, lost. Propeller Dromedary totally destroyed by fire in Burlington bay, Lake Ontario. Tug Cygnet burned to water's edge at Cheboygan. Schooner Skinner ashore at Grand Haven; total loss. Schooner Tom Sims a total wreck at Pierrepont. Schooner Enterprise a total loss at West Point, Ont. Schooner Morning Light total wreck on clay banks south of Ludington. Schooners General Sigel, Eclipse and J. O. Moss ashore at Big Point Sable; total wrecks, two lives lost. Schooner Montauk total wreck on North Manitou island.

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Volume II

Some of the transcription work was also done by Brendon Baillod, who maintains an excellent guide to Great Lakes Shipwreck Research.