S.F. GALE U22343

also called S.F. GALE, S. E. GALE

On November 28, 1876, a severe storm swept over Lake Erie, leading to the loss of two vessels. The first vessel was initially believed to be the schooner S.F. GALE, which went down near Fairport. However, there was confusion regarding the second vessel reported about 10 or 12 miles off Cleveland, and its identity could not be determined at that time. A tug was dispatched to investigate the situation.

The following day, December 7, 1876, it was cast into doubt whether there had been more than one vessel lost near the port. The S.F. GALE was confirmed as the first reported vessel, while the identity of the second vessel remained uncertain. Tug operators and ship brokers in the area were unaware of any missing vessels, according to the Cleveland Herald.

Subsequent information revealed that the vessel that foundered near Fairport on November 28 was indeed the brig S.F. GALE, which had been in service since 1846. Tragically, all seven crew members, including Captain Andrew Hillson, perished in the incident. Captain Hillson had a family residing in Chicago, leaving them devastated by the loss.

The S.F. GALE was a two-masted wooden schooner with dimensions of 123 feet in length, 24 feet in width, and 10 feet in depth. It had a gross tonnage of 266 and a net tonnage of 225. The vessel was originally built in 1846 as a brig by B.B. Jones in Chicago but had undergone multiple rebuilds and conversions over the years.

In the past, the S.F. GALE had encountered several notable incidents. In November 1850, it collided with the schooner TELEGRAPH in the Straits of Mackinac, leading to its capsizing and sinking. However, the vessel was eventually recovered, albeit with a significant financial loss of $11,000. Throughout its history, the S.F. GALE also experienced collisions, strandings, and other mishaps in various locations such as Mackinac, Manitou, Pt. Abino, and Lake Huron.

Despite its eventful past, the final loss of the S.F. GALE occurred in Lake Erie during the storm of November 28, 1876. The vessel foundered while en route from Marblehead, Ohio, to Erie, Pennsylvania, carrying a cargo of mixed merchandise and stone. The cabin and two trunks from the ship washed ashore on December 2. At the time of the incident, the S.F. GALE was owned by Captain Andrew Hillson and others, with its home port in Chicago. The tragic loss of the vessel and its crew marked another somber chapter in the maritime history of Lake Erie.