History #
The schooner Aldebaran, with no known alternate names, was a wooden vessel built in 1852 by F.D. Ketchum in Huron, Ohio. It had a gross tonnage of 251 tons and featured two masts. Throughout its history, the Aldebaran was primarily associated with Buffalo, New York.
On October 2, 1876, the Aldebaran encountered a severe storm while loading railroad ties at Coatsworth’s dock near Amherstburg, Ontario, on Lake Erie. The vessel was torn loose by the gale and driven ashore approximately 200 yards west of the dock. Efforts were made to rescue the ship using the Buffalo tug H.G. Nolton, but the Aldebaran ultimately broke up and became a total wreck during a subsequent sou’wester storm that occurred on October 5.
News reports from the time provide some details of the incident. A dispatch on October 3, 1876, reported the Aldebaran’s grounding at Coatsworth Dock, 25 miles from Point au Pelee, without further particulars. An expedition was organized to assist the stranded vessel, and the tug Nolton was dispatched for its relief on October 6. However, the Aldebaran was found to be full of water, and the efforts to pump it out were unsuccessful. The decision was made to strip and abandon the vessel, and the Nolton returned to Buffalo with the outfit of the Aldebaran on October 12. It was reported that the vessel was entirely broken up.
The history of the Aldebaran included ownership changes and previous incidents. It was enrolled in Buffalo, New York, from 1852 to 1868 and had experienced grounding at Pointe Pelee Island, Lake Erie, in 1858 but was recovered. The vessel underwent significant repairs and rebuilding in 1862 and changed ownership multiple times, with notable owners including J.N. Gardner and J.S. Noyes. The Aldebaran sank off Pointe aux Barques in a fall storm in 1868 but was subsequently salvaged and repaired. By 1871, it was owned by Farnham & Allen of Buffalo, New York.
The provided information is based on historical records, including newspaper articles from sources such as the Buffalo Commercial Advertiser and the Port Huron Daily Times, as well as listings in the Merchant Vessel List and notes from Herman Runge.
