Here’s a detailed and formatted entry for the steam yacht GITANA:
GITANA
Quick Facts:
•Type: Steam Yacht
•Length: Unknown
•Beam: Unknown
•Depth: Unknown
•Deaths: 1 confirmed (John Sprague)
•Location: Lake Ontario, near Stoney Island
•GPS: Exact coordinates unknown
IDENTIFICATION & SITE INFORMATION:
•Name: GITANA
•Type: Steam Yacht
•Owned by: G.B. Sloan Jr. of Oswego, New York
•Year Built: Unknown
•Purpose: Recreational use
HISTORY:
The GITANA was a privately owned steam yacht operated by G.B. Sloan Jr. of Oswego, New York. On June 10, 1895, the yacht was reported missing after being sighted near Stoney Island during rough weather. The vessel appeared to be struggling in heavy waves, attempting to reach a harbor at the foot of Stoney Island.
Last Sighting:
According to Mr. Benoit, a local fisherman, the GITANA was seen on the morning of June 10, 1895, with waves washing over her Deck. Benoit observed her in distress, heading towards the harbor, but this was the last confirmed sighting. It was presumed that the GITANAFoundered shortly afterward.
Loss Confirmation:
The following day, Robert Sloan, son of G.B. Sloan, arrived in the harbor on another yacht and confirmed the family’s belief that the GITANA had sunk off Stoney Island.
FINAL DISPOSITION:
•Date of Loss: June 10, 1895
•Cause of Loss: Foundered in heavy seas
•Condition: Presumed destroyed and unrecovered
•Casualties:
•John Sprague (crew member): Confirmed lost, leaving behind a wife and child in Oswego.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
•Notable Individuals Aboard:
•John Sprague, crew member and son of Delos Sprague from Henderson, New York.
Circumstances of Loss:
Heavy weather played a significant role in the sinking of the GITANA, as the vessel struggled to reach safety at the foot of Stoney Island. No wreckage was reported, and the exact location of the loss remains unidentified.
REFERENCES & LINKS:
•Maritime History of the Great Lakes
•Local newspaper accounts of the incident (June 1895)
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