C.G. BREED U4577

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C.G. BREED: The Tragic Capsizing of a Schooner-Barge

The C.G. Breed, originally built as a brigantine in 1862, met a tragic fate on November 14, 1879, when it capsized and sank in a sudden squall on Lake Erie. The vessel, owned by Jesse Farwell of Detroit, was on a voyage from Detroit to Buffalo, carrying 24,000 bushels of wheat. Out of the eight crew members on board, only three survived the ordeal.

The C.G. Breed, with an official number of 4577, was a two-masted, wooden schooner-barge. It was built by Davidson & Ellsworth in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and was initially owned by Breed & Green of Milwaukee. The vessel measured 140 feet in length, 26 feet in beam, and had a depth of 13 feet. It had a tonnage of 385.

In 1863, the C.G. Breed was rerigged as a schooner, and in 1865, its tonnage was re-measured and recorded as 385 gross tons. The ownership of the vessel changed hands over the years, with owners including A. Green of Milwaukee in 1866, Brigham et al. of Milwaukee in 1871, Hemmiter of Cleveland in 1876, and Quayle & Murphy of Cleveland in September 1876. In 1879, it was owned by White/Wight et al. of Cleveland.

On November 14, 1879, while approximately 80 miles east of Point au Pelee, the C.G. Breed encountered a sudden squall that caused the vessel to capsize and sink. Five out of the eight crew members lost their lives in the tragic event. The three survivors were rescued separately by different vessels. Captain Harry Rose, the master of the C.G. Breed, found himself floating on the floor of his own cabin and was rescued after nine hours by the schooner Abbie L. Andrews. Another crew member swam to the foremasthead and was raised into the air when the vessel righted itself briefly before sinking. After clinging to the masthead for 15 hours, he was rescued by the propeller Milwaukee. The third survivor swam to the mainmasthead, and when the vessel righted, the top of the mast snapped off, throwing him some distance. He was found approximately 23 hours later by the schooner Nellie Gardner.

The loss of the C.G. Breed was a tragic event that claimed the lives of five crew members. The survivors’ accounts shed light on the harrowing circumstances they endured during the vessel’s capsizing and sinking.