Possible recovered 1844 #
- Schooner
- ?
- 96ft Length
- Lake Erie
#
In 1827, the schooner Young Lion was launched in Buffalo, NY. It had an estimated tonnage of 50 tons and was intended for the Canada Lumber trade. The owners of the vessel were Norton & Bliss and Captain Burnett. The Young Lion passed out of Black Rock Harbor and began its operations.
Over the years, the Young Lion experienced various incidents and voyages. In 1828, it went ashore at Otter Creek, Canada, but managed to get off without significant damage. In November 1829, the vessel ran aground in Portland, NY, but was able to free itself with minimal harm. In October 1833, the Young Lion arrived in Cleveland, OH, with its sails torn apart due to a storm. Its cargo at the time was flour.
Unfortunately, on July 6, 1836, the Young Lion sank during a storm on Lake Erie. At the time of the incident, it was owned by Smith, Macy & Russell of Buffalo. The vessel was carrying a cargo of railroad iron and was bound for Maumee. Despite the crew’s efforts to combat the rapidly flooding ship, the leak was too severe, and the vessel sank within half an hour. Of the eight people on board, three, including the mate, were presumed to have drowned. The remaining five managed to cling to a portion of the mast that remained above water until they were rescued by the crew of the Schooner New York the following morning.
In 1844, the wreck of the Young Lion, laden with railroad iron, was discovered off the mouth of Walnut Creek by Captain D. Chapin of New York. He also identified the exact location of the steamer Erie. Captain Chapin had used his compass invention to make these findings. Buoys were placed on the wrecks to mark their location, and Captain Chapin intended to raise them as soon as weather conditions allowed.
The sinking of the Young Lion was reported in various newspapers at the time, including the Erie Gazette and the Democratic Free Press. The Buffalo papers provided details of the incident, mentioning the loss of three crew members and the rescue of the remaining five by the Schooner New York. The vessel was owned by Smith, May, and Russell.
